winemaker mike benziger

From left to right:
son Grant, Mike, daughter Erinn,
wife Mary, son Buck

Crafting high quality wine from grapes that authentically represent our Sonoma Mountain vineyard estate is more than a passion for Tribute Winemaker Mike Benziger; it is his promise to the land that gave life to Benziger Family Winery.

Mike and his wife Mary spent two years searching for their dream winery, before they drove up a dusty lane on the eastern side of Sonoma Mountain and saw their future. It was an overgrown, 85-acre ranch with steep terraced hills and lush wildlife.

"As soon as we saw it, I knew this was the place," recalls Mike of that memorable day in March of 1980. His connection to the land was profound and instantaneous. Now, more than two decades later, Mike's affinity for our 42 acres of vineyard land has evolved, and his passion for making the best wines from its 29 distinct blocks remains unquenchable.

"It's a life's work to make a wine that is ultimately connected with a place and the people who farm it," says Mike, who has never held a job outside the wine business. Growing up in New York, Mike worked for his father, Bruno Benziger, a wine and spirits importer. After college, he moved to California, where he got a job at the fine wine shop. His appreciation for wine grew, and in 1978 he began a winery apprenticeship.

"I learned the wine business at the foot of the master," explains Mike. "I was fortunate to have great mentors. When you learn in this way, you learn more than information-you learn respect and reverence for wine and vine."

The 2004 introduction of Tribute marks the arrival of the future Mike and Mary envisioned more than 20 years ago. "Farming the way we do encourages an intimate connection to the land that is nurtured with time and patience," says Mike. "Our ultimate goal is for the consumer to experience this connection through the unique style of our wine and the intense passion in the bottle."