our team
spencer williams
winemaker
Spencer grew up on Vashon Island and began crafting his palate while studying wine at Central Washington University. His experience working with Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling in New Zealand ignited his passion for white winemaking. This drew him to Walla Walla in 2012, where he joined Tranche. As our Winemaker, Spencer oversees the behind-the-scenes action, from vine to bottle. He is committed to the goal of producing entirely estate-grown, terroir-driven wines that test what is possible in Washington.
tyler dutton
assistant winemaker
Tyler grew up in Vancouver, Washington and graduated from Washington State University where he studied biology and chemistry. In 2015, he began a 7-month trip through New Zealand where he fell in love with winemaking. After that, he was determined to learn as much as he could about the world of wine. Over the next several years he made wine in California, Australia, and Oregon before finding his home at Tranche in 2016 as an intern. He's since worked his way up to production assistant, to cellar master, and now to assistant winemaker.
Lauri Corliss
co-founder
Lauri Corliss has a background in business – banking, real estate, and development – and brings skills that few people in this industry can claim, but which are essential to building a lasting legacy. Lauri acquired her wine knowledge over many years of traveling to acquire wines at auction, where she came to understand the whole spectrum of quality and attention to detail in winemaking. She is proud of the Tranche team and the wines they deliver to the market.
katie davis
PRESIDENT OF WINERY OPERATIONS
Katie grew up in western Washington before moving to California to study business management at Menlo College. Her interest in the wine industry landed her in the Sonoma Valley where she worked as a Hospitality Manager and Business Analytics Consultant for many prominent California wineries. Eventually, the family wine business in Walla Walla called her back to her home state where she began working for her parents, Lauri and Michael Corliss. As President of Wine Operations, Katie oversees Tranche and its related wineries Corliss, Secret Squirrel, and San Juan Vineyard. In addition to her work in the wine industry, she is a proud mom and a member of the Board of Directors for the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance.
Michael Corliss
Co-founder
Michael is a 4th generation Washington native, who built a successful real estate investment portfolio before moving into the wine business in 1999. His wine epiphany came about in his 20s while tasting wines that had once been in the cellar of Alfred Hitchcock. Those classic, well-cellared wines—and many that followed—helped to shape his palate. When it comes to his own wine endeavors, it is this first-hand knowledge of the world’s greatest wines that inform and inspire every decision.
andrew murray
Wholesale manager
A Southern California native, Andrew comes from a background in the restaurant industry, having spent time working in kitchens at some of the top restaurants in San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle and Boulder, CO. It was while studying at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011 that his interests turned full-time to wine. Andrew joined Tranche in 2016 and uses his restaurant experience to navigate the fast-paced and ever-evolving sales landscape with a calm and client-driven focus.