Inspired by weather
Flying taught me to read the weather. Farming taught me to plan for the weather. The weather bears each vintage along its path, always to a new destination.
Family-owned and operated
Where are we from? That’s always been the most difficult question to answer. Between the two of us, we’ve lived in seven states. Weatherborne began in Santa Barbara (Sta. Rita Hills AVA) just one year before our firstborn. Starting in 2017, we planted our roots firmly in Anderson Valley. We have opened our tasting room, worked on our farmstead, had our second child and connected with the community.
Cris Carter
Winemaker + Founder
Wine isn’t my second career. It’s not my hobby. I didn’t make my money in tech or as a hedge fund investor. Winemaking is what I was meant to do. It’s my profession. I went to UC Davis at eighteen to study wine and grapes. My only jobs have been in vineyards, labs and cellars. What is in the bottle is the result of years of work, not some whim.
My grandfather, my father, my uncles are all aviators. I too became a pilot. Winemaking, like flying, requires detail and precision, but instincts to handle the unexpected. I traveled the world, from New Zealand to Oregon to Chile to Tasmania, learning how to make the best Pinot Noir possible.
Anya Farquhar
Creative Director + Brand Manager
You can find me cleaning barrels or designing wine labels, I love being a part of the entire process from soil to sample. Trained as a graphic designer at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, I have an interest in details, process and craft.
My background includes a decade of experience with nonprofit and cause-based brands, advertising agencies and start-ups, from New York City to Los Angeles. I continue to design and direct creative work, while living the dream of building our estate vineyard and homestead.
Inspired by flight.
Travel is in our blood. Anya’s parents met abroad. Cris’ parents met in the skies. We have both found our best inspiration while traveling.
Cris’ mom, Pat Carter (bottom right) as a TWA flight attendant in 1967.
Cris’ father, Captain Nick Carter (top right) flew commercially for almost 40 years, for both TWA and American Airlines. Also pictured: his brothers and father.
Planting roots.
In 2017 we officially planted our roots in Anderson Valley. We are rehabilitating an abandoned apple orchard and open grassy knolls, formerly a sheep pasture. Our land is perched above the Navarro River across from the old growth redwoods of Hendy Woods State Park.
We have replanted a fruit tree orchard and are planning an estate vineyard. Our goal is to create a sustainable homestead using the best organic farming techniques and elements of regenerative farming.
View of Hendy Woods from the land
It truly is a family affair