David Galzignato
Winemaker - Paraduxx
As the winemaker for Paraduxx, David Galzignato combines a passion for viticulture, a comprehensive knowledge of winemaking, and an inspired approach to the art of the blend.
Born and raised in California, David spent his summers on a family ranch where he developed an early interest in agriculture. This fascination grew when David visited the 5-acre, Galzignato family vineyard in Italy's famed Piedmont region following high school. There, David enjoyed his first real taste of hands-on viticulture and small-lot winemaking as he explored the property where his family had been growing grapes and making wine since the 1920s. Following this pivotal experience, David began his studies at the University of California, Davis, where he earned a bachelor of science in viticulture and enology, and a bachelor of arts in Italian. While putting himself through university, David augmented his experience by completing two harvest internships, one of which allowed him to explore his Italian roots working for several wineries in Italy, including Lombardy's Le Fracce and Piedmont's highly regarded Ada Nada.
Eager to refine his blending skills while working with a diverse portfolio of wines, David joined Washington State's Stimson Lane Vineyards & Estates in 1999. Working with some of Washington's finest mountain-grown fruit, David was part of the acclaimed Northstar Merlot project. In the following year, David also had the opportunity to work with noted Columbia Crest winemaker Ray Einberger. With Ray as his mentor, David further honed his skills, focusing on tannin management, oxygen integration, the marriage of wood and wine, and the importance of experimentation. Most of all, David explored the relationship between aromas and flavors as he continued to study the blending process.
In 2001, David joined Kendall-Jackson, where he quickly went from enologist to assuming the duties of assistant winemaker. In this capacity, David had the opportunity to work with an array of varietals from numerous appellations. At the same time he began developing a passion for Zinfandel-an interest he explored while learning from the winemaker of Edmeades (owned by Kendall-Jackson). In addition, David was also able to return to Italy where he worked at the company's Tenuta Di Arceno property in Tuscany. There David was able to perfect his skills putting together bottle blends of the winery's Super Tuscan and Chianti Classico wines. Next, David joined Charles Krug Winery as assistant winemaker, and was promoted to winemaker within a year. While at Charles Krug, David helped to create a new line of vineyard-designate wines. Most recently, David was the winemaker for several high-end, small-production wineries including Lewis Cellars, Mark David Winery and Sweetwater Ranch.
Committed to exploring the art of the blend while helping to establish a benchmark California varietal pairing, David joined Paraduxx as winemaker in 2007. "Blending is an instinct," says David. "That's why I love it. The blend begins in the vineyard well before harvest. It's in the character of individual rows. You need to be flexible and honor the complexity of the fruit as you discover how the pieces fit together. This approach has helped to make Paraduxx one of the finest wines in the Napa Valley. My goal is to stay true to the boldly elegant Paraduxx style, while embracing its innovative spirit."
