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Cathy Corison
Winemaker
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Biology and enology meet in the cellar through observation, timing, and repeatable decisions. For Cathy Corison, a wine appreciation course at Pomona College in 1975 redirected academic training toward viticulture and enology, followed by study at the University of California, Davis and cellar work in Napa Valley, California. The through-line is Cabernet Sauvignon made with attention to site expression, structure, and age-worthiness.
Career Arc
Formal wine education gave the craft a technical base before the cellar supplied the repetitions. At Pomona College in 1975, Cathy Corison first encountered wine as a field of study; at the University of California, Davis, that interest moved into viticulture and enology, where biology, vineyard practice, and cellar decisions could be treated as linked disciplines. Napa Valley cellar training began with production work rather than ownership. An internship at Freemark Abbey in 1978 put Cathy Corison into winery operations, followed by the Assistant Winemaker role there. Subsequent work at Yverdon and the Head Winemaker position at Chappellet Vineyard from 1980 to 1990 placed her in a period where Cabernet Sauvignon, house style, and vineyard sourcing were all being defined through repeated vintages. Independent production required carrying those cellar positions into a named standard. In 1987, Cathy Corison founded Corison Winery in St. Helena, creating a place for Cabernet Sauvignon built around power held in balance with elegance, rather than size for its own sake.
The Practice Today
Age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon remains the central work at Corison Winery. As Winemaker & Owner, Cathy Corison continues to make wines in St. Helena with traditional winemaking techniques and small French oak barrels sourced from various forests. The picking window is a defining choice: grapes are picked weeks earlier than most Napa Valley producers, a decision tied to freshness, structure, and terroir expression within her established style.
Honors
Trade recognition has followed both the wines and the method behind them. Cathy Corison received the Golden Vines Sustainability Award in 2025 for environmentally responsible winemaking practices, and was named San Francisco Chronicle Winemaker of the Year in 2011. The awards mark sustained work in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and a clearly held approach to farming, timing, and cellar restraint.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Cathy
Where did Cathy Corison train or study?
Cathy Corison trained at Pomona College and University of California, Davis.
What recognition has Cathy Corison received?
Golden Vines Sustainability Award (2025).
