Wells Guthrie began his illustrious career in wine as a tasting coordinator for the Wine Spectator magazine where he became driven to make wine himself. He wanted to learn from the best, and having connections, he was able to apprentice for two under Michel Chapoutier, the acclaimed producer from the Rhône Valley. Wells learned about the importance of biodynamic farming practices, and spending time in the vineyards as well as the cellar. Wells left with a wealth of information and was ready to start his own project in California, alongside his wife Kate, establishing Copain. Starting with the grape he was most familiar with, Syrah, he soon began to gain top scores from critics. Despite his success, he started to question why his wines were so much richer and more extracted than the Rhône examples he was weaned on. So he traded opulence and richness in favor of restraint and precision.

Finding reward in his new style, he tried his hand at Pinot Noir, which he quickly mastered. He made Burgundy reminiscent expressions that garnered a lot of attention. He sold his family domaine to Jackson Family Wines and was the winemaker for a little before deciding to move his family to Anderson Valley and planted seven acres of vines to Pinot Noir. Now his wines are purely sourced from Anderson Valley with the intention to elevate the greatness that exists in this valley.