Peter Paul

Founder

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Entrepreneur/philanthropist Peter Paul has a head for numbers. Currently chairman of Headlands Asset Management and chairman of The Headlands Foundation, Peter has been influential in the financial sector for more than 40 years. After he obtained his BS in Business Administration from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and his MBA from Boston University, his career took him to Southern California. Two years later, Peter “escaped” to northern California, where he founded Headlands Mortgage, which became one of the premier mortgage lending institutions in the US. A dozen years later, he took Headlands successfully through an IPO, and negotiated its merger with GreenPoint Financial. But his heart? That’s all about wine and philanthropy, and Peter turned his financial success into a way to pursue these two passions. His first introductions to wine came in the 1950s, while still living in his native New Hampshire: the first, a fine white Burgundy, handed him the match and a Chateau d’Yquem shared with his father ignited the flame of a lifelong love of wine. When his career took him to northern California—with some of the world’s finest wine regions in its backyard—Peter was able to spend weekends exploring Napa and Sonoma’s wineries and vineyards.

In 1999, his entrepreneurial drive changed him from wine lover to vintner as he and a friend who had recently retired from the wine industry became business partners in Grove Street Winery. With Grove Street, their vision was to produce affordable, super-premium Sonoma County wines, which they did to acclaimed success. Peter started his eponymous brand here, as well, to craft limited-production wines from select sites, starting with a Napa Valley Cabernet, and now including Chardonnay and Russian River Pinot Noir. In 2008, Peter sold Grove Street Winery to entrepreneur/vintner Leslie Rudd in order to focus on the Peter Paul brand and his ongoing philanthropic efforts.

Peter had launched the Headlands Foundation in 1995, to work to improve the standard of life for underprivileged children and their families in the Bay Area. He is a longtime supporter of many Bay Area nonprofits, including Food Bank of Marin, Marin Abused Women’s Services, St. Vincent’s School for Boys, Meals on Wheels and the Music Festival for Brain Health held at Staglin Family Vineyard. Peter is also a strong supporter of higher education. His financial support established the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics at UNH, which graduated its first class in 2013 and was ranked by Bloomberg Business as one of the top 100 undergraduate business schools in the nation. He is also a donor to and member of the board of trustees of Boston University. Peter Paul Wines have also given him another outlet for charitable giving.

In honor of the first class to graduate from the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, and to support his philanthropic efforts in New Hampshire, Peter created a special “Live Free or Die” (the NH state motto) Pinot Noir, which is available only to non-profit organizations, wine club members, New Hampshire residents, and UNH affiliates. He also continues to support Bay Area charities with proceeds from his Peter Paul Wines sales. As an entrepreneur and philanthropist, Peter understands the significance of growth and return on investment. But as a lifelong wine lover, the return he seeks with Peter Paul Wines is simply the pleasure that a well-crafted wine offers, and sharing it to benefit others less fortunate.

Mike Tracy

Winemaker

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A Sonoma County native, Mike was born and raised in the Dry Creek Valley of Healdsburg, California. While his mother was employed at E&J Gallo Winery for decades, he was raised on the historic Frei Ranch and spent his earliest years exploring the vineyards and cellar. Some of Mike’s fondest memories are tasting fruit ripening over the growing season and smelling aromatics of fermentation drifting out of the winery. These childhood memories made a firm imprint on his trajectory, and he knew he would make wine professionally one day.

Mike earned a Bachelor of Science in Viticulture and Enology from Cornell University in 2012, and more recently a Master of Business Administration in Wine Business from Sonoma State University in 2021. He has completed vintages in Marlborough, New Zealand as well as Mendoza, Argentina, and is just entering his 16th harvest. Mike’s meticulous approach to winemaking has been heavily influenced by winemakers he’s worked with such as Michel Rolland, Martha McCllelan, Bob Levy, and Jennifer Williams. It is Mike’s philosophy that truly outstanding wine can only be crafted in the vineyard, therefor attention to detail in farming is paramount to a wine’s success.