John Parducci

Apr 23, 2026 - 23:02
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John Parducci

+ almost 100 years of detail

← Previous revision Revision as of 17:31, 23 April 2026
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==Education==
==Education==
He was born on January 22, 1918 in [[Preston, California]]. The oldest of four brothers, he graduated [[Ukiah High School]]. He majored in languages and chemistry at [[Santa Rosa Junior College]].dailyukiah>{{cite web |title=John Parducci reflects on a winemaking career spanning 7-plus decades |url=https://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/2008/01/20/john-parducci-reflects-on-a-winemaking-career-spanning-7-plus-decades/ |website=www.ukiahdailyjournal.com |publisher=[[The Ukiah Daily Journal]] |access-date=21 April 2026}}
He was born on January 22, 1918 in [[Preston, California]]. The oldest of four brothers, he graduated [[Ukiah High School]]. John Parducci was born in the same house his mother, Isabelle Katherine Lucchetti, had been born into in Preston. In the 1920s, the family moved to Ukiah. In 1932, the brothers helped their father construct a winery in Ukiah.ukiah>{{cite web |title= |url=https://www.advocate-news.com/2014/02/06/winemaking-pioneer-john-parducci-dead-at-96/ |website=www.website.com |publisher=Publisher |access-date=21 April 2026}}

His father Adolph and mother Isabelle had three other sons as well: Dolph, George, and Vernon.

He graduated Ukiah High School in 1936. He majored in languages and chemistry at [[Santa Rosa Junior College]].{{cite web |title=John Parducci reflects on a winemaking career spanning 7-plus decades |url=https://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/2008/01/20/john-parducci-reflects-on-a-winemaking-career-spanning-7-plus-decades/ |website=www.ukiahdailyjournal.com |publisher=[[The Ukiah Daily Journal]] |access-date=21 April 2026}}


==Career==
==Career==


He started making wine in 1932, before the end of [[Prohibition]] in the United States.{{cite web |title=Part of secret to longevity might be in wine |url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2002/09/04/part-of-secret-to-longevity-might-be-in-wine/28720023007/ |website=www.website.com |publisher=[[Herald-Tribune]] |access-date=21 April 2026}} In 1932, he traveled alone to [[Hoboken, New Jersey]] to sell his family's grapes to home winemakers. He afterwards would travel frequently to sell the family's wine, but would return to [[Mendocino County]] in the fall for the harvest. He helped build the family's Parducci Wine Cellars, which was the first winery in Mendocino County. His father Adolph Parducci founded Parducci Wine Cellars in 1933, and John in 1940 took on winemaking duties.
He started making wine in 1932, before the end of [[Prohibition]] in the United States.{{cite web |title=Part of secret to longevity might be in wine |url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2002/09/04/part-of-secret-to-longevity-might-be-in-wine/28720023007/ |website=www.website.com |publisher=[[Herald-Tribune]] |access-date=21 April 2026}} In 1932, he traveled alone to [[Hoboken, New Jersey]] to sell his family's grapes to home winemakers. He afterwards would travel frequently to sell the family's wine, but would return to [[Mendocino County]] in the fall for the harvest. He helped build the family's Parducci Wine Cellars, which was the first winery in Mendocino County./> According to ''New Times'', Adolph Parducci established Mendocino's first commercial winery in 1933./> His father Adolph Parducci founded Parducci Wine Cellars in 1933, and John in 1940 took on winemaking duties.


Beginning to work again at the family winery in 1940, ''The Fort Bragg Advocate-News'' stated he worked to improve quality, while making the wine "accessible and affordable." He was the first Mendocino County winemaker to put a varietal on the label.
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He became lead winemaker of Parducci Wine Cellars in 1944. Parducci and his brothers in 1964 took over the winery operations, and became known for Mendocino wines such as Zinfandels, Petite Sirahs, and Cabernets. He sold most of his stake in Parducci Winer Cellars in 1973 when it was acquired by Teachers Managment Corporation, an investment group in [[Newport Beach]].{{cite web |title=OTHER NEWS - Dec. 2, 1994 - Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-12-02-fi-4054-story.html |website=www.latimes.com |publisher=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=21 April 2026}}

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He became lead winemaker of Parducci Wine Cellars in 1944. Parducci and his brothers in 1964 took over the winery operations, and became known for Mendocino wines such as Zinfandels, Petite Sirahs, and Cabernets.> In 1972, hard times forced the family to sell the original winery.{{cite web |title=The Splendor of Mendocino |url=https://www.newtimesslo.com/the-splendor-of-mendocino-2948896/ |website=www.newtimes.com |publisher=New Times |access-date=21 April 2026}}> He sold most of his stake in Parducci Winer Cellars in 1973 when it was acquired by Teachers Managment Corporation, an investment group in [[Newport Beach]].{{cite web |title=OTHER NEWS - Dec. 2, 1994 - Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-12-02-fi-4054-story.html |website=www.latimes.com |publisher=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=21 April 2026}}

In 1987, he was named California Winemaker of the Year at the 1987 [[Los Angeles County Fair]]. At the time, the Parducci winery's national distributor was [[Brown-Forman]] of [[Louisville, Kentucky]].


