THE CORISON MARTIN FAMILY
Cathy Corison
Winemaker, Founding Partner
Cathy’s winemaking journey began nearly 50 years ago when she took a wine appreciation course at Pomona College on a complete whim. She fell in love with wine for all the usual reasons, but, as a Biology major, was also taken by the fact that wine is the result of a fascinating collaboration among a series of living systems. Two years later she graduated, and two days after that, arrived in the Napa Valley, bent on making wine. A master’s degree in Enology at UC Davis followed, and then a harvest internship at Freemark Abbey in 1978. Winemaking positions included Yverdon in 1979-1980 and then Chappellet Vineyard for the 1980’s. In 1987, toward the end of her tenure at Chappellet, there was a wine inside her that needed to get out and she began to buy grapes and barrels (instead of cars and houses). Using other wineries’ excess capacity while continuing to moonlight at Staglin, York Creek and Long Meadow Ranch, Corison Winery was born.
William Martin
Partner
William grew up in upstate New York working at his grandfather’s lumberyard and, using both sides of his brain, majored in Art & Physics at Middlebury College in Vermont. After several years in Boston working for an architect and cultivating his passion for food and wine, he met Cathy in 1990. They married two years later and William moved to the Napa Valley, just in time to help with the 1992 harvest. He soon brought Corison Winery into the digital age with its first computer, and remains the IT and Accounting departments to this day. A man with a long view, he searched for a vineyard and winery site and then orchestrated the purchase of Kronos Vineyard in 1995. He designed the winery barn and orchestrated the building of our winemaking home, breaking ground in 1999. Most recently, he negotiated the purchase of Sunbasket Vineyard, a favorite vineyard that Corison Winery had sourced for nearly 30 years, and negotiated a long term lease on another adjacent vineyard. Other duties include forklift driver, grape hauler, crush hand and the thankless task of managing bottling.
Grace Corison Martin
Second Generation
Grace has been working full time at the winery since 2020, involved in many areas from winemaking and farming to hospitality and management. Grace got our vineyards certified Organic through CCOF, and is getting us certified Napa Green. She earned a BFA in Acting from Syracuse University and then worked in restaurants in NYC. Since moving back to the Napa Valley, Grace completed her Winemaking Certificate at UC Davis, and her Level 3 WSET.
Rose Corison Martin
Second Generation
Rose works part time at the winery, helping with bottling, harvest, bookkeeping and IT. Rose has an Engineering degree from Harvey Mudd College, and is getting her Winemaking Certificate at UC Davis. When not at the winery, she has a math and science tutoring business and competes in West Coast Swing.