As grape growers and consumers prepare to come together and celebrate the San Joaquin Valley grape industry, Saturday, October 21 (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.) and Sunday, October 22 (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.) at the Whole Vine Festival on the Fresno State Campus, festival organizers are pleased to announce that the inaugural Whole Vine Festival will be dedicated to longtime grape industry leader and advocate Nat DiBuduo.
DiBuduo has worked in the grape industry since his youth, growing up on his family’s table grape farm in the San Joaquin Valley. He graduated with a Plant Science degree from Fresno State, focusing on viticulture. Over the years, DiBuduo has carried many roles and served on various Boards, supporting agricultural and community. Chief among them was his 18 years of service as President of Allied Grape Growers. Representing about 250,000 tons of the California grape crush, DiBuduo did his best to ensure that their grower membership’s grapes found a good home with sustainable returns from year to year. Even in retirement, DiBuduo continues his lifelong involvement in San Joaquin Valley agriculture, and currently works as a Real Estate Agent at Alliance Ag Services.
“We are thrilled to honor Nat DiBuduo for his vision to see this festival in his mind’s eye and then engage in the foundational work to build it,” shared Whole Vine Festival President Vickie Goudreau. “Without Nat’s vast experience and deeply rooted relationships, the festival would lack authenticity and credibility. Nat helped steer the course in those formative years. This festival is a testament to Nat DiBuduo’s love for the vineyard and for the people who tend it.”
Matthew Malcolm, Whole Vine Festival Board Member and Editor-in-Chief of American Vineyard Magazine, added, “I’m one of many that have had the privilege of working with Nat DiBuduo over the years. He is a gentleman and makes friends wherever he goes. The California grape industry and the Whole Vine Festival have been blessed by his kind and deep-rooted influence.”
DiBuduo will be honored at the Opening Ceremony, Day 1 of the Whole Vine Festival at 10:00 a.m. at Fresno State near the Science II Buildings on Saturday, October 21. All are invited to attend this momentous occasion. “Please join us in honoring Nat DiBuduo at the Whole Vine Festival for his lifetime of dedicated service to the grape industry and the San Joaquin Valley,” Goudreau expressed. For more details on this free event, visit https://www.thewholevine.com.
About the Whole Vine Festival
The mission of the Whole Vine Festival is to bring the community together in celebration of all things related to table grapes, raisins, and wine produced in the San Joaquin Valley, as well as to raise the worth of the Valley in the hearts and minds of its people. The inaugural festival will take place Saturday, October 21 (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.) and Sunday, October 22 (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.) at the Fresno State Campus. A festive opportunity for families and individuals of all ages, attendees can enjoy grapes in all forms, a kids fun and educational area, live music, and local food vendors with grape-inspired cuisine. Admission and parking are free. Visit www.thewholevine.com to learn more and get involved.
