Honoring the Life and Legacy of a Table Grape Pioneer

The California Table Grape Commission joins growers, families, and friends throughout the California table grape industry in mourning the passing of Domenick “Cookie” Bianco, who died Nov. 6.

A pioneering grower and founding father of the commission, Bianco leaves a legacy woven into the history of California table grapes and the lives of the people who grow them. For more than seven decades, Cookie’s life unfolded alongside the growth of the California table grape industry. His story reflected the determination of farming families who built businesses from the ground up, persevered through hardship, and worked to leave something stronger for the next generation. He understood what it took to grow a crop, build a market, and hold an industry together. He devoted his life to all three.

Cookie began working in the grape industry in 1950 at just 15 years old, following in the footsteps of his father, an Italian immigrant who built a successful grape business. After overcoming significant business challenges, Cookie, his brother Bobby, and his wife Edith worked together to rebuild, ultimately establishing Anthony Vineyards, named in his father’s honor. What began as a small vineyard grew into a diversified agricultural business with operations extending beyond California.

That experience shaped his conviction that the industry’s future depended on growers working together. A founding member of the commission’s first board in 1968, Cookie served for two years before returning in 1989 and fulfilling 40 years of service. As a commissioner and former chairman, he helped guide the organization through defining challenges, including legal battles that threatened growers’ ability to collectively promote their crop. His commitment to the commission reflected his conviction that every California table grape grower had a stake in its success.

“Cookie’s life is inseparable from the story of California table grapes,” says Ian LeMay, President of the California Table Grape Commission. “He understood the sacrifice behind every vineyard, the pride families take in their harvest, and the responsibility each generation carries to prepare the next. He helped build this industry and never stopped believing in what its people could accomplish together. Those who grew up alongside him and learned from him now carry that example forward. His passing is a deeply personal loss felt across our entire industry.”

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