Born in Chicago, Mark Bright has been passionate about wine since he traveled to Europe at the age of 15. He became a Sommelier on his 21st birthday and quickly moved to San Francisco to work with Rajat Parr. His first travels took him to the regions of Burgundy and the Rhone Valley, where he found his inspiration in the wine world and has maintained that focus and advocacy throughout his career. In 2005, Mark was honored as one of the "Best New Sommeliers' by Wine and Spirits and was featured in Wine Spectator as a "New Wine Turk" in 2006.

In 2009, Mark co-founded and opened Saison in San Francisco. Recognized as the original fine dining establishment in the U.S. to use open hearth cooking, Saison is now a two Michelin star restaurant emphasizing the bounty and culinary diversity of California’s evolving terroir under the guidance of James Beard Semi-Finalist Executive Chef Richard Lee. Saison holds two Michelin stars, a 4-star rating from the San Francisco Chronicle, has been  featured on the World’s 50 Best List and North America’s 50 Best List, was named #9 on Robb Report’s 100 Greatest American Restaurants of the 21st Century, and is proud to be a distinguished member of Relais & Chateaux and Les Grandes Tables du Monde. It has been awarded a Wine Spectator "Grand Award" every year since 2014.

Mark co-founded Saison Hospitality in 2016, also serving as the group’s Beverage Director. In addition to Saison, Saison Hospitality is comprised of Michelin-starred Angler San Francisco, the elevated BBQ popup Smokehouse, Bright's Santa Cruz Saison Winery, the Saison Wine Bar & Cellars, the rare wine brokerage & consulting firm Saison Cellar and their wine club, Wines from the Hearth, as well as Hearth Catered Events. Bright also oversees the wine program for Maison 1896 in Beaune, France, and is active in speaking engagements, wine competitions, and industry panels across the globe.

Back in the Bay Area, Mark is a passionate advocate of winemaking and vineyards in Santa Cruz. It was the diverse soil types and ocean-influenced climate that he finds most interesting and that drove him to the region. He also produces wines from the Gabilan Mountains, which hold their own unique qualities. With Bright as winemaker, the Saison Winery wines are focused on single vineyard expressions and smaller production to extract the purest and highest quality of the harvest.