Chrissy Wittmann

Years of Participation

Chrissy Wittmann came to winemaking in an unconventional way. After earning a B.S. in Ecology and Systematic Biology at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, the future winemaker found her love for wine while analyzing soil and waste water samples in a lab. After serving time as a laboratory enologist, Chrissy returned to Cal Poly, achieving her master’s degree in Agriculture.
She joined Scheid Vineyards in 2005 as Assistant Winemaker, and two years later joined the prestigious Wild Horse Winery & Vineyards in Paso Robles. Over the next nine years, Chrissy rose to Director of Winemaking, while mastering the art of multi-vineyard sourcing to create unique, complex wines.
In 2016, Chrissy and her family moved to Napa Valley joining The Prisoner Wine Company, where her expertise in vineyard partnerships is in play every day. Chrissy says, "The Prisoner Wine Company’s wines have true personalities that start in the vineyards and which are encompassed in the blending of the wine. I’m thrilled to be working with so many vineyards of quality, to tap into my inner wine geek every day."