Over the course of her first career, Rhonda Wood enjoyed sky-high views of the Livermore Valley while serving as a pilot for US Airways. Nowadays, she still appreciates the region. But as the head winemaker of Wood Family Vineyards, she does so with her feet planted on the ground.

The transition began in 1991, when Wood got pregnant with the first of her two children and took a leave of absence from the cockpit. To occupy her time, she started brewing beer but soon decided she had a better option.

“I drank a lot more wine than beer,” Wood says. “That got me thinking,

‘Why am I making beer when I could be making wine?'”

Inspired by the idea, she and her husband, Michael, planted vines behind their Fremont home. But before they’d harvested their first backyard crop, they came across an 18-acre vineyard site for sale in Livermore-the future location of their first winery, where the couple would also build a home.

At the time, the property was planted to merlot, but in the years since, the Woods have added cabernet franc, malbec and petit verdot to the mix, all of which are featured in the winery’s portfolio.

In 2001, Rhonda took another leave of absence from US Airways. Five years later, she retired from the airline to devote herself full time to her second career. Her winemaking operation has expanded to a larger location, complete with a welcoming tasting room, and Wood’s winemaking has continued to evolve. “One thing I love is that you’re always learning,” she says. “But another thing is that it keeps you outside and active. In one sense, it reminds me of being a pilot, because I’ve always got amazing views.”