Press
31 Wines and Spirits to Get You Through the Holiday Season
Worth
To celebrate the final month of this dreary year, we should all drink wine…every day. Thirty-one days of wine. Benovia 2017 Sonoma Mountain Grenache. I have a soft spot for Benovia wines…
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Press Release
Benovia Winery and The Anderson Family Foundation Donate $10,000 To The Redwood Empire Food Bank
Benovia Winery and The Anderson Family Foundation Donate $10,000 To The Redwood Empire Food Bank A percentage of proceeds from the sale of Benovia’s Courageous Care Pinot Noir was donated to the food bank, and matched by The Anderson Family Foundation SANTA ROSA, Calif. (November 25, 2020) – At a critical time when demand has More
14 Superb California Zinfandels to Pair With Your Thanksgiving Feast
Robb Report
2017 Benovia Old Vine Zinfandel — This intense but bright Benovia Zin comes from their Cohn estate vineyard, planted in 1970 on a steep, rocky slope and dry-farmed. It offers concentrated aromas that evolve from spicy, dark berries with hints of dark chocolate and pepper into beautiful floral notes.
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One of Sonoma's oldest Pinot Noir vineyards has historic tie to S.F. Victorians
San Francisco Chronicle
The life of Enid Sales, a preservationist and all-around polymath, sounds almost too delightful to be true. The first woman in California to earn her general contractor’s license, Sales was best known for campaigning to save 350 of San Francisco’s old Victorians in the 1960s and ‘70s — and saving their residents from eviction. And quietly, in the background of all her flashier accomplishments, Sales, who died in 2008, also planted a Healdsburg vineyard that has proven to be a special and distinctive site for Pinot Noir.
That vineyard, known as the Cohn Vineyard, turns 50 this year, and its old grapevines have come to embody a similar sort of historic significance as the buildings that Sales worked her entire life to preserve.
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2017 Cohn Estate Pinot Noir
Wine Spectator
“Plush and well-spiced, with a creamy texture to the cherry compote and Christmas pudding flavors. Offers a ripe and juicy finish, featuring hints of dried meat. Drink now through 2023. 340 cases made.” — KM
Beets with Humboldt Fog and Marcona Almonds
The beet goes on and on in this bright vegetarian recipe inspired by the starter served at Walter Hansel Bistro in Santa Rosa, Calif. Naturally sweet beets are elevated with plump Spanish marcona almonds and tangy Humboldt Fog goat cheese, which begs for a remarkable wine like Benovia’s 2017 Cohn Estate Pinot Noir
Get the Recipe
Wine of the Day: Benovia “Courageous Care” Pinot Noir
RED WINE WITH BREAKFAST
In these unprecedented times, there are so many wineries stepping up to help those in need. Jumping into action Sonoma’s Benovia Winery honors those who are putting their lives on the line with Benovia’s “Courageous Care” Pinot Noir ($40).
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2020 Benovia Winery Holiday Gift Guide
It’s never too early to start your holiday gift shopping, especially to ensure they arrive in time. We have created many more gift packs and collections than ever before sure to meet the desires of friends, family and colleagues. With the crazy year we’ve all had to endure, who doesn’t deserve exceptional, award-winning wines to escort this year out the door in style toward better and brighter days? Take a sneak peek at our interactive PDF Gift Guide and enjoy!
TAKE A PEEK
It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhoods Seminar
Wine Business
It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhoods Seminar Presented by The Press Democrat — Taste of Sonoma at Home
September 18, 2020 4 p.m.
Guests can take a virtual tour through Russian River Valley neighborhoods and learn the key variations for each location and the role it plays in fine Pinot Noir. The audience can pull up a virtual chair to soak up the mouth-watering facts from esteemed winemakers on this virtual journey within Sonoma County. Reserve a virtual seat here: https://bit.ly/RRVNeighbor
Speakers are Jeff Stewart of Hartford Family Winery, Natalie Dale of Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Akiko Freeman of Freeman Vineyard and Winery and will be moderated by Mike Sullivan of Benovia Winery.
