Born in Evanston, Illinois in 1936, Draper was raised on a farm and exposed to agriculture at an early age. He graduated from The Choate School (now Choate Rosemary Hall) in Wallingford, Connecticut and Stanford University, where he majored in philosophy and first became aware of Ridge Vineyard, which was then owned by a group of Stanford Research Institute engineers. After graduation in 1959, Draper joined the Army where he was stationed at Italy.
Born in Evanston, Illinois in 1936, Draper was raised on a farm and became familiar with agriculture at an early age. He graduated from The Choate School (now Choate Rosemary Hall) in Wallingford, Connecticut and Stanford University, where he studied philosophy and first encountered Ridge Vineyard, which was then owned by a group of Stanford Research Institute engineers. After graduating in 1959, Draper enlisted in the Army and served at Italy.