The Big Sip

Growing up in Southern California, Jessica Koga would have never guessed she'd end up as a winemaker in Napa Valley. After graduating high school she headed to UC Davis with the intention of becoming a veterinarian, but that quickly took a turn after being exposed to the world of wine. Upon graduating from UC Davis, she started working at Schramsberg, and after a few years decided to broaden her horizons by working harvests in New Zealand and New York. Eventually finding herself back in California, she returned to Schramsberg in 2015 as the Associate Winemaker, focusing on the red wine program for Davies Vineyards, their sister winery in St.Helena. Jessica's passion and commitment to educating the next generation of vintners led her to working with the FFA students involved in the viticulture program at St.Helena High. As one of the few Asian-American woman winemakers in the industry, she hopes to continue the conversation and commitment on diversifying wine so that it becomes accessible to all, and he best talent is sustained and retained. #gettingsipdone Follow along and sip from her cup via her IG page: @winechik