Read MoreBenovia Winery 15th Crystal Anniversary Virtual Party [VIDEO REPLAY]
Benovia Winery
A Scientific Case for ‘Fingerprinting’ Terroir in a California AVA
Wine Enthusiast
“As a group, we identified how much red fruit, spice, earth, floral notes we tasted, and homed in on key characteristics of each neighborhood,” says Mike Sullivan, co-owner and winemaker at Benovia Winery in the Russian River Valley, and current RRVWA president. The problem, he notes, is that sensory science is difficult without qualitative methodology.
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Benovia Winery introduces Courageous Care Pinot Noir
Shanken News Daily
Benovia Winery has introduced Courageous Care Pinot Noir, a new bottling that honors those fighting Covid-19 and will raise funds for groups like Feeding America and Direct Relief.
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D-Day Squadron leads July 4th Truckee-Tahoe Fly-Over
General Aviation News
In honor of our nation’s independence and frontline healthcare workers, D-Day Squadron aircraft flew over Truckee and Lake Tahoe in California on Saturday, July 4, 2020
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Healdsburg veteran celebrates 100th birthday with fly-overs, car parade
Press Democrat
Living amidst us are precious few 100-year-old veterans of World War II. There is only one Del Tiedeman. On hand to celebrate his birthday were Benovia Winery owner Joe Anderson and the chief pilot of his restored WWII DC-3, Jeff Coffman. On their bucket list is to get Tiedeman, who flew a similar plane in the war, into the co-pilot seat and up for a flight in “The Spirit of Benovia.”
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JCB LIVE Happy Hour: A Franco-American Celebration!
JCB Live!
May 8th our owner Joe Anderson will join Jean-Charles Boisset to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Victory Day that will include stories about Joe’s flight in the Spirit of Benovia DC-3 to Normandy last year to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of D-Day and our 2018 “Liberation” Pinot Noir — watch the show!
Watch Live
26 Stellar New Rosés to Welcome the Warmer Months
Robb Report
Today, dry rosé is an all-gender, warm-weather favorite the world over. That said, we can’t help but suggest that rosé would make the perfect wine for Mother’s Day this year. It’s not a matter of color (although there might be some lovely overlap with a few of the flowers on the table) so much as the palette (spelling intentional) of flavors and textures the wine paints with. Generally bright with red fruit, stone fruit, and citrus, and taut with vibrant acidity, rosé is the perfect foil for brunch (who doesn’t love a breakfast wine?). And we’re guessing that more Mother’s Day brunches than ever will be produced in home kitchens this year than in recent memory.
Read MoreThe Wine Show @ HOME with Joe Fattorini | Monday 4th May 2020
The Wine Show @Home
Art of the Blend Tasting Replay
Did you miss our virtual tasting on the Art of the Blend with Joe Anderson and Mike Sullivan discussing the Bella Una Pinot Noir and Liberation Pinot Noir? Rewatch now on our YouTube channel.
Watch Now
#WineWednesday: Wineries Get Creative During COVID-19 Pandemic
Texas Lifestyle Magazine
With virtual wine tastings, great deals on shipping, fundraising, and online cooking classes, wineries are providing a grape escape while we shelter in place. Here’s to sipping safe—the new normal, at least for a little while longer!
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10 Fresh California Rosé Wines to Drink Right Now
7x7.com
On a mission to identify the best rosés around that you’ve probably never heard of, I organized a socially distanced tasting with a few winemaker friends. We sipped through roughly 30 carefully selected rosés (a tough job, I know), narrowing them down to 10 favorites.
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Sonoma Coast Wineries Need Your Love Now More Than Ever
Food & Wine
As restaurants close and in-person tastings have been greatly diminished, this is a good time to support your favorite wineries by stocking up on their bottles. The pandemic is impacting businesses across the entire swath of the economy, and wine producers are no different.
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Wine Warriors
North Bay Biz
Silicon Valley Bank’s annual wine report is noted for giving an accurate picture of current trends, so when its State of the Wine Industry Report 2019 was unveiled in January last year, it included some unsettling news for vintners. After more than two decades of steady growth, sales had slowed significantly.
