Renowned winemaker Paul Dolan, pioneer of sustainable viticulture in Mendocino and Sonoma counties, dies at 72

Paul Egan Dolan III, a pioneer in organic winemaking and sustainable farming, left his mark on viticulture — and the people he met along the way, according to those who knew him.

Dolan, who died June 26 at age 72 after a battle with cancer, served as president of Fetzer Vineyards, now Bonterra Organic Estates in Hopland, and later was the CEO and co-founder of Truett-Hurst in Healdsburg.

At Fetzer, Dolan was a prominent figure in developing organic and sustainable practices and led the company to become one of the first to pursue organic farming in viticulture.

“The legacy that brand has — he created that,” former Fetzer senior winemaker Steve Dorfman said.

“I’ve met and spent time with a lot of winemakers over the years and still, he stands out to me as the preeminent winemaker that probably never got recognized for his winemaking talent.”

Dolan’s legacy also remains at Truett-Hurst, which he co-founded in 2007.

“He was a born leader, and he was a born visionary,” said Ross Reedy, the director of winemaking at the company.

“I learned a ton about biodynamics and farming from him, but I think the most important thing was how to be a good person and how to be a good leader who leads with integrity.”

Dolan published the book, “True to Our Roots: Fermenting a Business Revolution,” in 2003, in which he recounted the management principles used to establish Fetzer Vineyards as a model winery for sustainable agriculture and business.

He also served on President Bill Clinton’s Council of Sustainable Development and was named Winemaker of the Year by the Los Angeles Times in 1991.

Despite Dolan’s high achievement in his work, he was equally — if not more — committed to his personal relationships.

Dolan’s son, Heath Dolan, described his father as “a wine industry pioneer and a leader who really cared more about the people then he ever did about the wine.”

Throughout the days following his father’s passing, Dolan said he received about 40 messages from people who said Paul Dolan had changed their lives.

“Whatever project he was working on, it was always about the people. He would listen to anybody,” Heath Dolan said. “It didn’t matter who they were. He would listen and he would mentor, and he would encourage everyone.”

Dolan’s last public appearance was at his nephew Ryan Dolan’s wedding June 3 at Truett-Hurst Winery. Despite being hospitalized earlier in the week, he insisted on attending.

This was a pattern throughout Dolan’s life: he committed himself to being present.

“He would always show up,” said Ryan Dolan, who considered his uncle a father figure. “You would never know that Paul was this super busy guy because it seemed like he was just waiting there for you to be there.

“He wanted to listen, he wanted to share, and he wanted to be there for people.”

And he didn’t have an off switch, he said

“Everything was just a way to fulfill his mission of making an impact,” he added.

Along with his two sons, Heath Dolan and the late Jason Dolan, Paul Dolan purchased a 156-acre property and transformed it into a ranch filled with farmland and vineyards.

Now known as Dark Horse Vineyards, the property allowed the family to explore and employ the sustainable farming practices Dolan advocated for throughout his career.

“When we bought that ranch, it was his dream to have a place that he could farm a piece of property in the least exploitative way possible,” Heath Dolan said.

“Dark Horse was a sort of legacy project for him — he wanted to create something that we could pass down from generation to generation and where we could express farming in a way that we wanted to.”

The ranch flourished and became a valuable case study for biodynamic wine production. This year it will celebrate its 25th harvest.

Despite his accomplishments, Paul Dolan wasn’t known for his particularly clean-cut appearance.

“We always joked that whatever event he showed up to, he was always underdressed,” Heath Dolan said.

Dolan was born in 1950 in Oakland. He was a fourth-generation winemaker — his grandfather, Edmund A. Rossi, and great-grandfather, Pietro Carlo Rossi, each served as president at the infamous Italian Swiss Colony in Asti, an unincorporated community in Sonoma County.

Dolan spent his childhood summers there at the family’s villa, which was built in 1905 by Edmund A. Rossi. And the family continues to enjoy summers in Asti.

Dolan pursued a finance degree at Santa Clara University and later attended California State University, Fresno to receive a master’s degree in viticulture and enology, the study of wines.

In 1977, Dolan began his career as a winemaker at Fetzer. Dolan became its CEO in 1992, when the company was purchased by Brown Forman Corp. He held the position for a decade.

Dolan was a prominent figure in developing the organic and sustainable practices at Fetzer, which continues to be dedicated to the organic practices.

He later worked with Mendocino Wine Co., where he founded the Paul Dolan Wine brand. Dolan lost rights to the brand when he departed the company.

In 2007, he went on to co-found Truett Hurst Winery. He served as its CEO and later moved onto the board of directors.

Dolan was a father of four — Dolan and his former wife, Lynne Calleri, shared Heath, Jason, and Nya, who they adopted from Korea.

Later, he wed Diana Fetzer and the two welcomed daughter Sassicaia in 1996.

Following Dolan’s passing, The Regenerative Organic Alliance, an organization with which Dolan worked closely with to expand the knowledge and use of regenerative organic agriculture, established the Paul E. Dolan Foundation.

The foundation aims to support and educate farmers and agricultural workers to adopt the organic practices the organization and Dolan have advocated for.

A service will be held in Dolan’s honor Aug. 4 at the family’s property, Dark Horse Vineyards.