For more than 30 years Benziger Family Winery has farmed its 85-acre ranch on Sonoma Mountain. Only 35 of these acres are planted with vines. The rest of the estate is used for biodiversity to create a polyculture. Besides insectaries, gardens, sheep and cattle pastures, and more than 800 olive trees, there are two wetland areas used for water purification.
With the conviction that biodynamic farming is not only good for the environment but also does great things to enhance winegrape quality, the Benzigers first committed to farming biodynamically in 1996. Today they proudly produce a portfolio of authentic and memorable wines from their home estate and other distinctive, biodynamically farmed vineyards across Sonoma County.
Benziger specializes in Bordeaux-style and single-varietal wines. Tribute is the flagship biodynamic estate wine: a Bordeaux blend of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon. Also grown on the estate is Joaquin’s Inferno, a robust Zinfandel blend that got its name for its di ficulty to harvest on a steep slope of Sonoma Mountain. The portfolio also features several exquisite Pinot Noirs grown at the family estate on the Sonoma Coast.
Benziger Family Winery was named Best Winery and Best Tour by Locals in the Sonoma Valley People’s Choice Awards for good reason. There are multiple tours and tastings options, including a tasting in the spacious main tasting room and a seated tasting in the historic ranch house’s newly renovated library, but a visit really isn’t complete without a hop on the tram. To get a real feel for the estate and how it is farmed, guests take the Biodynamic Vineyard Tram Tour with stops at the fermentation facility, crush pad, and barrel caves. Those seeking an intimate tasting experience will also enjoy The Partners Vineyard Tour & Exclusive Wine Tasting. This one-hour tour provides a behind-the-scenes look at the vineyard, wine sampling from the barrel in the wine cave, followed by a private tasting.
Check out Benziger Family Winery's Preferred Program Offer