Patrick Sullivan joined Rudd as head winemaker in 2007 after stints at other prestigious wineries including Peter Michael, Paul Hobbs, and Lewis Cellars. Born and raised in Sonoma County, Patrick gained his initial exposure to viticulture by helping plant his parents’ Bennett Valley vineyard. After graduating with a degree in Biochemistry from UC Berkeley and working in the biotech industry, his interest in winemaking was sparked by wine tasting trips to Napa Valley with his winemaker brother. He continued his education at Fresno State gaining an MS in Enology. Patrick shares the Rudd philosophy regarding the importance of farming, saying “farming is both an art and science”. Patrick’s meticulous attention to detail is evidenced by the farming and winemaking procedures Rudd Oakville Estate uses including micro-picking the vineyards, rigorous sorting procedures for the fruit, small batch processing and a return to the fundamentals in our cellars.