Artesa Vineyards & Winery Names Ana Diogo-Draper as Assistant Winemaker

Born and raised in Portugal, Diogo-Draper moved to California in 2005 to join the team at Rutherford Hill Winery. In the course of her eight-year tenure she was promoted from harvest intern to Lab Manager, and finally, Assistant Winemaker.

Known for her collaborative approach, Diogo-Draper thrives in the fast-paced winery environment and excels at a wide diversity of roles from laboratory analysis and quality control assurance to creative applications such as sensory analysis and blending.

Diogo-Draper credits her professional success to a passion for agriculture and winemaking, nurtured from a young age in Portugal when she first planted vines with family and neighbors immersed in the European tradition of wine appreciation: [pullquote_left]I always knew I wanted to do something related to agriculture and nature. For me, ‘the calling’ came once I took my first winemaking class. I enjoy the creative aspect of winemaking – blending is a true alchemy and it has been a thrill to discover what kind of styles and approaches I most enjoy.”[/pullquote_left]

Diogo-Draper holds a B.A. in Agriculture Engineering from the University of Évora, situated in the middle of Portugal’s historic cork industry. Her experience with old world winemaking encouraged her to explore new regions and varieties, and to study a broad spectrum of subjects.

After eight years working primarily on Bordeaux varieties, Diogo-Draper looks forward to working with Mark Beringer on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the signature varieties of Carneros-based Artesa.

Fluent in English, Portuguese, Spanish and French, Diogo-Draper brings an international perspective to the Artesa winemaking team, but shares that she is thrilled to be able to finally claim, “I am a Carneros winemaker!”