7X7, October 31, 2012, By Dana Rebmann
With 1,100 or so vineyards in Sonoma County, the hard part isn’t finding a good bottle of wine, it’s deciding which bottle to drink. Equally tough, deciding which vineyard to visit when you get the chance to escape to Wine Country. Sonoma County has a variety of wineries, ranging from the larger more commercial variety to small, independent boutique options. Benziger Family Winery falls somewhere in between, but one thing is certain: Making wine is a family affair. The Benziger motto appears on the trellis when you first enter the property, “Education & Good Times.” Don’t be surprised if you meet a Benziger during your visit. They’re everywhere – in the vineyards, pouring wines and poring over paperwork. “We want them (visitors) to have a good time. We want them to have an experience,” says Kathy Benziger Threlkeld.
Just a few minutes away on Highway 12, another Benziger is distinguishing himself in wine country. Imagery Estate Winery highlights lesser-known grape varietals. “Most of them are unusual blends. I look for varietals that might be mainstreams in other countries,” says Joe Benziger. Artistic wine calls for equally artistic labels, so every year 25 to 30 artists are selected to design new labels for the latest batch of what Benziger’s sister Kathy calls “liquid art.” The result is the largest collection of wine label art in the world and much of it is on display in Imagery’s art gallery.
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