●  Family Winemaking
●  Winemakers
●  Family Bios
●  Growers
●  Affiliations

FAMILY WINEMAKING
WINEMAKERS

At Benziger Family Winery, the winemaking philosophy is one of respect for the vineyard and minimal intervention with the wine. While less intervention would suggest less attention, in fact, it requires more. Our winemaking team brings an extraordinary depth and breadth of experience and artistry. And, much like our wines, the diversity of their individual attributes makes for a very successful blend.

Mike Benziger
Winegrower, General Manager and Tribute Winemaker

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

"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 Beltramos. 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."

Inspired by this deep and enduring reverence for the land, Winemaker Mike Benziger crafts his newly released Tribute from Biodynamic grapes nurtured in his family's Sonoma Mountain estate vineyards. His goal is a wine made from classic Bordeaux varieties that reveals a profound sense of place and the passion of the winegrowing team.

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Rodrigo Soto
Benziger Winemaker

Benziger Family Winery recently welcomed Rodrigo Soto as our new director of winemaking. Soto, whose international winegrowing experience includes work with Biodynamic® and organic wineries, has been hired to take the winemaking lead on our certified sustainability program called Farming for Flavors™.

“For me, Farming for Flavors is an alignment of our growers with the philosophy of Benziger Family Winery,” says Soto. “The program is the creation of both a system of communication and farming that understands the benefits of doing the right things, not only for the environment, but also for the taste and quality of the wine.”

Before joining the Benziger team, Soto worked as the principal winemaker and project manager for Matetic Vineyards in his native Chile. His responsibilities included the development and implementation of organic and Biodynamic farming, as well as leading the San Antonio Valley-based winery’s terroir project for the cultivation of Pinot Noir, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc.

Soto’s experience also includes winemaking in New Zealand and California, where he worked as assistant winemaker for Ceago Vinegarden and at Fetzer Vineyards as an assistant winemaker and viticulturalist. “International work opens your mind,” explains Soto. “It has taught me not to make comparisons between wines from different parts of the world, but rather to interpret each site independently and allow the personality of the fruit and the place to present itself in the wine.”

“We feel very fortunate that Rodrigo has joined our winemaking team,” says Mike Benziger. “He shares my family’s passion for the land and for wines that authentically express the uniqueness of each vineyard. The sensitivity, thoughtfulness and expertise he brings to the table—both from a viticulture and enology perspective—will be invaluable in reaching our goals with Farming for Flavors and as we continue to enhance the aromas, flavors and character in Benziger wines.”

As Soto prepares for his first harvest with Benziger, he will begin blending the 2005 vintage of reds, all the while immersing himself in the soil, plants and people of Benziger Family Winery. “My goal is to spend as much time as possible with the growers in the vineyards,” he notes. “The lifecycle is fascinating to observe and as a winemaker, it gives you a special connection to the vineyard and an appreciation for its individuality. There is so much to learn from the soil and the vines, with the hope of first understanding, and then interpreting each site into a wine with a true and distinct identity.”

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Support Team

• Mark Burningham, Vice President of Production
• Rodrigo Soto, Director of Winemaking
• Mike Benziger, Executive Winemaker
• Joe Benziger, Winemaker
• Lisa Amaroli, Associate Winemaker
• Karen Ernsberger, Port Specialist
• Andrea Card, Lab Manager/Enologist
• Jared Souza, Cellar Supervisor
• Jenny Shone, Administration