On tranquil summer days, as golden sun kisses the valleys and hills of vineyards in Sonoma, unique air currents bring cooling breezes inland from the Pacific Ocean and San Pablo Bay. Wafting softly, with some gusts and gales, they glide through the vineyard rows. As they encounter steeper slopes and drift upward, they become anabatic winds. Soaring glider pilots rely on them for flight. We treasure them for the coolness they impart on their journey — a gift of nature that makes the vineyard more temperate and slows the ripening process, producing robust flavors and distinctive varietal characters in our grapes.

Our exclusive Anaba wines are handcrafted from the best Rhône and Burgundian grape varieties grown at our Carneros Estate vineyard and in selected outstanding vineyard properties throughout Sonoma County. Our Rhône-style wines are artistic blends, inspired by the rugged earthiness of France's Rhône Valley and replicated in the rocky Sonoma soils. Our Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs reflect the elegance and grace of the gently sloping vineyards found in Burgundy, crafted from similar sites in the Sonoma Coast and Carneros appellations. 

As Winemaker at Anaba, Katy Wilson crafts world-class Rhone and Burgundian-style wines that showcase the best of Sonoma County. Katy’s personal grower relationships with some of Sonoma’s most prestigious vineyards, coupled with her attention to detail is critical. From walking the vineyards and evaluating optimal harvest timing, to determining the best-performing blocks that will ultimately supply the fruit for our esteemed portfolio of wines, every wine Katy oversees is tended to with her singular precision and care.

Raised on a walnut orchard in the Central Valley of California, Katy manifested her boots-on-the-ground approach to farming at an early age. Constantly listening, observing, and learning from nature’s signals to guide her decisions in the family orchard.

Enamored by the land, Katy set off to Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo after high school to help navigate her future within the world of agriculture. During her first Agricultural Business 101 lecture, she recognized immediately that a career in wine perfectly catered to her agricultural interests, as well as her creative and scientific talents. Four years later, Katy graduated with degrees in Wine & Viticulture and Agricultural Business.

Eager to earn her stripes, Katy began her career as a harvest intern at Testarossa Winery making Pinot Noir before heading Down Under to work for Torbreck Vintners in Australia’s Barossa Valley. After stints in Napa (at Joseph Phelps) and New Zealand (at Craggy Range), she joined Flowers Winery as a harvest enologist where her talents were quickly recognized, and she was promoted to assistant winemaker. Following Flowers, Katy expanded her breadth of experience, crafting Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah as associate winemaker for Kamen in Sonoma.

Katy joined Anaba in 2014. Her devotion to the land and passion for winemaking is contagious. She believes in letting the vineyard speak for itself, with minimal intervention. The result is a portfolio of elegant, sophisticated, and balanced wines that showcase the truest expression of each varietal.

Katy lives in Napa with her husband, David. When she isn’t making wine for Anaba, she keeps busy with her own successful boutique winery, LaRue Wines, where she crafts small lots of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast.