Kale Anderson grew up in Sonoma County, where he was exposed to the wine industry by a community that encouraged creativity, love for the outdoors, and stewardship of the land.

He attended the University of California, Davis intending to pursue medicine, like his father had, but instead found himself drawn to Davis’ Plant Biology program.  As an undergraduate, Kale researched DNA repair in plants.  He spent winters in Tahoe, and tried his hand at commercial fishing in Alaska during the summertime.

Feeling scientifically inspired but creatively unfulfilled, Kale transitioned into an interdisciplinary major in Nature and Culture.  While changing his major, he stumbled upon an introductory course in Viticulture and Enology.  It immediately struck him to be the most fascinating blend of nature and culture that he had experienced to date.  This discovery set him on a focused trajectory toward winemaking.

In 2001, Kale took his first harvest internship at J Winery, Russian River.  After graduating BS Viticulture and Enology, he worked at Colgin Cellars, Terra Valentine Winery, Cliff Lede Vineyards in Stags Leap District and is currently Director of Winemaking for Pahlmeyer.

Ranko met Kale as an undergraduate student at the University of California, Davis.  While working towards a BA in Political Science, she interned for two years at the State Capitol in Sacramento, took summer school classes at the University of Hawai’i, Manoa and upon graduation lived in Japan teaching English and gaining fluency in Japanese.  After returning from Japan, she spent the next ten years in wholesale mortgage banking as an account executive for the largest loan originator in the country, living in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Napa.  While working full-time, Ranko launched Kale Wines in 2008, and has immersed herself in all aspects of the wine industry.

Ranko decided to dedicate her professional time to Kale Wines in 2012.  You can find her most mornings along the Napa River with her chocolate Labrador retriever, Duke, and sons, Aidan and Jack, in tow.