Member Story: Katarina Bonde, West Wines
From particle physics and the Swedish technology industry to Seattle, venture capital, and eventually winemaking in California, Katarina Bonde’s career has crossed industries and continents.
Today, Katarina divides her time between Stockholm and Sonoma, California, where she is the primary winemaker at West Wines, the independent winery she runs with her husband. Her journey to the United States began with her career in technology, which brought her to Seattle, before her passion for wine eventually led her to Sonoma.
Katarina has also maintained a long-standing relationship with the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce, dating back to her years in Seattle. We spoke with her about her journey, the story behind West Wines, the importance of Swedish-American connections, and what she would like fellow SACC members to know about the winery.
Katarina’s Professional Background: From particle physics to technology and wine
Katarina studied particle physics at KTH in Stockholm. As the Swedish technology industry began to take off, she moved into the IT sector and built her early career at several of Sweden’s fastest-growing technology companies. She later became CEO of a Swedish consulting firm, which was acquired by Capgemini. The acquisition brought her to Seattle, where she spent 15 years working with international technology companies and scale-ups, with a focus on fundraising, international growth, and expansion. During this period, she also became involved in venture capital.
Katarina Bonde is a passionate Board professional in multiple corporations and has a background from several CEO positions of international corporations in the US and Europe, raising venture capital as an entrepreneur and managing venture capital. Today, her professional life spans both Sweden and Sonoma, California, while winemaking has become an important part of her work.
How did West Wines begin?
West Wines grew out of an unexpected opportunity. While living in Seattle, Katarina and her husband visited wine country through a board colleague and discovered an opportunity to purchase land with vines already planted. Although they had long been passionate wine consumers, they decided to become more involved in the winemaking process. They hired a winemaker and began with Sauvignon Blanc, with the ambition of creating elegant wines inspired by the French tradition. Over time, Katarina became increasingly involved in the process herself. She trained as a winemaker and learned alongside the winery’s team before becoming the primary winemaker at West Wines around ten years ago.
West Wines has deliberately remained small and independent. Today, winemaking is very much a team effort, from harvest and fermentation to tasting, with Katarina making the final decisions on the wines.
A West Wines Cabernet at the Nobel Banquet:
One of the most memorable moments in West Wines’ history came in 2010, when the winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve was selected to be served at the Nobel Prize Banquet in Stockholm. The wine was selected through a blind tasting from a shortlist of approximately 10-15 wines, and West Wines delivered 400 bottles for the dinner.
For Katarina, the occasion was particularly meaningful. The Nobel Banquet holds a unique place in Swedish culture, making the opportunity to have a wine from their California winery served at the dinner a special connection between the two countries. Katarina was also present when the bottles were opened before the banquet to help ensure that everything was prepared perfectly. The bottles were left overnight without their corks and covered with damp linen cloths to allow the wine to receive oxygen before the dinner.
A long-standing SACC connection
Katarina has been a member of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce since her years in Seattle, dating back to around 1995. For her, the Chamber represents an important bridge between Sweden and the United States. While technology has made it easier to connect across borders, she believes that personal relationships and trusted local networks remain particularly valuable, especially for those arriving in the U.S. for the first time.
Her own career between Sweden and the United States is a reflection of the kinds of connections SACC seeks to foster. Namely, relationships that can continue across industries, markets, and borders.
A warm welcome to SACC members
Katarina and the West Wines team welcome fellow SACC members to visit the winery and discover their American wines with a French-inspired approach. SACC members are invited to reach out to West Wines before visiting to inquire about a member discount.
This holiday season, West Wines will also celebrate its Swedish connection with a Scandinavian Christmas in the tasting room from November 27-29, from 9 AM to 4 PM, featuring glögg, skumtomtar, and other Swedish holiday treats.
