OUR TEAM
The Owners, Winemaker & Events Manager
MAGIC IN THE MAKING
Ryan Winiarski & Meredith Lanoue
OWNERS & PARTNERS
Have you ever wanted to leap into something big, bold and life-changing? We did and made it reality when we purchased Priam Vineyards and took over the 40-acre vineyard and 20-year old winery business on July 1, 2022.
We had always dreamed of a life in agriculture, and a combination of the pandemic lock-down plus the right opportunity led us to Priam.
From the first day, Ryan has dived in as the General Manager role, upgrading systems, remodeling the space and working with the amazing existing staff to build upon the legacy of Priam. It is a round-the-clock labor of love, watching the vineyard and winery expand and grow in exciting ways.
This past August, we celebrated own wedding at Priam (only 11 years in the making!), surrounded by nearly 200 friends and family and fairy dust twinkling through the summer evening. We look forward to sharing that magical experience with other couples who choose Priam as the site for their wedding celebration.
" The wine was amazing! The rosé paired perfectly with a hot day. The reception tent at the venue dressed up beautifully and the scenery in the vineyard itself was stunning." xo Amy
Scarlett Rose Winiarski
CUTE FABULOUS OFFICER (CFO)
Our daughter Scarlett made her wedding debut as a flower girl at our ceremony.
" Our family and friends are still raving about the vineyard, the beauty of it, the delicious food, and outstanding staff/service. " xo Nikki
Kristine W. Herold
WEDDING & EVENT SALES COORDINATOR
Kristine joined Priam Vineyards two years ago with over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. She has always been passionate about hosting events and her years of restaurant experience helped her realized that event planning was her forte. Seeing everyone happy, excited and having a great time together brings her great joy and fuels her enthusiasm for designing and planning events. Her main interest lies in planning and executing memorable events, and she loves that when it comes to Priam events, no two are the same. No vision is too daunting. Kristine is always up for any challenge and ready to make each client’s dream vision come to life.
Her approach to creating the perfect event is never say no (if at all possible) and to attend to each detail, no matter how small. Her willingness to go above and beyond has earned her extensive praise from brides and clients. This is one of the many reasons she loves what she does and thrives in the chaos of the industry.
Kristine brings her contagious enthusiasm, years of experience and vast creativity to each Priam wedding or event, no matter how big or small! While she has her own style, she works hard to make sure that she matches her clients' style and delivers what they envision (and more!) through clear communication.
When she is not meeting with clients and running events you can find her in her gardens, at the beach or spending time with her family-especially her two young grandchildren!
" The entire staff work so hard to make your day everything you hope and dream it will be. The service and attention they provided was light years beyond what we expected!" xo Jess
Ruaan Viljoen
WINEMAKER
Our winemaker, Ruaan Viljoen, hails from the heart of the wine region in Cape Town, South Africa. Ruaan has worked in small and large scale wine production environments covering a broad spectrum of wine production from bulk to ultra premium, with cultivars such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon /Ruby, Muscat d’Alexandre, Riesling and Malbec.
Ruaan has significant experience in quality and premium wine production from such wineries as Kendall Jackson and Merry Edwards in Sonoma, CA, and Welbedacght, Boschendall, Glen Carlou, Grand Provance and Klawer Wines in South Africa. He carries significant knowledge about all aspects of the vineyard and winery with his extensive background in soil science, pomology, viticulture and oenology.
If he were to be described with tasting notes as a bottle of wine...the aromatics would be classic and traditional with traces of stubbornness masking the fresh, young fruit. The palate would surprise you with emotion and sensitivity. Extremely modest and honest allowing the truth of the terroir to show.