Ryan Decker is a Northern California native whose farming roots go back five generations. His great-great-grandfather settled in Alexander Valley in 1858, and his relatives still farm that same property to this day. Ryan began his wine industry career in hospitality, working in a Healdsburg tasting room for two years before transferring to CSU Fresno and obtaining a B.S. in Viticulture in 2006.

Ryan spent the first 15 years of his career at Rodney Strong Vineyards, where he started as a field scout and worked his way up to managing an extensive grower portfolio across seven California counties. As the Director of Estate Vineyards, he was responsible for all 850 estate acres for the winery. Most recently, he served as the Viticulturist and Grower Relations Manager for Clos du Val Winery in Napa, where he converted the vineyards to organic farming practices, established a large Monarch butterfly habitat, and integrated beekeeping onto the estate.

Throughout his career, Ryan has helped establish hundreds of acres of vineyards ranging from high-yielding valley floor sites to ultra-premium hillside and mountain-top locations. He has studied under several well-known viticultural consultants and has served on numerous industry boards and technical groups. Ryan traveled to Burgundy and Mendoza to bolster his winegrowing knowledge of Pinot Noir and Malbec and has presented at educational seminars and wine dinners across the country.

Aside from growing world-class grapes, Ryan enjoys hiking, camping, gardening, and making beer and wine. He can also be spotted on any of the local disc golf courses or in his garage restoring an old motorcycle. He resides in Sonoma with his partner, Katie, and his two children.