Benessere Vineyards

About Winery and Wines

Making wine is a joy. I was slow to choose a career path because my interests are so diverse. Winemaking allows me to synthesize botany, ecology, fermentation, nature, and art. What could be better? Napa Valley winemakers are particularly lucky in the grape varieties we can work with. Napa’s varied climate and soils allow an incredible range of varieties not only to ripen here but to rank among the best examples of those varieties in the world. I am luckier still at Benessere, because we grow and work with varieties that are uncommon at best in Napa Valley, such as Sangiovese, and extremely rare, such as Sagrantino and Aglianico. I am continually delighted and amazed at the quality of the grapes we grow. Most winemakers say their goal is to pick great fruit and get out of the way. This self-effacing statement is a convenient fiction that we imagine the public wants to hear. The excellent grapes that I work with at Benessere give me a running start on making great wine, but it still requires skill and creativity on my part to make sure the wines reach their fullest potential. This kind of challenge is precisely what makes this job so much fun. I make wine because I love it, it makes me happy, and I want to share that happiness. I hope that when you drink our Benessere wines the love and happiness they contain are conveyed to you.

Situated on a natural gravelly terrace, the Benessere property has proved to be an ideal location for growing classic Italian varietals such as Sangiovese, Moscato di Canelli and Sagrantino as well as other non-Italian varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Zinfandel. Additionally, we source Aglianico and Zinfandel (planted in the early 1900s) from the historic ‘Collins Holystone Vineyard’ adjacent to our estate as well as Pinot Grigio from vineyards in the Oak Knoll District. As grape growers, we are proud members of the Napa Valley Grapegrowers Association and Appellation St. Helena (ASH), which promotes and celebrates the rich 150+ year history of the St. Helena Appellation. To learn more about the St. Helena Appellation and its wine growers, visit the ASH Website or their YouTube Channel for a video presentation.