Katy Wilson is the winemaker at Anaba in Sonoma, CA. She crafts exceptional Rhône and Burgundian-style wines that highlight Sonoma County’s finest vineyards. Her deep grower relationships and hands-on approach—from vineyard walks to harvest decisions—ensure precision and quality in every bottle.
Raised on a walnut orchard in California’s Central Valley, Katy developed a keen understanding of farming early on. She earned degrees in Wine & Viticulture and Agricultural Business from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and launched her winemaking career with harvests in California, Australia, New Zealand, and Napa.
Katy joined Anaba in 2014, bringing experience from top wineries like Flowers and Kamen. She is known for her minimalist winemaking philosophy, allowing the vineyard to guide the wine’s expression. In addition to her work at Anaba, Katy also produces small-lot Chardonnay and Pinot Noir under her own label, LaRue Wines. She lives in Napa with her husband, daughter, and dog.
Media Inquiries: michelle@calhounwine.com | https://www.anabawines.com/
What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?
If I had to distill the ‘one thing’ about Anaba, it’s John Sweazey’s 30-year journey. For three decades, he had this incredibly clear and unwavering goal – to become a vintner recreating that wonderfully genuine, unpretentious welcome you feel when you visit those small, family-run wineries in France. He spent those years deliberately and patiently working towards it. It’s not a marketing angle cooked up in a boardroom; it’s the authentic story of a man who, after a successful career elsewhere (to garner the resources), dedicated himself to a singular, long-term vision and the eventual creation of Anaba Wines. He wasn’t chasing a trend or fulfilling a new hobby. He was patiently, deliberately executing his life’s ambition conceived decades earlier during transformative trips through Burgundy and the Rhône Valley.
I find people are drawn to stories of passion, perseverance, and authenticity, and John’s story is the bedrock of Anaba, and I am happy to help bring the story to life through the careful crafting of the wines.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.
If completely unconstrained, I’d build a winery here in Sonoma that’s also a serious research and education hub, especially with climate shifts in mind. We’d conduct meticulous trials—different farming methods, micro-fermentations, yeast impacts—all to understand each grape’s unique character and potential. Then, most importantly, we’d share it openly in the spirit of collaboration. Ultimately, all this deep research and open teaching would fuel our main mission: crafting the most expressive, top-quality wines possible from right here in Sonoma County.
What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
If I had to pick one wine that truly captures the heart and soul of Anaba, it’s undoubtedly a brand new wine, La Colline. Its story is deeply intertwined with John Sweazey’s own journey and the very inspiration behind Anaba. Years ago, during his travels in France, John had this incredibly moving experience at M. Chapoutier in the Northern Rhône, standing on their “colline,” their hillside, overlooking the river. It wasn’t just about the good wine; it was the powerful sense of family, tradition, and heartfelt hospitality that Max Chapoutier shared. That visit, and the desire to create something similar here in California, became a foundational dream for Anaba.
For us, making La Colline, a more serious Rhône-style blend, is about bringing that dream to life. It’s not an exaggeration to say it took John and me nearly a decade of dedicated searching and collaboration to secure fruit from the precise Sonoma vineyards we felt could create a wine truly reflective of that profound experience John had. We were looking for sites that would give us the depth, character, and spirit to honor that memory. So, La Colline isn’t just a wine for us; it’s the culmination of a long-held vision and a patient pursuit, aiming to offer that same sense of genuine connection and warmth that so inspired John all those years ago. Check out my review of the La Colline Wine here.
Bonus Question: What’s the one thing people would be surprised to learn about you?
Growing up on walnut orchard, I learned to drive a tractor before I learned to drive a car!