From Nebraska Roots to Napa Vines: How Ellie Anest Built Eleven Eleven Wines

The Oak Knoll estate could have been a winery building — instead, it became the vineyard that defines Eleven Eleven’s identity.

Eleven Eleven Wines was founded in 2012.

Ellie Anest saw the potential.

The founding partner and CEO of Eleven Eleven Wines figured she could get a permit for a winery on a 16-acre site in Oak Knoll. The land look perfect for development.

Call it kismet or sheer luck, the site was never developed , instead it has blossomed into Destin Vineyard, the home of a diverse range of varietals that form the foundation of Eleven Eleven Wines, the winery she co-founded in 2012.

“It turned out to be one of our prized vineyards,” Anest said. “We have multiple varietals there — Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon — with this unique setting near the river. I can’t imagine having developed it for buildings instead.”

For Anest, who grew up in Nebraska in a Greek family that prized hospitality, the path to Napa wasn’t obvious. A standout volleyball player in high school and junior college, she first pursued a corporate career, where she gained a reputation for process, structure and discipline.

“I wasn’t a student of wine,” she admitted. “I just enjoyed it at happy hours with coworkers. But when I came into this business, I wanted everyone to feel welcome and comfortable.”

Ellie Anest knows how to be part of the team when it comes to welcoming guests.

That ethos became central to Eleven Eleven. The winery’s first vintages — a 2012 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir — were shared among the team with curiosity rather than pretense.