About Us
Susanne Sapier
Owner & Winemaker
Susanne has always had a passion for good wine and great fun. In late 2008 she decided to buy a piece of property in Ramona, Ca and start a vineyard. Just 3 weeks later, in early 2009, they planted their first vine on the property. While waiting for the new vines to produce good grapes, Susanne started wine-making right away. In 2011, she started using her estate grapes to make her wine. In 2013 she opened the Vineyard Grant James tasting room to the public and to this day, she loves to see people enjoying her wine and the atmosphere of a boutique winery in the Ramona valley. The winery is named after Susanne's son Grant, and her father James. Susanne very much enjoys crafting wine and experimenting with blends.
Favorite Vineyard Grant James Wine: Aquarius, Favorite Grape: Nebbiolo
Barbara Blankenbaker
Tasting Room Manager & Wine Club Director
Barbara's love for wine equals her love for serving our customers whom quickly become her friends. She is excited every day that she steps foot on the patio and uncork a bottle or two of our uniquely crafted wines! Barbara's enthusiasm is contagious and has been a great asset to the Vineyard Grant James family since 2013. Fun Fact: She worked in the music business for 26 years and has seen everyone from Nirvana to Zac Brown when they could only draw 30 people! She's also been a substitute teacher for 14+ years in Ramona.
Favorite Vineyard Grant James Wines: Aquarius and Pieces
Allie Rae Ferguson
San Diego Marketing Director
Allie, a native of Ramona, has a passion for the way wine connects people in all walks of life. In 2016, she became a part of the Grant James family and is now a part of our San Diego Marketing Team. She has a Certificate in Wine Business Management from Sonoma State, and is working on obtaining a Bachelors Degree in Business & Marketing. Allie is also the RVVA Marketing Director and was the 1st Annual Ramona Grape Stomp Princess.
Favorite Vineayrd Grant James Wines: Viognier & Nebbiolo
Nicole Warady
Vineyard and Winery Consultant
Nicole is a critical part of the staff here at Vineyard Grant James. With a background in wine labs and trained at Napa Valley College in Viticulture, she provides expert advice on the quality of our wines at all stages in production. She runs critical tests in the wine cellar and advises on vineyard management to ensure the grapes are of the highest quality. Nicole is an excellent member of our team.
Favorite Vineyard Grant James Wine: Malbec
Lorri Rieve
Tasting Room Associate
Lorri grew up in Napa and had a career in retail. She has found a perfect way to combine her extensive customer service background with her love of wine. She enjoys working the tasting room at Vineyard Grant James and sharing her experiences and knowledge.
Favorite Vineyard Grant James Wine: Lacerta
Devin Stanley
Vineyard & Wine Cellar Associate
Devin is a recent college graduate from Willamette University with a degree in Environmental Sciences. In college he planted and owned his own home garden and brewed beer for his classmates. He loves working at Vineyard Grant James bevause he is interested in viticulture and winemaking. He would love to make his own wine someday to chare with friends and family.
Favorite Vineyard Grant James Wine: There are 19 of the,! I haven't made it through them all yet!
Peyton White
Tasting Room & Winery Assistant
Peyton is a recent RHS graduate 2019 (ASB, Basketball leader), works at Jersey Mikes, and is a behind the scenes all around gal at Vineyard Grant James. She is currently a college student at CSUSM majoring in Criminology with the hopes of being a forensic clinical psychologist.
Favorite Vineyard Grant James Wine: She's not 21-so no favorite wine, but she loves Starbucks!
Cassidy Blankenbaker
Sales Associate
Cassidy is a great member of the Vineyard Grant James team, taking part in a little bit of sales from the tasting patio to behind the scenes management of our online sales system. Cassidy is a Ramona local and recent graduate of The University of Oklahoma with a degree is Criminal Justice. She is pursuing her RN degree at Oklahoma City College and plans to graduate in October 2020. We appreciate her fun attitude and amazing customer service.
Favorite Vineyard Grant James Wine: Viognier and Super Tuscan
Favorite Vineyard Grant James Wine: The freshest grapes off the vine
Walker "Bad Dog"
Winery Dog and Pest Management
While normally the hard stuff is left to our more experienced staff, hospitality and friendliness is something Walker is not short of. He enjoys greeting customers curbside, although we would not trust him with our keys. When the tasting patio is not open, Walker can usually be found chasing the winery cats up into their hammocks or sniffing out gopher and rabbit holes deep in between the vines. He also enjoys big stretches and laying on the gravel. In his younger years, he was a more eager pest manager, but now he enjoys evening walks and awaiting for scraps of picnic leftovers on the patio.