Josh & Lisa Lawrence, Proprietors

Gård Vintners was created in 2006 from the vision of owner Josh Lawrence to reflect the quality of our estate vineyard in the glass.

Josh grew up in Royal City, a small agricultural town located 30 miles southwest of Moses Lake. He majored in business administration at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma where he met his future bride, Lisa (Treadwell) Lawrence, who majored in communication and grew up in Olympia.

Josh returned to Royal City after college to farm with his family for a few years, then moved to Redmond, Wash., where he married Lisa. At the time, Lisa was working in the tech field in marketing and public relations, while Josh was working in sales and later started a wine importing business.

The couple moved to Royal City in 2001, and not long after Josh and Lisa started Lawrence Vineyards in partnership with Josh’s dad, John Lawrence, and uncle, Sandy Lawrence, who had been farming the Royal Slope for more than 40 years at time. Together, they launched Gård Vintners in 2006, which is now solely owned and operated by Josh and Lisa.

Josh and Lisa raise two daughters and a son on the farm in Royal City. Josh oversees operations at Gård Vintners, as well as their estate Lawrence Vineyards and other farm operations, including apple orchards, cherry orchards, and a variety of other crops, such as wheat, hay and dried beans, and various other agricultural endeavors. Lisa oversees operations at the tasting rooms, as well as sales and marketing for Gård Vintners. The couple also owns Desert Wind Winery in Prosser, Wash., in partnership with friends Tom and Tami Merkle.

Matías Kúsulas, Winemaker & Viticulturist

A Chilean with Greek roots, Matías was a Marine officer and Naval Engineer in Chile for more than seven years when he realized that it was time to change the course of his career: In 2005, he started studying Agricultural Engineering at the University of Chile, where he graduated with distinction and a major in Viticulture and Enology. He worked in Chile for a few years and in 2011 he decided to start traveling the world on a quest to learn new wine-making techniques. After several harvests in Oceania, Europe and Africa, he settled down in France, to do his post degrees at the Universities of Bordeaux and Montpellier. He also performed for two years as a Maître de Chai for one of the oldest and most reputable wineries in Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie.

After years of traveling and over 15 harvests, he came to the United States and joined Gård Vintners/Lawrence Vineyards as a Production Winemaker and Viticulturist, and is currently head winemaker for Gård Vintners, Desert Wind Winery, Valo Cellars, and his own label, Massalto. In his spare time he likes to jump out of planes and is a Judo Black Belt.

Matthew Lawrence, Director, Hospitality and Business Development

Matthew joined the Gård team in early 2023, bringing with him 20+ years of experience in marketing, advertising and business management. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Washington State University (Go Cougs!). As Josh’s younger brother, joining Gård marks a sort of homecoming for Matthew. He grew up on the family farm and spent many hours one summer on a Cat Challenger, breaking ground on what eventually became the home of Corfu Crossing, Scarline and La Reyna Blanca vineyards. 

He now lives in Seattle’s eastside with his wife Lindsey and their four kids. Matthew and Lindsey love spending time with family and friends, traveling, and watching their kids participate in various sports and activities.    

Jennifer Cochran, Marketing Director

Though Jen joined the Gård Vintners team in 2019, she has been along for the ride with us since the very beginning. Lisa and Jen were first co-workers and then friends before our first grapes were planted and she and her husband have been club members, fans, and supporters all along the way. Born and raised in WA, she earned her B.A. in Business, with an emphasis in Management of Information Systems from Washington State University. She started her career coding, but found herself moving in a more creative direction into areas such as website development, content creation and editing, visual design, product/program management, and marketing.

Jen is passionate about wine, travel, family, and friends. She welcomes your questions and comments – you can email her directly at jennifer@gardvintners.com.

Taylor Ramsey, Brand Director

Born and raised in Georgia, Taylor’s wine journey has taken her from the Southeast to Washington wine country and back again. After graduating from the University of Georgia, she began her career in wine distribution before moving to Washington in 2016 for a harvest internship at Sleight of Hand Cellars, which led to a position as Assistant Winemaker and earning a degree in Enology & Viticulture.

Taylor first met the Lawrence family in 2016 and joined Gård Estate Wines in 2021. Having worked in nearly every corner of the wine industry, she brings a unique perspective to the Gård team. Today, she draws on that experience to translate the science and craftsmanship behind the wines into meaningful stories that capture the personality of Gård and help guests feel more connected to our vineyards, people, and mission.

Based in Atlanta since 2023, Taylor regularly travels to Washington for the big moments and to stay connected with the Gård experience.

Outside of work, she enjoys hiking with her dog, cooking, creating art, exploring new restaurants, traveling whenever she can, and cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs or watching Formula 1. While her favorite Gård wine changes with the season, the Franc Blanc always seems to find its way into her glass.

Ryder Langley, National Sales Director

Ryder Langley grew up on an apple orchard just south of Vantage, Washington, where farming, seasons, the realities of agriculture, and hard work shaped everyday life. That upbringing eventually led him led him into hospitality, and he’s spent more than 30 years creating memorable experiences for guests.

After nearly a decade in the wine industry, Ryder sees wine as the perfect blend of everything he loves — farming, food, culture, and people. He’s worked across hospitality, direct-to-consumer sales, vineyard and cellar operations, and distribution with wineries including Reynvaan Family Vineyards, J. Bookwalter, and Monte Scarlatto.

Today, as National Sales Director for Gård Estate Wines, Ryder champions Washington wine and the farming behind it. His goal is simple: help bring WA wine to more glasses across the country and the world, while telling the story of estate-grown fruit backed by generations of farming experience.

Outside of wine, Ryder is passionate about great food and an avid whiskey collector. PNW sushi and oysters are his happy place.

William Muñoz, Photographer/ Marketing Manager

Wlliam Muñoz joined the Gård team in 2021 as a photographer and marketing specialist. Originally from Puerto Rico and a trained musician, he brings extensive experience in the wine and food industry as both a photographer and marketer. When he is not capturing images of wine, he enjoys landscape and night photography.

Riley Newman, Wine Club Manager

Riley became a member of the Gård team as a tasting room specialist in 2015 and has grown with the company into his current roles. He is a native of Los Angeles who relocated to Washington for college and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance from Central Washington University. He loves talking about our wines and sharing stories with people from all over.

In his spare time, Riley serves on the Board of Director’s for Valley Theatre Company, a local non-profit in Ellensburg. He also enjoys cooking, supporting his favorite soccer teams, and playing board games with friends. 

Nichole Cruz, Tasting Room Manager, Woodinville

Nichole joined the Gård team in March of 2021, taking over as Tasting Room Manager of our Woodinville location. She graduated from Central Washington University with a double Bachelor Degree in Global Wine Studies and Tourism Management. After graduating, Nichole started her career in the Oregon wine industry and eventually moved to Washington to continue her passion for Pinot Noir while she managed a tasting room for an Oregon Pinot Noir producer in Woodinville, WA for the previous seven years before joining our team.

Nichole and her husband are raising their young son in Stanwood, WA. She really enjoys nature, traveling and she inherited a love of art from her family of artists.

Conor Clarke, Tasting Room Manager, Ellensburg

Conor joined the Gard team in 2022 while working towards his Bachelor’s degree in Wine Studies with a focus in Wine Industry Management at Central Washington University, which he completed in the spring of 2024. He was drawn to the wine industry because of his parents’ encouragement to have a winemaker in the family. Originally from Bellevue, Conor has a passion for supporting Seattle’s sports teams and continuing his wine education. In his free time, he enjoys walking his three-legged dog, Leah.