The Benziger family has been growing grapes on Sonoma Mountain for over 40 years. In the late 70s, Mike Benziger and his wife, Mary discovered the incredible property that would become the family’s estate winery and home purchased it with the help of Mike’s parents, Bruno and Helen. Soon after, all seven Benziger siblings were living on or close to the ranch as New York transplants in Sonoma Valley.
In the mid-90s, we began transitioning the home ranch to a Biodynamic farm. We learned which flowers attracted the bugs we needed to keep pest populations in control. Habitats were created for birds and owls, and we brought cows, sheep and chickens to live on the property. Once the estate found its balance, the wines did too. From our home ranch came Tribute, the first Biodynamic wines from Sonoma or Napa Counties. Today, we are proud to be living and working on a healthy, vibrant ranch that is home to numerous species of plants, animals and insects and we love sharing this special place with visitors from all over the world.
Acres: 35
Year Planted: 1989-2007
Weather: Warm, Bowl-Shape Vineyard absorbs rain and reflects sun
Soil Type: Volcanic, Goulding Clay, Loam
Grapes Grown: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Grenache, Malbec, Petite Sirah, and Petit Verdot
AVA: Sonoma Mountain
Elevation: 440-665 ft
Clones: 7, 15 , 337