Owners & Winemakers

Earl & Carrie Sullivan

Prior to Telaya’s first blend in 2008, Earl and Carrie were embarking on independent careers, Earl traveling internationally as the COO of a pharmaceutical company and Carrie practicing as a small animal and exotic veterinarian while raising their two boys.

It was in Cabo San Lucas that Earl and Carrie made the decision to create a shared space where their love of family and travel could merge. Historically, that made sense for the two, as they initially met abroad studying tropical ecology in the Galapagos Islands. Walking along the beaches of Cabo, they considered all the ways that wine could converge their two career paths and allow them to both be fully present for their boys’ childhoods.

​For Earl, wine was reminiscent of his international travel, where he was constantly exposed to new styles and profiles. For Carrie, winemaking fulfills her passion for science. Establishing a winery would allow them to grow and research together while also modeling the values of hard work, perseverance, integrity, and accountability to their boys. Through Telaya—a blend of their two favorite places, the Tetons and la playa—they could establish a home base from which they could take others on a journey.