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10 Savory Sonoma Zinfandels at 90+ Points
Wine Spectator
Sonoma is home to many old-vine Zinfandel vineyards, with an impressive collection of century-old vineyards still producing superb wine. This week’s collection highlights several of the region’s Zinfandels, including a few old vine bottlings, and all scored at least 90 points on Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale.
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Press Release
Benovia Winery Tasting Room Temporarily Closed
Benovia has always been about family. When my wife, Mary, and I co-founded Benovia we created an extension of our family, along with our partner and winemaker, Mike Sullivan. Over the years we have genuinely enjoyed expanding our family to include the Benovians – our affectionate nickname for our devoted customers who join us often More
Hooray for Chardonnay: A Global Guide to the World’s Best Bottles
Wine Enthusiast
Additional names to look for include Ramey Wine Cellars, Kistler Vineyards, Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery, J. Rochioli Vineyards & Winery, Hanzell Vineyards, Donum, Wayfarer, Hartford Court, Benovia, LaRue and Arista. Single-vineyard designates from Hyde Estate Winery, Hudson Ranch or Ritchie Vineyard are also well worth seeking…
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Press Release
Coronavirus Preparedness at Benovia Winery
If you’re looking for a relaxing break, we welcome you to visit Benovia Winery. We recognize the impact and uncertainty that the coronavirus (COVID-19) is creating in our communities, and we want to reassure you that our number one priority at Benovia Winery is the health and safety of our employees, customers, and families. While More
Taking You Back in Time - Bringing D-Day 75th to Life
Aviators Hot Line
Help support a documentary film of the greatest generation, those who sacrificed for our freedoms we enjoy today…
How France influences California sparkling wines
Press Democrat
It’s not surprising that a French sensibility has been imported to Northern California, as there are more than a handful of sparkling wine houses with ties to a parent company in France…
Winemakers Keep It Real on Thanksgiving
Wine Spectator
Wines on this year’s holiday table will be an eclectic mix, just like the vintners who’ll open them…
RECIPE: Willi's Seafood Salt & Pepper Riblets with Benovia Zinfandel
Fall flies in with crisp air embracing harvest parties, tailgating and entertaining with rich, robust wines to match the season. For your next barbecue or fireside supper, serve tender glazed riblets (the secret is in the brining) courtesy of Willi’s Seafood in Healdsburg, Calif.
One Stop Shop for Entertaining
House & Home
Let Central Market Do the Cooking This Holiday Season — By Robin Barr Sussman
Congratulations to Central Market, an “amusement park for food lovers” that celebrated its 25th anniversary this fall… It’s that time of year when Central Market may become an essential part of your holiday shopping.
Press Release
Benovia Winery is Open
We are grateful for the outpouring of concern for Benovia Winery during the Kincade fire, as well as throughout the extended power outages throughout California. The calls and messages mean a great deal to all of us and our team here at the winery. There is good news to report, in that the firefighters are More
This week’s blind tasting: Chardonnay
Press Democrat
Benovia 2017 Three Sisters Fort Ross Seaview Chardonnay, 14.2%, $52. ★★★★: An elegant chardonnay with great complexity. Balanced with an underpinning of crisp acidity that keeps this chardonnay’s rich flavors in check. Aromas and flavors of crisp apple, melon, mineral and a hint of creme brulée. A bright, lingering finish. Gorgeous.
RECIPE: Stark Restaurant Group Tunisian Carrots with Benovia Sparkling Wine
Looking for a different holiday side dish? These beautiful whole roasted Tunisian carrots from Stark Restaurant Group are sweet with warm spices and jazzed with toasted pine nuts, mint, whole olives and feta. Think sweet potatoes but much more festive! For a Thanksgiving or Christmas pairing, break out the bubbles: Benovia’s creamy 2015 Blanc de Noir.
