Sean Thompson

Winemaker, Davies Vineyards

I started my career in winemaking with Beringer at the old Italian Swiss Colony in Asti. The hook was set with the discovery of the diversity of flavors and aromas produced by the simple grape and its fermentation. I continued my enological exploration with the fermentation of red wines after moving to Napa Valley for a position at the Merlot house of Rutherford Hill Winery.

I returned to the University of California, Davis in the fall of 2002, to work with Dr. David Mills in earning a Masters of Science in Viticulture and Enology.

Upon graduation, I began at Staglin Family Estate in Rutherford, CA, working directly with Luc Morlet to mine the terroir of estate-driven Cabernet Sauvignon. This final piece led me to join Schramsberg in the summer of 2006 as the J. Davies Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Assistant Winemaker, and taking over as the winemaker in 2008. In 2017, I became Director Winemaking for Schramsberg and Davies Vineyards.

Country born: United States

Education: B.S. Chemistry, U.C. Davis
Masters of Science in Viticulture and Enology, U.C. Davis

Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
Keeping your ears open and your mouth shut. Much of my education was shaped by asking questions and listening to the answers. I also believe in fostering an environment to encourage questions from others in and outside the winery. People want to be a part of the experience of producing spectacular wines.

Celia Welch

Winemaker, Davies Vineyards

After more than twenty-five years of making wines for other Napa Valley vintners, Celia Welch is excited to share with you the wine she has made for her own brand, Corra.

Celia Welch's first interaction with grapes was under the huge oak tree in her backyard in Southern Oregon, where her siblings and she plucked grape berries from stems for their father, an avid wine collector and home winemaker. Her parents also included the family on trips through Napa and Sonoma in the early sixties, and, like most visitors, she was entranced with the beauty of the rolling vineyards.

In 1982 with a degree in Enology earned at UC Davis in her back pocket, she set out to take a peek at a few wine regions. Her travels took her to the Pacific Northwest, the East Coast, and to New Zealand. She worked harvest in the Barossa Valley of Australia, and then settled in the Napa Valley to refine her craft.

Celia had reached a fork in her career path in the early nineties, and she chose to focus on independent wine consulting. The wines she has made create a microcosm of Napa Valley. She has made wine from vineyards on Mt. Veeder, Atlas Peak, and Howell Mountain to those in Carneros, and from benchland vineyards from St. Helena to Napa.

In 2004 came the idea and the challenge of founding Corra. It was not easy to find vineyard sources with top-quality fruit, a winery with a bit of space to spare for barrels, and a strong team of individuals with experience in different aspects of the wine business from grapevines to websites. The results of these efforts have been tremendous; well-received wines and a project that has lead to information- and idea-sharing for everyone involved.

Country born: United States

Education: 1982 with a degree in Enology earned at UC Davis

Years in the wine industry: 30+ years

Winemaking Philosophy:
Celia had reached a fork in her career path in the early nineties, and she chose to focus on independent wine consulting.

Jessica Koga

Winemaker, Davies Vineyards

Jessica’s first experience with Schramsberg Vineyards goes back to her working as the company’s lab intern in 2003. She soon joined the winemaking team full-time, as the enologist, following graduation from the University of California, Davis with a BS degree in Viticulture and Enology. Over the following three years, she was responsible for overseeing the winery’s lab trials, maintaining the company’s wine database and managing the records from each harvest.

In 2007, Jessica moved to New Zealand and then New York, working the harvests at Cloudy Bay Vineyards and Bedell Cellars. In 2008 Jessica found herself back in California, hired at Gundlach Bundschu Winery where she quickly earned the position of associate winemaker. At Gundlach Bundschu and sister winery Bartholomew Park, she worked on the production of over a dozen different varietals and gained the in-depth knowledge of crafting quality wine from start to finish.

In 2013, she took on the role of Assistant Winemaker at Vineyard 29 in St. Helena. There she handled the day-to-day management of staff and quality control for the estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc programs, as well as multiple on-site custom clients’ production, under the direction of Director of Winemaking, Keith Emerson, and Consulting Winemaker, Philippe Melka.

Jessica has now rejoined our winemaking team as a seasoned veteran. With the gained experience from so many quality wine producers, Jessica has the necessary skills to not only maintain, but grow the wine quality of the Schramsberg and Davies Vineyards brands.

Jessica lives in Napa and spends her free time cooking for harvest interns, reading and tackling scenic hikes when she isn’t visiting her family in Hawaii.

Country born: United States

Years in the wine industry: 15-20 years