Berkeley, California — Est. 2023

AneVaimoana

Winery

A Tongan-owned winery producing Petite Sirah for our community — named for the grandmother whose memory it carries forward.

01
Varietal, by choice
2023
First harvest
CA
Moraga & Lodi fruit
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Our Story

Named for the woman who carried the family forward.

Every bottle of AneVaimoana carries a name before it carries a vintage. Ane Vaimoana Makakaufaki was born in Tonga and became the maternal grandmother of our founder, Keleni Tukia. Hers was a life of quiet endurance and generosity — the kind that holds a family together across oceans and generations.

In 2023, Keleni set out to build something that could hold her memory the way she had held her family: with care, with patience, and with an open door. AneVaimoana Winery was founded that year in Berkeley, California, by a team bound as much by heritage as by purpose — bringing together winemaking, operations, finance, marketing, and community into a single Tongan-owned house.

We make wine for our community first. Every glass is an invitation to sit at the table a little longer.

— The AneVaimoana Family
In Memory Of
Ane Vaimoana Makakaufaki
Our Wine

One varietal. Made with intention.

AneVaimoana makes Petite Sirah, and only Petite Sirah — a deliberate choice, not a limitation. It is a bold, full-bodied red, poured almost inky-purple in the glass, built on high tannins and deep, jammy fruit. Blueberry and blackberry sit at its center, layered with the mouth-drying structure the grape is known for.

Despite the name, there is nothing small about this wine. Petite Sirah thrives in warm climates like California's, is prized by winemakers for blending, and rewards patience — capable of aging gracefully for well over a decade in the bottle.

Inky-Purple High Tannin Blueberry Blackberry Full-Bodied Cellar 10+ Yrs
Varietal Profile

Petite Sirah

  • ColorInky Purple
  • BodyFull
  • TanninHigh
  • Fruit CharacterBlueberry / Blackberry
  • Cellaring10+ Years
  • ClimateWarm — California
The Harvest Ledger

Three years, two vineyards, one grandmother's name.

2023
Captain VineyardsMoraga, California — our inaugural harvest, and the first fruit to carry the AneVaimoana name.
Lot 001 — Inaugural Harvest
2024
Hux VineyardsLodi, California — a new vineyard partnership begins, deepening our roots in Lodi's warm-climate fruit.
Lot 002 — Lodi Harvest
2025
Hux VineyardsLodi, California — our second consecutive vintage from Hux, building consistency in the AneVaimoana style.
Lot 003 — Lodi Harvest
Our Team

Six people, one table.

KT
Keleni Tukia
Founder & Chief Winemaker
Born in Tonga. The founding hand behind every AneVaimoana harvest, and the keeper of her grandmother's name.
SP
Sepiuta Pele
Chief Executive Officer
Born in Tonga. Leads AneVaimoana's growth while holding the winery's community mission at the center.
DN
David Niumeitolu
Director of Marketing
Born in Tonga. Shares AneVaimoana's story with the community it was built for and beyond.
GW
Gail Warrick
Director of Finance
Keeps AneVaimoana's foundation steady, so the winery can grow with care.
MM
Melanie Makakaufaki
Director of Human Resources
Daughter of Tongan parents. Builds the team culture that makes AneVaimoana feel like family.
LM
Litia Makakaufaki
Director of Operations
Daughter of Tongan parents. Runs the day-to-day that turns fruit into every finished bottle.
Visit & Contact

Come sit at the table.

AneVaimoana Winery is based in Berkeley, California. Reach out to join our list, ask about current releases, or say hello.

Location
Berkeley, California
Founded
2023
Wine
Petite Sirah, exclusively