Winemaker
Clarissa Nagy
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Santa Maria, California, United States
i. Biography
The Climb
Training in Food Science at California Polytechnic State University gave Clarissa Nagy a technical base before cellar work took over. She entered the trade as a Lab Technician at Edna Valley Vineyards in 1995, then moved through Research Assistant Winemaker at Byron Winery, Assistant Winemaker and Vineyard Supervisor at Longoria Winery, and winemaker at Bonaccorsi Wine Company from 2006. Since 2011, she has been winemaker at Riverbench Vineyard & Winery, where that sequence of lab, vineyard, and winery roles reads directly into the work.
Today
Pinot Noir sits at the center of Clarissa Nagy’s current work in Santa Maria, and the grape has been there since the beginning of her recorded career in 1995. At Riverbench Vineyard & Winery, that continuity matters: the variety is not a side note to the résumé, but the thread running from her first lab post through the roles that followed. Her specialty is Pinot Noir, a simple line that reflects a long practice rather than a category by itself. For Clarissa Nagy, it begins with aroma in 1995, moves through successive winery posts, and remains the focus of the winemaking she has led at Riverbench since 2011.
Signature
Nagy 2012 Pinot Noir (Santa Maria Valley) is among Clarissa Nagy’s signature wines, a specific marker of the Pinot Noir work that defines her record.
Recognition
A Bachelor of Science in Food Science underpins Clarissa Nagy’s cellar work. That credential fits the way her career has been built: first in the lab at Edna Valley Vineyards, then through research at Byron Winery, vineyard supervision at Longoria Winery, and winemaking at Bonaccorsi Wine Company before the Riverbench appointment in 2011. Science and cellar practice stay connected throughout Clarissa Nagy’s record. The Food Science degree, the lab post at Edna Valley Vineyards, the research role at Byron Winery, the vineyard and winemaking responsibilities at Longoria Winery, and the work at Bonaccorsi Wine Company all lead into the Riverbench role that began in 2011.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Clarissa
Where did Clarissa Nagy train or study?
Clarissa Nagy trained at California Polytechnic State University.
What is Clarissa Nagy known for?
Pinot Noir.
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