GRAPE ESCAPE
Meet Your Escape Artists
She’s knowledgeable, she’s fun, she’s passionate about life, she talks with her hands. Not yet a local. Yep, still quite Italian. And when she’s not leading people on tours to the many wine countries in Europe, she returns to her adopted home to lead them here with us in Oregon. Now on our team just shy of one year, she adds a certain zest to our team that our customers truly enjoy. Bellisimo.
A retired school superintendent with the Department of Defense Schools for 32 years, John served the children of U.S. military personnel in Europe and the Middle East. He also learned about great wine and food. Following his return to Oregon, we met him on one of our tours and were captivated. John has now led over 500 tours to our ever exciting wine country. He and our customers have thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of them.
Susan Chapman
An Oregon native with deep roots in Yamhill County, Susan also has a deep love and concern for the farming community and agricultural lands that surround our wine country. Her varied interests include: stage work; traveling; skydiving; Irish step-dancing (back in the day); reading Shakespeare; literature; the prophets; gardening; feeding friends, family and her grandkids. Customers rave about her and enjoy the way she connects the dots for them.
Stefany Bapst
The multi-talented Stefany has a love of food and wine, and the restaurants where she has worked have all benefited from her hospitable ways. After having lived in Portland for nine years, she began a career in interior consultations, spatial design and works as a set decorator and location scout for film. A true renaissance woman, she feels our wine country is an adventure of both taste and experience. Our customers love the tours that she leads.
Cindy first became an enophile while tasting her way through several wine courses. We met her when she furthered that passion while working for the Oregon Wine Board. Today, she not only brings forth her talents as an ‘escape artist’ but is also the creative talent behind this very website. Another native Oregonian, Cindy has taken wine excursions as far away as Australia, but feels when it comes to phenomenal wine, there is no place like home!
We kind of think we‘re charmed when it comes to finding talent to lead our tours. Rather than thinking of them as drivers or guides, we describe them as ‘escape artists’ in that they use all their talents to provide a great day for our customers.
Larry Landauer
While visiting one of our favorite wineries, we couldn’t help but notice the talented Mr. Landauer behind the counter, who ably hosted our group. A retired nursery owner, we were pleased when Larry came on board recently. “Aside from being handsome, intelligent, suave and debonair, he is just a really sweet guy that is fun to spend the day with.” - That according to him… as well as our customers.
Ralph Stinton
Growing up on the Central Coast of California, Ralph developed an appreciation for agriculture and an admiration for the growing wine region in those parts. Following a career in advertising, Ralph discovered The Oregon Wine Region and soon thereafter, launched Grape Escape. Now mostly stuck in the office, on occasion, he gets a chance to lead a tour. He finds it "A great way to spend time with customers and invigorate my soul in our countryside".
Chanda Bosanac
We were enchanted when Chanda replied to our website request for a new escape artist. Not only did her diverse background in international tourism pique our interest, we loved the fun, yet professional way she communicated back to us. With interests ranging from entertainment and cooking, to tennis and Latin dance, we get a sense you'll have an entertaining time on one of her tours.
