Audra Cooper, high-performance North Coast grape broker for Turrentine Brokerage, is returning to her roots. She has accepted the position as Turrentine Brokerage's lead Central Coast grape broker. The company handles a large percentage of the total tonnage of Central Coast grapes sold year by year and also handles sales for many Central Coast vineyards under long-term contracts.

Audra grew up on ranches in the Central Coast. She attended Hartnell College in Salinas, where she was president of the college Ag Ambassadors. She continued her education in the ways of grape vines and markets at Fresno State, working as a research assistant for Dr. Robert Wample. She also served as a vineyard technician for Al Olivera of G.O. Farming. She joined Turrentine Brokerage in 2006 and has significantly expanded the company's North Coast grape sales over the last six years. Audra's clients report that she is an expert at explaining how to master the challenges and uncover the opportunities of changing market conditions.

Audra is replacing Matt Turrentine, who is leaving the company to pursue agricultural investment opportunities. Matt says that his eight years with Turrentine Brokerage have taught him the critical importance of planning around wine business supply cycles and the importance of excellent customer service. He hopes to become a client himself in the near future.

Audra is assisted in Central Coast grape sales by long-time Turrentine broker and Turrentine Brokerage Shareholder, Erica Moyer, who handles much of Monterey County, as well as the San Joaquin Valley.