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Scottsdale mom leads wine business that tastes great while doing good By Alison Bailin Batz
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hird-generation Arizona marketing at the Eller College at the native Kristen Shroyer grew University of Arizona. “Freshman year I attended the school’s job up knowing two things. “I knew I loved Scottsdale, fair and marched myself directly to the Gallo especially going to school at Wine table, determined to earn an internship Cochise Elementary, Cocopah with them,” Shroyer says. “Alas, as I was just Middle and Chaparral High. I am North Valley proud from day one,” Shroyer says. “I also knew that I knew far more about wine than most kids, which sounds weird saying it out loud!” Shroyer clarifies that her parents were wine aficionados, so much so they would visit Napa often, sometimes allowing Shroyer to tag along on cellar, vineyard and cave tours. Though she didn’t get any sips, she did soak in a lot of information about grapes, harvests and winemaking that would serve her well as early as high school. “I worked at Houston’s in my teens, and though a hostess I was Kristen Shroyer plants grapevines with her daughter. (Photo by Taylor Hotter) always ready with a fun fact about wine for guests,” Shroyer says. “There I found myself fascinated by all the 19, they had to decline.” The representative at the table, however, distributors who would visit, each with what seemed like hundreds of wines to sell to the was impressed with her moxie and challenged Shroyer to stay in touch for an opportunity restaurant.” Upon graduating from Chaparral in once she was of age. “Let’s just say I spent the next two years 2001, Shroyer moved to Tucson to study
10 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / JANUARY 2022
Kristen Shroyer now has a ONEHOPE Winery in the heart of Napa. (Photo by Taylor Hotter)
being very persistent,” Shroyer says. “So much so, they created a summer internship for me in Southern California after my junior year.” Armed with her research, work ethic, and proof she was finally 21, Shroyer worked in grocery stores across California that summer, merchandising wine. After earning her bachelor’s degree, Gallo moved Shroyer to Newport Beach, selling wine from their extensive portfolio to Orange County grocers. “There were seven key colleagues I met in my first months of working at Gallo, all of whom became dear friends,” Shroyer says. According to Shroyer, it was while with colleague Jake Kloberdanz stocking wine at a grocery store in the wee hours of an October morning that the seeds for their empire would be planted. “We noticed the entire store — save for the wine aisle — was pink, thanks to the many products supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” Shroyer says. “We loved it but found ourselves sad both that wine wasn’t represented in support of the cause and that come November 1, all of the pink was gone yet there was no other cause to support.” The two friends, along with six other …continues on page 12
