Meet the Ponte Winery Management Team

Jayna Warila
Assistant Tasting Room Manager

Jayna, our Assistant Tasting Room Manager, has a true passion for making people happy. She prides herself on receiving her daily "reward" of a guest's smile or positive comment on their experience at Ponte Winery. While working here, Jayna now has found she has a knack for interior design as she aides in merchandising many of the Ponte's brilliantly adorned and festive tables. This talent came in handy for her wedding last year. Jayna's time at Ponte Winery has definitely influenced her personal life. After Ponte's Half Marathon and 5K last summer, Jayna has become an avid runner.

Ty Tyler
Assistant Tasting Room Manager

Ty is our leader in entertainment giving our Tasting Room guests lively tours with his energetic Southern charisma. Originally a minister from New Orleans, Ty moved to Murrieta with his wife and two daughters following Hurricane Katrina. The Tyler family has made Ponte Winery like a second home with Ty being the third sibling to join our Ponte family. Described as Ponte Winery's "American Idol," Ty is known to treat our guests to an operatic rendition of "Happy Birthday" in the Tasting Room. A rollercoaster enthusiast who rides his scooter in the mountains for relaxation, Ty is definitely full of life and always ensures our guests are having a fun and relaxing day.

Lana Trammell
Controller

Lana is responsible for all the accounting, human resources and computer systems here. We don't know what we would do without her. Originally from Utah, she currently lives in Temecula with her fiancée and two daughters' ages 16 and 9. She loves spending time with her family traveling, at the beach or taking her dogs hiking in the mountains.

Lauren Todd
Tasting Room Manager

Lauren is our Tasting Room Manager and Marketplace buyer. Her style and eye for décor is really phenomenal. "What started out as a job has really turned in to a passion for me," says Lauren. "Being able to come to work everyday and use my creative talents to enhance our guests' experience is really incredible." When not at the winery, Lauren spends her time, well, you guessed it, shopping. She has also just recently taken up snowboarding and loves it. Lauren resides in Carlsbad.

Crystal Stadel
Director of Sales, Ponte Vineyard Inn

Crystal Stadel has joined the Ponte team as Director of Sales for the soon-to-be-open Ponte Vineyard Inn. A native of Long Beach, California, Crystal holds a BA in business administration management and has been in the hospitality industry for 17 years, working in both the wedding and hotel areas. Before working at the winery, she and her husband regularly visited Ponte for wine tasting, lunch or an event, so she is familiar with the experience the winery seeks to create for each and every guest. Crystal was a believer in this goal from the get-go and is eager to implement it at the Inn, whether guests arrive for a weekend getaway or corporate meeting. She is a down-home girl at heart who loves dancing, country music, and to spend her free time fishing and hiking with her husband and 13 year-old stepson.

Mark Schabel
Winemaker

A wine fan for more than twenty years, Mark Schabel brings passion and heart to the Ponte winemaking department. As Winemaker, Mark oversees every wine that Ponte Winery produces.

Mark obtained his degree from the UC Davis Viticulture and Enology program. He began his career at the Napa Wine Company as a lab tech working on "wet" chemistry and blending trials for many of the small "cult" wineries such as Pahlmeyer, Crocker, Star and La Sirena. Mark joined Ponte Winery after years of working as the Assistant Winemaker for Scheid Vineyards where he was in charge of their premium label of over 20 different wines. Originally from a northern suburb of Chicago Mark now resides here in Temecula with his 4 year old black lab "Stella". In addition to his zeal for cooking, yoga and swimming Mark roasts his own coffee which he says helps keep him up on his sensory skills.

Anthony Romanowski
Facility Manager

Anthony oversees all of Ponte Winery's grounds, including maintenance, house keeping and sustainable practices. Anthony's experience is directed to many facets of facility management including having over 25 years in the military defense support manufacturing of operations and armor for our military. Ponte's detail oriented mindset and concern for the environment gave Anthony a reason to join the team. When Anthony is not at the winery, he enjoys spending time with his wife, friends and grown children on his patio barbequing. He likes to go fishing, working on hotrods, motorcycles and spending time watching baseball. Go Tigers!

Kathy Reck
Banquet Manager

Kathy Reck comes to us with over 20 years of hospitality experience and we are thrilled to have her as our Banquet Manager. Kathy loves the excitement and layers of details that come together to create a stunning and flawless event. Utilizing her banquet and catering manager experience at restaurants like Scott's Seafood and King's Seafood, Kathy has also managed events for the USC football team, including pre-Rosebowl tailgates with more than 3,000 guests. Kathy loves to plan parties, big and small, and adores being a key part of creating a wonderful and memorable celebration for her guests.

