The guests:

Corinne Rich was born and raised in Sonoma County, California. She earned her B.A. in Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania and, after the world’s briefest stint in pharmaceutical research,  returned to Northern California and dove head-first into wine production. She spent time working the harvest circuit in a variety of regions, including Sonoma, Willamette Valley, New Zealand, and Australia before returning to school for her M.S. in Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis. There she met Katie Rouse and, well, the rest is history! She is currently a cellar master at a winery in St. Helena.

Katie Rouse earned a B.A. in Geology at Whitman College. Born into a winemaking family in Rockbridge County, Virginia, Katie gravitated back to winemaking while living in Sonoma, California and working in the the Napa/Sonoma Carneros. While completing her M.S. in Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis, she fell head-over-heels for Corinne, and is now thrilled to have found a partner in, well...everything! Katie currently works as a cellar master and viticulture coordinator at a winery in St. Helena.

The winery:

Corinne and Katie's inspiration for Birdhorse Wines came from an impactful harvest season in South Africa, where the energy and creative perspectives of a new generation of winemakers are fundamentally shifting the winemaking landscape. As a result, Corinne and Katie are passionate about adventure, rediscovery, and creating wines that are truly reflective of the diversity of terrain, climate, and people in California. That's why Birdhorse produces wines from grapes and regions with historical precedents in this state, but that haven't yet had their turn in the spotlight. Their wines are minimal intervention, focused on freshness, texture, and showcasing the uniqueness of each cultivar.

About:

Sips and Bites! is all about the stories behind foods and drinks. At each event, we’ll welcome a new winemaker, brewer, or culinary innovator for a tasting and conversation about how they got to where they are, and what inspires them to do what they do.