Payton was born in Seattle, Washington and spent her college years in New York City studying fashion design at Parsons School of Design. As an avid hiker and snowboarder she focused on a career in the outdoor industry, designing clothing for such brands as Woolrich and REI. 

In 2020 she decided to pursue a long held dream to make wine. She moved to Walla Walla, WA to obtain a Viticulture and Enology degree and worked two harvests before moving back to the westside of Washington State to manage cellars at various Woodinville wineries.