It might not have been his intention, but Stacy Clark’s high school biology teacher prepared her for a life in the wine industry. The winemaker for Charles Krug first dipped her toe in that world when Mr. Holm took his class on a field trip to Concannon Vineyards in California’s San Francisco Bay area. There Stacy toured the facility, picked grapes and learned about the fermentation process. And that was all she needed to get hooked.
With a degree in biology from the University of California at Davis and an education in winemaking and viticulture, Stacy began working in Napa Valley, interning at Stags Leap Wine Cellars and then taking a position at Pine Ridge Winery. At the latter, the young winery grew their annual production from 7,000 cases to 75,000 cases throughout her 15-years there.
With years of experience under her belt—and a brief stint at her own brand, Galland Clark—Stacy took over as winemaker for the Peter Mondavi family at Charles Krug Winery in 2011. At Napa Valley’s oldest winery (it was founded in 1861 by Charles Krug, a Prussian immigrant), Stacy oversees the production of the brand’s estate-grown Napa Valley wine. She spends time with small production and legacy wines, but her main responsibility is the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and the St. Helena Sauvignon Blanc.