Claudio Ponte
General Partner

Claudio oversees the winery, monitoring service standards and guest satisfaction. He enjoys working with our associates and inspires us with constant reminders of our values and our promise to our guests. He resides in Camarillo and visits us once or twice a week, going back and forth in his airplane. He is active in our local Winegrowers Association, and is a supporter of several local and regional charities (his favorite is Angel Flight). An avid aviation fan, he splits his free time between his kids' various activities and the golf course, where he struggles to maintain his handicap. He's a reader (leaning toward non-fiction) , and a lover of wine, food and foreign travel.

Lindsay Neumann
Wine Club and Online Store Manager

Lindsay is in charge of fulfilling any and all things related to Ponte Winery's Wine Club and Online Store. Always a friendly people person, Lindsay is constantly striving to make every member and guests experience unforgettable. Before working at Ponte, Lindsay worked at the Walt Disney World Resort and Starbucks, which truly taught her the importance of guest service. This dedication is shown through every aspect of the Wine Club and Online Store, "The best thing about Ponte is the constant strive to make our guests and members have a wonderful experience each and every time they visit." When not at Ponte, you'll find Lindsay reading, taking her dog, Sadie, to the beach and refinishing old furniture.

Vincent Logan
Executive Chef

Executive Chef Vincent Logan brings his passion for food along with his many years of experience to the Kitchen team at Ponte Winey. After taking classes at the Culinary Institute of America, this Charlottesville, Virginia native began his career at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. There, he cooked for not one president, but two, Ronald Regan and George Bush, Sr.. Vincent then took his skills to Hawaii where he worked at the Outrigger, as well as the Fairmont Kea Lani on Maui. Vincent lives in Temecula with his wife, who is the Executive Pastry Chef for The Grand Del Mar. They have a cat and a dog and love the outdoors, especially the ocean. When Vincent is at home, he enjoys preparing and tinkering with Asian-fusion recipes. Vincent's talents are a wonderful addition to our kitchen staff.

Amy Landolt
Marketing Manager

As Ponte's Marketing Manager, Amy manages the Ponte brand, newsletters, web content, blogs, charity, emails and all other marketing materials. She's held several marketing positions, but really became passionate about wine and business as a student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where she earned her MBA. Amy lives in Oceanside with her husband, Jeff who is the Viticulturist and Assistant Winemaker at the Fallbrook Winery just down the freeway. In her free time, Amy loves entertaining, traveling, reading, baking and spending time with friends and family. All of this makes Amy a personable, well-rounded and wonderful addition to the Ponte team.

Lauren Hill
Assistant Restaurant Manager

As the Assistant Restaurant Manager, Lauren is responsible for ensuring that the restaurant runs smoothly and the guests enjoy their dining experience. The Orange County native has over 10 years experience in the restaurant industry, and brings her love and knowledge of food, wine and the restaurant world to the Restaurant at Ponte. Lauren lives in Temecula and enjoys the "basics" - sleeping, and eating as much Mexican food as she can get!

Ragan Erickson
Direct Sales Manager

Ragan is in charge of our Direct Shipping Department which includes the Wine Club, Online Store and Marketing. She loves her job. "Who wouldn't love working in a beautiful environment with an extremely talented team while helping guests enjoy a wonderful day in the country - this is truly a dream job." Ragan lives in Fallbrook with her husband of 8 years and daughters Ella and Brooke. She is a home-makeover guru and will do anything to get her hands on a rundown house to bring it back to life.

Jason Curl
General Manager of Ponte Winery
and Ponte Vineyard Inn

Jason Curl brings 23 years of experience in the food, beverage and lodging industry to Ponte Winery. From managing a hot dog stand in college to working with private clubs, hotels and resorts, Jason's passion has always been about exceeding guest expectations. Currently, he sits on the Executive Board for the Temecula Valley Convention and Visitor's Bureau where he actively assists in driving tourism to the Temecula Valley. "I am thrilled to be joining Ponte, whose brand and ideology align with my own beliefs when it comes to service," he says.

Jason has been married to his wife, Vicki, for 13 years and they have two children. His passion outside of work is outdoor hiking, biking and snowboarding.

Karon Cartwright
Food and Beverage Manager

Karon is Ponte Winery's Food and Beverage Manager. While Karon heads the Restaurant, kitchen and event department her true passion is revealed with her wealth of expertise as she heads our Weddings department. Karon brings experience, knowledge, and an overwhelming amount of peace and calmness to our bridal couples. A gardening enthusiast, Karon is known around Ponte Winery as the woman who trumps Martha Stewart. Karon is married to local wedding minister Michael Cartwright. Between the two of them they eat, drink and sleep weddings and LOVE it. "I've been very blessed to choose my career path in this life."

Lynn Barnes
Restaurant Manager

Lynn is the Restaurant Manager of the Restaurant. A self-proclaimed "foodie," Lynn is a lover of fine food, great wine, and of creating dining experiences that are unforgettable. With over 25 years of experience in the professional food service industry, Lynn has made flourishing and positive changes to the quality of service offered at the Restaurant.