For Chris and Kelly Sparkman, family was the catalyst that led them to winemaking.

Both Tennessee natives who studied environmental science and policy in college, each crisscrossed the country building careers more aligned with the work of Indiana Jones than that of Robert Mondavi.

Kelly trekked from Wyoming mountains to old-growth California forests and dove under icy Alaskan waters for various conservation projects. Chris, meanwhile, served as a policy analyst for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Whaling Commission and as an Agroforester in the Peace Corps. A professional pivot would lead the latter to hospitality, helming sommelier teams at restaurants across the U.S., and marriage would settle the two in Washington’s wine country.

Then came daughter number one, Stella Mae, in 2004. “We had our first child and wanted to create a life where we both could be present in our kids’ lives,” says Chris. “We knew just enough about wine and how to sell it, and were just ignorant enough to the complexities of business to go for it.”

That first year, they made about 12 barrels. Today, they’ve nabbed coveted spots on Wine Spectator’s annual Top 100 list and have grown their yearly production to over 12,000 cases. They also have ace winemaker Linn Scott leading the way in the cellar.

Linn works with a range of grapes, but Cab Sauvignon is a cornerstone of the whole operation. For Catalyst by Sparkman Cellars, he uses fruit from prime Columbia Valley vineyards, then ages the wine 24 months in a mix of oak barrels. The result is full bodied and concentrated, with savory herb aromatics, rich currant flavors and generous tannins.

Hurry to be among the first to taste it.