“The best impression a winemaker can leave on his wines is his footprints in the vineyard.”
VP, Brand Ambassador
Still in high school when the Benziger family moved from White Plains, Chris finished his senior year in wine country. He went on to earn a degree in marketing from the University of San Francisco while spending summers, weekends and every spare moment working at the winery. He officially joined the Benziger Family Winery in 1993. Chris oversees the home ranch and is dedicated to the thriving Biodynamic ecosystem of the estate: shepherding the Benziger flock of sheep, tending to the estate vegetable and fruit trees, and producing Biodynamic preparations for our vineyards. Chris feels that the only way to communicate the quality of the wines he promotes is by having the soil from the vineyard in which he’s endorsing under his nails. Chris also travels to major markets and promoting Benziger wines around the country.
Director of Winemaking
Lisa Amaroli began her journey in the wine industry in 1996 shortly after graduating from Sonoma State University with a degree in Biology and Chemistry. Residing and working in Europe for several years before college, Lisa gained a perspective into “living” with food and wine lifestyle and discovered her love for wine. Lisa was introduced to the wine business from the ground up, first working in the vineyards, then venturing into roles in the lab and operations before joining the team at Benziger Family Winery in 1999. Lisa is passionate about cultivating our Certified wines from our Biodynamic and Organic farmed properties. “I believe the wines are a reflection of the land and of the people who work so hard to bring the wine from grape to bottle and ultimately to the consumer.” When not making wine, Lisa is an avid horseback rider, traveler, and is forever looking for the perfect wine and food combination.
Vineyard Manager
Growing up on a family farm in Nebraska, Jarold (Jerry) Mackling is a natural fit as Vineyard Manager at Benziger Family Winery. Jerry moved to California in 1986, working his way to Vineyard Manager at Kunde Family Vineyards over the course of 31 years. Upon departure from Kunde, he took on the role of Viticulturist for Redwood Empire Vineyard Management overseeing multiple properties in the Russian River, Dry Creek, Chalk Hill and Alexander Valley AVAs. In February of 2019, Jerry started as Vineyard Manager at Benziger overseeing 9 vineyards throughout Sonoma County.