Part 1: And you may ask yourself, "Well how did I get here?"
Our little corner of Anderson Valley future vineyard site – Philo, CA
How did I get here?
It wasn’t a straight route, over the last decade. From brewing beer in Los Angeles, to starting a family and now homesteading in the redwoods, the path was tortuous at best. But here we find ourselves, starting a new page in the journal. We have a tasting room! This is big news, and the start of something good.
The Talking Heads character in Once in a Lifetime, was having an existential crisis, but luckily, we are not. We are ecstatic to finally be able to have a home (for commerce at least!) here in Anderson Valley, in booming “downtown” Philo, population 349. We are renting a space in front of the last remaining lumber mill in the valley, and have been hosting guests since October 2020. We have a dog-friendly patio and new picnic area; a perfect spot to chill with a bottle of Grenache rosé.
Philo population: 349
Weatherborne tasting room patio in downtown Philo
Why Anderson Valley?
People ask this a lot. The answer is a combo of things: Cool, coastal weather, perfect for ripening grapes. Abundant fresh air and open spaces. The community is awesome as well; you actually know all your neighbors in a remote place like AV. The wine trade is small, but lively. Land is cheaper here than in other “wine country” areas too.
We knew we wanted to live in a place that had a future for growing great grapes. We have moderate temperatures all year, being only 20 miles upriver from the chilly Pacific. The fog and sunshine have a tug-of-war on most days. Usually the rainfall is abundant, around 40 inches per year, delivered from November through May. That’s enough rain that with proper planning and farming, we can dry farm entirely most years. This lightens our burden on this planet, and keeps us in good stead with our neighbors.
The transition
My dad, Nick, and I started Weatherborne back in 2012. I knew I wanted to make great Pinot noir, but knew much less about how to sell it! (I really should have figured this out a little earlier.) While in LA, I made decent inroads, pounding the pavement, and selling wine to restaurants and wine shops, but admittedly “cold calling” on places was tough. My batting average was below the Mendoza Line for sure.
Cris Carter climbing the wine racks – 2014
Three generations of Carters – Cris Carter, Nick Carter, and baby Theo
We were in transition for a couple of years after buying our property up here, 30 acres of grass and some old apple trees. We knew we needed to connect with people better to sell our wines, allowing people to hear our story and ride along on the journey. It took a couple years to find the right spot, available commercial spaces being rare up here. We approached Gary, the landlord, and started penciling out our plans. Like Goldilocks, it was just right.
Cris Carter – winemaker and owner – pouring and chatting with customers every weekend
Tasting room is located on Philo School Rd.