In the early 1990s, Parducci Wine Cellars had a peak production of 500,000 cases a year. John Parducci was fired by TMI in December 1994 as general manager and ousted from the winery. He sued the new corporate managers to prevent a 35-acre vineyard, which he stated had better-than-average grape yields, from being ripped out. The attempt failed in May, 1995, with Parducci still suing the other owners for mismanagement.{{cite web |title=Parducci Can't Save Vineyard |url=https://www.pressdemocrat.com/1995/05/11/parducci-cant-save-vineyard/ |website=www.pressdemocrat.com |publisher=[[The Press Democrat]] |access-date=21 April 2026}}
In the early 1990s, Parducci Wine Cellars had a peak production of 500,000 cases a year. John Parducci was fired by TMI in December 1994 as general manager and ousted from the winery. He sued the new corporate managers to prevent a 35-acre vineyard, which he stated had better-than-average grape yields, from being ripped out. The attempt failed in May, 1995, with Parducci still suing the other owners for mismanagement.{{cite web |title=Parducci Can't Save Vineyard |url=https://www.pressdemocrat.com/1995/05/11/parducci-cant-save-vineyard/ |website=www.pressdemocrat.com |publisher=[[The Press Democrat]] |access-date=21 April 2026}}


In 1999, he purchased the former Zellerbach Winery to found McNab Ridge Winery. name=dailyukiah/> At that point, Parducci Wine Cellars was owned by [[Carl Thoma]], a venture capitalist. name=red/> The Parducci winery was sold by Thoma in 2004 to the founders of the [[Mendocino Wine Company]].thoma>{{cite web |title=92-year-old Mendocino County wine brand is sold |url=https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2024/10/02/92-year-old-mendocino-county-wine-brand-is-sold-2/ |website=www.pressdemocrat.com |publisher=[[The Press Democrat]] |access-date=21 April 2026}}
In 1999, [[Jime Laube]], a ''[[Wine Spectator]]'' senior editor, stated "Parducci put Mendocino on the wine map, and his wines were Mendocino’s guinea pigs — experiments that tested, proved and disproved many theories about grape-growing and winemaking, and laying the foundation to modern-day thinking about what grows best where."laube>{{cite web |title=PARDUCCI OUSTED BY INVESTORS GROUP |url=https://www.pressdemocrat.com/1994/12/01/parducci-ousted-by-investors-group/ |website=www.pressdemocrat.com |publisher=Press Democrat |access-date=21 April 2026}}

In 1999, he purchased the former Zellerbach Winery to found McNab Ridge Winery. At that point, Parducci Wine Cellars was owned by [[Carl Thoma]], a venture capitalist. The Parducci winery was sold by Thoma in 2004 to the founders of the [[Mendocino Wine Company]].{{cite web |title=92-year-old Mendocino County wine brand is sold |url=https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2024/10/02/92-year-old-mendocino-county-wine-brand-is-sold-2/ |website=www.pressdemocrat.com |publisher=[[The Press Democrat]] |access-date=21 April 2026}} At McNab Ridge, after its founding in 1999, John's son Rich Parducci became winemaker. By 2007, McNab Ridge was part of a cooperative venture named Coro Mendocino, with a number of local wineries producing red blends under the Coro label, all with Mendocino-grown grapes.


In 2002, he was working at the McNab Ranch winery near [[Ukiah, California|Ukiah]]. ''The Seattle Times'' referred to him as a "pioneering Mendocino winemaker" in 2008, at which point he still worked daily at McNab Ridge Winery, where his grandson was winemaker.{{cite web |title=Holy Cow! Winemaking with style, humor |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/holy-cow-winemaking-with-style-humor/ |website=www.seattletimes.com |publisher=[[The Seattle Times]] |access-date=21 April 2026}}
In 2002, he was working at the McNab Ranch winery near [[Ukiah, California|Ukiah]]. ''The Seattle Times'' referred to him as a "pioneering Mendocino winemaker" in 2008, at which point he still worked daily at McNab Ridge Winery, where his grandson was winemaker.{{cite web |title=Holy Cow! Winemaking with style, humor |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/holy-cow-winemaking-with-style-humor/ |website=www.seattletimes.com |publisher=[[The Seattle Times]] |access-date=21 April 2026}}

==Wines==
As of March 1988, the ''Los Angeles Times'' reported that Parducci had 53 consecutive vintage harvests under his name. Vintages included Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Petite Sirah or even White Zinfandel. He was quoted at his 70th birthday stating "I don’t like to beat the grape to death or strip it of everything it has. Don’t ask me about the body, or the bouquet. Technical analysis is worthless. All that counts is that the wine pleases you, that you like it when you taste it."{{cite web |title=Vintage Parducci : 'All That Counts Is That the Wine Pleases You, That You Like It' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-03-06-tm-582-story.html |website=www.latimes.com |publisher=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=21 April 2026}}


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
In March 1937, he married Margarett Louise Romer.
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In 2008, he and his wife Margaret had a 70th anniversary. He died on February 4, 2014 at his home in Ukiah, at the age of 96.{{cite web |title= Mendocino Wine Pioneer John Parducci Dies at 96|url=https://www.winespectator.com/articles/mendocino-wine-pioneer-john-parducci-dies-at-96-49591 |website=www.website.com |publisher=[[Wine Spectator]] |access-date=21 April 2026}}

In 2008, he and his wife Margaret had a 70th anniversary. In Ukiah, he was president of the Ukiah Rotary Club, and past president of the Pomo Shrine Club. He was named Mendocino Agricultural Man of the Year.

He and Margaret were supporters of the [[Grace Hudson Museum]] in Ukiah.

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He died on February 4, 2014 at his home in Ukiah, at the age of 96.{{cite web |title= Mendocino Wine Pioneer John Parducci Dies at 96|url=https://www.winespectator.com/articles/mendocino-wine-pioneer-john-parducci-dies-at-96-49591 |website=www.website.com |publisher=[[Wine Spectator]] |access-date=21 April 2026}}> He was survived by his wife, his son William, brother Dolph, and six grandchildren.>


== See also ==
== See also ==
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