Highlights of 2019 Sonoma County Wine Auction
Press Democrat
The spiraling bids at last month’s Sonoma County Wine Auction raised a record-breaking $6.1 million in a single afternoon. To capture the color, here’s our list of highlights –– the memorable moments from the most sentimental, to the most historic, to the most delectable. For those who went to the auction and for the curious who didn’t, here are some snapshots.
RECIPE: Bird & the Bottle Watermelon Tomato Salad with Rosé of Pinot Noir
The summer isn’t over until we say it is! You can still enjoy rosé anytime and give this pairing a try from Bird & the Bottle
Six Latinx Experts Changing the Face of American Wine
Wine Enthusiast
The North American wine business has been indelibly shaped by global influences, much of it linked to the contribution of Latinx and Hispanic hands and minds, and our own Adolfo Hernandez, Associate Winemaker is highlighted!
Sonoma Wine Auction 2019 raises record breaking US$6.1 million
Decanter
Emotions ran high as 400 attendees bid big at the 2019 Sonoma County Wine Auction at La Crema Wine Estate at Saralee’s Vineyard in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Big thanks to Mark & Terri Stark who had the winning bid at $35,000 on the Benovia lot at the Sonoma County Wine Auction! They’re headed to New Orleans with The Spirit of Benovia!
Understanding Red Wine: How to Decide If Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir Is Your Preferred Style
Martha Stewart
Delicate and elegant or rich and robust, there’s a red wine out there for every lover of the glorious grape. Where to start? Try one of these four very different reds: cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, malbec, and syrah.
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Benovia on KSRO Radio
KSRO Radio
Mike Sullivan Co-owner and Winemaker and Ed Thralls, General Manager of Benovia Winery were LIVE on KSRO 1350/103.5 Sonoma County’s News Talk with Karissa Kruse and Sonoma County Winegrowers
Listen
National Wine & Cheese Day
NBC DFW
July 25 was National Wine and Cheese day and our good friend Hayley Hamilton recommend Benovia with Gruyere cheese… what is your favorite cheese pairing?
View
A Perfect Match: Lamb Loin with Pinot Noir
Wine Spectator
Fantastic recipe by our good friend, Chef Dustin Valette in Healdsburg. It pairs beautifully with our Tilton Hill Pinot Noir!
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The Vintage: Benovia’s D-Day Wine
Hemispheres Inflight Magazine
…California’s Benovia Winery is honoring the anniversary of D-Day with its own landing—and a commemorative beverage. Winery co-owner Joe Anderson, whose uncle flew B-29 bombers, is flying his 1942 C-53 troop carrier, The Spirit of Benovia, to Normandy…
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Winemaker Flies WW2 Plane from Sonoma to Normandy to Join D-Day Squad
Wine Spectator
Benovia’s Joe Anderson took to the skies in his 1942 C-53 Skytrooper to commemorate the 75th anniversary
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Sonoma County man flies over Normandy to commemorate 75th anniversary of D-Day
Press Democrat
It’s easy to get choked up imagining how Russian River vintner Joe Anderson felt to fly a World War II-vintage airplane over Normandy on Thursday, while everyone back home in Sonoma County slept.
It was still the wee hours in California when Anderson was scheduled to fly in formation with other modified Douglas DC-3 airliners only about 1,000 feet above the American cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach. The occasion: the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.
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The Sonoma Pinot Noir Maker That’s Taking a Chance with a New Bubbly
Robb Report
Benovia isn’t exactly a newbie with the bubbles, having made a Blanc de Blancs from the same vineyard in 2012. And as a producer, it’s far from alone on this front. Benovia winemaker and co-owner Mike Sullivan, who admits to being a lover of sparkling wine and Champagne, describes the trend: “I think there is a flourishing interest among small artisan producers in making a traditional méthode champenoise sparkling wine in Sonoma County…”
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Benovia Winery co-founder, pilot flying over Normandy to honor D-Day troops
Press Democrat
Taking part in the commemorative D-Day Squadron is an airplane owned by the Russian River’s Benovia Winery. Benovia co-founder Joe Anderson and chief pilot Jeff Coffman are bound for Europe in The Spirit of Benovia, a DC-3 that did not participate in the D-Day invasion but aided the fight against Japan by flying treacherous supply missions over the Himalayas.
