Alisa Jacobson grew up on a farm, an experience that fostered a passion for environmentally conscious farming practices. After graduating from high school, she entered the University of California, Davis, in 1997 and earned a B.S. degree in Viticulture and Enology four years later. She interned with Schramsberg in the Napa Valley, Korbel in Sonoma County, and worked harvests abroad in South Australia.

She continued her professional career by joining Joseph Phelps Vineyards in 2001 as a laboratory technician. While there, she met Sarah Gott, who was the Phelps winemaker at that time and became Alisa's mentor. After two years at Joseph Phelps, Alisa moved to Joel Gott Wines as an assistant winemaker. She was promoted to winemaker at Joel Gott Wines in 2007, continued her rise in the organization, and became Vice President of Winemaking there. In this role, her responsibilities included overseeing winery and vineyard operations in Washington, Oregon, and California, managing a team of thirty people involved in that work, and heading efforts to make wine for the Gotts in Argentina, Chile, Spain, and France.

As if all this were not enough, Alisa launched her own brand, Turning Tide, in late 2020 with the mission of showcasing some of her favorite sustainably farmed vineyards. Included in this goal is a belief that farming the right way, using methods that reduce impacts on climate change, makes a difference in wine quality. She parted ways with Joel Gott Wines and the Napa Valley in mid-2021 to focus on her own brand. At Turning Tide, she is crafting Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and both red and white blends. Alisa added to her responsibilities by launching Milestone, a winery in the Santa Ynez Valley, in early 2023.

In recognition of her talents, Alisa was named a “2022 Wine Industry Leader” by Wine Business.