Anaba Wines

Anaba Wines was established in 2006 by John and Kathleen Sweazey on the site of the former Castle Vineyard property in the Carneros AVA of Sonoma County. The name references anabatic winds, the warm air currents that rise upslope across the Carneros landscape and shape its cool-climate viticulture. John Sweazey, inspired by travels through Europe in the 1970s, built the winery around a dual focus on Rhône-style varieties and Burgundian grapes. The first wines were released in 2009, including a 2006 Pinot Noir and a 2007 Chardonnay, establishing the house's range from the outset. That same year, Anaba installed a 45-foot wind turbine on the property, becoming the first winery in Northern California to do so.

• Founded 2006 on the former Castle Vineyard property in Carneros AVA, Sonoma County
• Named for anabatic winds, warm upslope air currents characteristic of the Carneros region
• First wines released 2009: a 2006 Pinot Noir and a 2007 Chardonnay
• 45-foot wind turbine installed 2009, the first of its kind at a Northern California winery

Anaba operates as a family-owned estate under the legal entity Sweazey Winery Investment, LLC, with John Sweazey serving as Proprietor and Managing Member. Now in his eighties, Sweazey has been joined by his son John Michael Sweazey, representing the emerging second generation of family involvement. Day-to-day winemaking is led by Katy Wilson, who joined Anaba in 2014 and has become the defining creative voice of the portfolio. Wilson received early recognition as a Winemaker to Watch from the San Francisco Chronicle in 2013 and earned VinePair's NextWave Winemaker of the Year award in October 2025. Her tenure has coincided with the expansion of the Rhône program, the opening of the 2019 production facility, and the launch of the Vintners House hospitality center.

• John Sweazey (proprietor, age 80 as of 2026) founded the winery with wife Kathleen; son John Michael Sweazey now involved
• Katy Wilson joined as winemaker in 2014 and was confirmed in role through 2025
• Wilson named VinePair NextWave Winemaker of the Year, October 2025, and SF Chronicle Winemaker to Watch, 2013
• Owned and operated as Sweazey Winery Investment, LLC; boutique scale with estimated annual sales around $1 million

Anaba's 16-acre J McK Estate Vineyard anchors the portfolio within the Carneros AVA, providing fruit for the core Pinot Noir and Chardonnay offerings. Beyond the estate, the winery draws from seven partner vineyards spread across several of Sonoma County's most distinctive appellations. These include Bismark Vineyard in the Moon Mountain District, Dutton Ranch in the Green Valley and Russian River Valley, Landa Vineyard in the Sonoma foothills, Las Brisas Vineyard at Mahoney Estate in Carneros, Pepperwood Ridge in the Petaluma Gap, Pigasus Vineyard in Sonoma Mountain AVA, and Wildcat Mountain in Carneros. This network of cool, windswept sites allows Anaba to work with the full spectrum of Rhône and Burgundian varieties suited to Sonoma's maritime-influenced growing conditions.

• J McK Estate Vineyard: 16 acres in Carneros AVA, the winery's home block
• Partner sites include Dutton Ranch (Green Valley/Russian River Valley), Pigasus Vineyard (Sonoma Mountain), and Pepperwood Ridge (Petaluma Gap)
• Bismark Vineyard in Moon Mountain District and Las Brisas Vineyard (Mahoney Estate) in Carneros supply additional Rhône and red variety fruit
• Multi-AVA sourcing spans Carneros, Sonoma Mountain, Petaluma Gap, Moon Mountain District, and Russian River Valley

Anaba's winemaking philosophy centers on small-lot, hand-crafted production with a dual focus on Rhône-style varieties, including Grenache, Syrah, Viognier, and Picpoul Blanc, alongside Burgundian-inspired Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The winery operates a state-of-the-art facility built in 2019 that also accommodates custom crush clients. Sustainability runs through every aspect of operations: Anaba holds Sonoma County sustainable certification, powers the winery with 100% renewable electricity via the 45-foot wind turbine and rooftop solar panels, and pursues low-intervention viticulture across its vineyard network. The 2025 portfolio additions include the inaugural La Colline proprietary Rhône-style blend and a Late Harvest Roussanne, extending the range into new stylistic territory while maintaining the house's boutique, site-expressive identity.

• Dual focus on Rhône varieties (Grenache, Syrah, Viognier, Picpoul Blanc) and Burgundian grapes (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay)
• 100% renewable electricity from a 45-foot wind turbine and solar panels; Sonoma County certified sustainable
• 2019 facility handles both Anaba production and custom crush operations
• 2025 releases include inaugural La Colline Rhône-style proprietary blend and a Late Harvest Roussanne

Anaba Wines represents a quietly influential corner of the Sonoma wine scene, demonstrating that serious, site-expressive small production and genuine sustainability commitments can coexist at accessible price points. The winery's pioneering wind turbine installation in 2009 was a concrete act rather than a marketing exercise, and its renewable energy infrastructure has remained a working centerpiece of operations for over fifteen years. Winemaker Katy Wilson's rise to national recognition in 2025 has brought broader attention to a portfolio that spans cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Carneros alongside one of Sonoma County's more thoughtfully assembled Rhône programs. The Vintners House hospitality center, with its chef-prepared food, wood-fired pizza, and bocce courts, has turned the estate into a destination, while the second-generation involvement of John Michael Sweazey suggests long-term continuity for the project.

• First Northern California winery to operate a wind turbine; has run on 100% renewable electricity since 2009
• Katy Wilson named VinePair NextWave Winemaker of the Year 2025, elevating national profile of the producer
• Vintners House tasting room voted Best Tasting Room in Sonoma Index-Tribune People's Choice Awards 2025
• One of Sonoma's few boutique producers with a dual Rhône and Burgundian focus anchored by estate Carneros fruit