Marisa Taylor

The Path

Formal training at University of California, Davis gave Marisa Taylor the base that much of professional wine work depends on: process, precision, and a working vocabulary for the technical side of the trade. From there, she returned to Santa Rosa, CA, US and built her reputation in the demanding, seasonal labor that defines serious wine careers, where cellar timing, pressure, and business realities all sit on the same schedule. At Rutherford Hill Winery in Santa Rosa, CA, US, Marisa Taylor spent her longest stretch in the craft, first as winemaker from 2007–2014 and then as winemaker and General Manager from 2014–2022. That progression marks a move from production into the wider orchestration of winery operations, with the cellar work remaining central. Those years at Rutherford Hill Winery sit at the core of a career shaped by both precision and management. In 2022, Marisa Taylor took on Harvest Winemaker roles at VALKYRIE SELECTIONS, LLC in Santa Rosa, CA, US and at Lambert Bridge Winery in Santa Rosa, CA, US, work that places a winemaker directly in the most compressed and exacting part of the season. The following year, from 2023–2025, she served as Winery and Climate Specialist at Napa Green in Santa Rosa, CA, US, moving into work where wine quality and environmental thinking meet. In 2024–2024, Marisa Taylor also taught as Adjunct Faculty at Santa Rosa Junior College in Santa Rosa, CA, US, carrying field experience into the classroom. Since 2022, Marisa Taylor has also worked across several concurrent posts: Winemaker Consultant of Marisa Taylor Consulting, winemaker of Vino de Milo, and, since 2024, winemaker of Darms Lane Wine. Since 2025, she has held her current role as Winery Program Manager of Napa Green. Taken together, those positions show a career that now spans consulting, production, teaching, and program leadership.

The Work Today

At Napa Green in Santa Rosa, Marisa Taylor’s current role as Winery Program Manager sits at the overlap of cellar knowledge, operational management, and long-range program work. The position draws on her experience as a winemaker and General Manager, while keeping the focus on how wineries are supported over time through systems, coordination, and stewardship.

Signature

Marisa Taylor’s signature wines include Rutherford Dust, Trust the Dust, Grotto Blend, and An Ode to AJT Part I. The names suggest a maker working with structure, identity, and phrasing at the level of finished wine.

In Their Words “Understanding the technical aspects of winemaking is crucial, but equally important is recognizing and preserving the unique story each vineyard tells through its fruit.”