Katie Carter was born and raised in Forestville in Sonoma County. She attended the University of California, Berkeley as a National Merit Scholar, majoring in integrative biology. A part of her undergraduate experience was studying abroad at the Gump South Pacific Research Station in French Polynesia, where she focused on biogeography.

After earning her degree in 2003, Katie started along the path to becoming a winemaker by holding enologist positions at Tandem Winery, Clos du Bois, and F. Korbel & Bros before undertaking a short-term appointment in 2006 at Mulderbosch Vineyards in South Africa. Later that same year, she became enologist at De Loach Vineyards and in 2012 was promoted to assistant winemaker. Further promotions followed, and by 2014, Katie was winemaker for the Lyeth Estate component of the Boisset Collection. She added the Collection’s Wattle Creek Winery to her winemaking responsibilities in 2017.