Stapleton Joins Allied Grape Growers Staff

NEWS RELEASE
April 29, 2014

Fresno, CA — Allied Grape Growers (AGG), based in Fresno, announces the appointment of Ryan Stapleton as a grower relations representative with the organization. Working from the AGG Healdsburg office, he will serve the North Coast region of the state including Sonoma, Lake, Solano, Napa and Medocino Counties. Richard Schoenstein, a 37-year veteran of AGG who is also based in the Healdsburg office, is retiring the end of June.

“Ryan has a strong background in the industry, and is well-suited to work with our growers,” says Nat DiBuduo, president of Allied Grape Growers.

Stapleton is from Sonoma county and has worked in the industry at various levels from restaurants to wineries. He has a bachelor’s degree in food service management, entrepreneurship and leadership from Johnson & Wales University, Denver, Colorado, and an associate’s degree in viticulture from Santa Rosa Junior College.

From the retail standpoint, he has served as an executive chef as well as manager of the wine and spirits department at major restaurant chains. He also worked in the tasting room at a regional winery before joining Francis Ford Coppola Winery as a grower relations representative and viticultural technician.

“With his background, Ryan will be able to connect directly with our growers from the area. He knows the industry completely from the vine to the table, and can readily communicate with our clients,” DiBuduo states.

Stapleton lives in Windsor, California.

Allied Grape Growers is a California winegrape marketing cooperative with nearly 600 grower-members located in the major winegrape producing regions of the state.