growers
The Benziger family is committed to grower and consumer education. Our 85-acre certified Biodynamic vineyard in Sonoma is tended with the help of a devoted vineyard team, many of whom have worked with the family for more than a decade. Together we use the ranch as a teaching center and model of wholistic farming for our core group of grape growers.
Teaching growers Farming for Flavors™ is another major commitment of Benziger's estate vineyard classroom and onsite visits to grower vineyards. Consistency in the vineyards is critical to wine quality. Through our grower feedback loop, Director of Grower Relations Mark Burningham establishes specifics on all aspects of winegrowing. "We want uniformity among the vines," says Mark. "It's a tremendous amount of hand work, but the resulting grape quality is exceptional."
At key points during the growing cycle, Burningham spends all of his time with the growers. To ensure uniformity at veraison, he visits all growers - sometimes in a two-week period. At harvest, he assesses fruit maturation in all vineyards daily. Once harvested, all lots are maintained separately and tasted. The information collected from each lot is recorded in a grower feedback manual, which allows Mark to provide each grower with detailed direction for the coming year. "I talk to them about everything from enhancing the blackberry quality in their cab to thinning to four to six shoots per linear foot." The result is wine of uncompromising quality and consistency.
We are only beginning to see the results of our commitment to grower education, particularly in vineyards that have been replanted after AXR removal. The strong, young vines taking root in vibrant, sustainable vineyards portend a delicious future. "Already the fruit from these vineyards is so good," says Mark. "And that's just a preview of the high-quality grapes we'll see in the next couple of years."