Remembering Joanne DePuy: Bringing California Wine to the World

Joanne (Dickenson) DePuy, a formative figure in the Napa County wine industry and founder of Wine Tours International, passed away on June 29, 2026, at the age of 98. DePuy, whose professional papers are included in the library’s Archives and Special Collections, forged global networks and leveraged her own palate and industry knowledge to create a trailblazing business that would help catalyze the world’s demand for California wines.

A UC Berkeley alumna with a degree in international relations, DePuy started her company, Wine Tours International, in 1973 during a time of upheaval in her life by harnessing both her academic degree and love of wine. DePuy’s tenaciousness opened doors in an industry that — at the time — made little room for women’s leadership, and she was a key player in an iconic event in wine history: the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, also known as the Judgment of Paris. 

When Patricia Gastaud-Gallagher — director of the Académie du Vin in Paris and who conceived of the Paris Tasting — and Académie du Vin owner Steven Spurrier separately visited the Napa Valley in 1975-76, DePuy served as one of their guides. These visits ultimately determined the selection of wines to include at the Paris Tasting. When Spurrier called DePuy for help transporting three cases of wine for the event, DePuy — who was already planning a wine tour in France with André Tchelistcheff at the same time — reached out to contacts at the Wine Institute and Trans World Airlines to make it happen.

DePuy’s notable leadership includes recognition as the first woman to address the Napa Valley Vintners Association when she presented her idea for Wine Tours International to the group in October 1974. At the time, she expressed the desire to serve as a bridge between Napa Valley and other international wine regions. It turns out, she was a keystone.