Meet Anthony Craig
Anthony Craig was born in Gateshead, a North Eastern English town on the River Tyne opposite the city of Newcastle and close to the Scottish border. It is the northernmost edge of the ancient Roman Empire marked by Hadrian's wall. While working backstage at the Theatre Royal, he studied drama at the College of Arts and Technology. During a visit by the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was encouraged to continue his acting studies. So he moved to London to study at the Drama Studio. After graduating, he moved to California to embark on his acting career.
At the end of 1990, Anthony left Los Angeles looking for temporary relief from the craziness of an actors life in LA. With a few dollars to his name, he travelled north to San Jose and found work with a small local winery called David Bruce. It didn’t take him long to realise he had a “knack” for winemaking, and quickly became a member of the winemaking team, and eventually, after many years, the head winemaker. It was here he fell in love with fine wine; pinot noir in particular. Working with grapes from more than 50 vineyards from Mendocino to Santa Barbara, gave him a unique overview of the great potential pinot noir had in California’s varied regions. In 2002 he set out on his own to create Sonnet as a homage to his old life as an actor and the great playwright, William Shakespeare.
Today, Sonnet Wine Cellars produces award-winning wines from several vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands and the Santa Cruz Mountains: Tondre’s Grapefield, Muns Vineyard, Black Ridge Vineyard and Gali Vineyard.
Anthony lives in San Jose with his famous musician wife, choral conductor Elena Sharkova, and their son Alexander.