Interview: Ellie Anest-Founder of ELEVEN ELEVEN Boutique Winery in Napa Valley
Ellie shared with us interesting insights into her career and Eleven Eleven
At a time when the conversation around wellness is shifting from abstinence to balance, Eleven Eleven in Napa Valley is very much ahead of the curve. Founded by Ellie Anest, formerly of KPMG and Yum! Brands, the winery is rooted in the idea that wine belongs in a well-lived life not outside of it. That philosophy shows up in organically farmed, Napa Green–certified wines, alongside wellness salons, immersive tastings, and community-driven experiences that feel more social and modern than traditional Napa offerings.
Rather than reacting to a trend, Eleven Eleven has long operated from this place of intentional balance and mindful indulgence well before the broader wellness conversation caught up. Ellie brings a candid, insightful perspective on this cultural shift, informed by her experience as both a founder and former corporate executive. Ellie shared interesting insights into her career and Eleven Eleven Wines.
We wondered what inspired her career in wine and hospitality. She told us a little about her family background. “My mother came directly from Greece, and my father was born in America to Greek immigrant parents. I was the first in my family to go to college, and I was also an athlete. Those things together wired me in a particular way: discipline, goal orientation, and the understanding that achievement is earned. We were a modest household, but it was full of love and high expectations. Making something of myself, becoming independent, and building financial security was never just personal ambition. It was the shared drive of our entire family. All four sisters carried it, and all four of us have gone on to succeed in our own professional paths. That doesn't happen by accident. It happens because of how you're raised.”
We know our readers will like to know how Ellie prepared and planned for her career. “I learned by doing, and by being relentlessly curious. I immersed myself in the business side: operations, finance, direct-to-consumer strategy. Because great wine without a sustainable business behind it doesn't last. I was laser focused on building Eleven Eleven in a way that was intentionally insular. I wasn't watching what other wineries were doing. What I paid close attention to instead were founders and operators across industries, studying what actually worked. My background spans Fortune 500 companies all the way to starting my own businesses, and that range gave me a toolkit most people in this industry don't have. Pair that with a deep belief in surrounding yourself with the right team, and you have the foundation. Every harvest, every club release, every guest experience became a classroom. There is always room to improve.”
Ellie’s finds her work in the wine industry to be very engaging. “Wine sits at the intersection of everything I love: the land, craft, story, and human connection. It's not a product. It's a vehicle for memory. What appealed to me most was that building a winery meant building a place where moments actually happen. Napa Valley gave us the landscape. The work gave us the purpose.”
Thanks to Ellie’s stewardship, Eleven Eleven Wines has been very successful and Ellie has put important ideals into practice. “Knowing how to make people feel at home. That sounds soft until you realize it drives every hard business decision: how you price a membership, how you structure an event, how you write a welcome email. Hospitality isn't a department. It's a feeling that is our lead strategy. When that feeling is the filter for every decision, the business starts to make sense in a different way. It's not just about being warm or welcoming. It's about designing every touchpoint so that someone feels like they belong here. That's what builds loyalty. That's what turns a wine purchase into a relationship.”
Ellie shared with us some advice for people wishing to enter the profession. “Learn the business as seriously as you learn the craft. Wine is romantic, and that's real. But romance doesn't pay your team or fund your next vintage. Understand your numbers, own your customer relationships, and don't wait for the industry to hand you access. Build the audience, build the experience, build the trust. The rest follows.”
Eleven Eleven Wines is located at 620 Trancas St., Napa, California 94558 For more information, visit Eleven Eleven Wines | Boutique Winery - Napa Valley and call 707.224.2211
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Eleven Eleven Wines
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