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‘You Need a Lot of Muscle Power to Control This!’
Iceland Monitor
Long lines formed when five DC-3 aircraft were on display at Reykjavík Airport last night. Guests were invited to view two of them from the inside. The planes, part of a mission called D-Day Squadron, are some of the 15 DC-3 aircraft flying from Oxford, Connecticut, to Normandy, France, where they will take part in a ceremony June 6th, commemorating the Allied invasion of Normandy 75 years ago.
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Online Winemaker Tasting Videos
Can’t visit the tasting room? Watch Mike Sullivan, our co-owner & winemaker offer his tasting notes for this Spring’s Release wines
Watch NowSpirit of Benovia Flies for 75th D-Day Commemoration [Video]
Benovia Winery
Sparkling Sonoma - Valette Seafood Recipe & Benovia 2015 Sparkling Wine
Wine Enthusiast
“Local bubbly inspires California chefs to create lavish seafood-centric dishes… We asked three of Sonoma County’s most talented chefs to share a dish alongside one of their favorite sparkling selections from the region.”
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Never Before, Never Again Wine Lots Featured at Sonoma County Barrel Auction
KRON 4 NEWS
“We think that wines from Sonoma County are world class because of our diverse climate and unique soils, said Mike Sullivan, Benovia Winery Co-owner and Winemaker. “We can grow almost any grape varietal in Sonoma County and make world-class wine from them.
Read More94+
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2016 Martaella Estate Pinot Noir
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Pinot Noir Martaella Vineyard is medium to deep ruby-purple in the glass, giving aromas of warm red and black cherries, red licorice, peppery spice, savory accents and a vein of sweet spice. Medium to full-bodied, silky, layered and concentrated, it has wonderfully grainy tannins and juicy acidity, finishing very long and packed with flavor. 449 cases produced.
Buy Now93+
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2016 Tilton Hill Estate Pinot Noir
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep ruby-purple, the 2016 Pinot Noir Tilton Hill has an intense, savory nose with aromas of cracked black pepper, smoked meats, baked black cherries and berries with herbs suggestions. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and dense in the mouth, it has fine, grainy supporting tannins and lovely refreshing acidity to lift up the flavor on the very long finish. 300 cases produced.
Buy Now92+
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2016 La Pommeraie Pinot Noir
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The deep ruby-purple colored 2016 Pinot Noir La Pommeraie has a concentrated nose of warm blackberry and black cherry with blue fruit preserves and notes of wet earth, cassis, sweet spice and savory hints. Medium to full-bodied, it offers dense fruit in the mouth with grainy supporting tannins and mouthwatering acidity, finishing very long. 392 cases produced.
Buy Now92+
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2016 La Pommeraie Chardonnay
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Chardonnay La Pommeraie opens with notes of hazelnut, toast, sweet spice and smoke over a core of baked yellow apples, croissant, lemon cream and stone. Medium to full-bodied with a creamy texture, it offers good concentration of ripe fruits with savory, toasty and creamy layers, lingering long on the finish. 304 cases produced.
Buy Now94
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2015 Blanc de Noir Sparkling Wine
Wine Enthusiast
Dry and quietly fruity, this new offering from the producer combines half estate-grown Chardonnay and half estate-grown Pinot Noir into a rich, creamy whole that’s brimming in red apple, tangerine and brioche. Velvety in texture, it offers plenty of robust body around a structure of balanced acidity and lasting mousse. —V.B.
Buy Now91
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2016 Sonoma County Zinfandel
Wine Spectator
Polished and precise, with an elegantly briary core showing raspberry, roasted sage and bold black pepper notes. Drink now through 2024. T.F.
Buy Now
Your Rosé May Be Late this Year: Wine and the Government Shutdown
Wine Spectator
The battle in Washington is inflicting headaches and possible financial pain on wineries and importers…
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Richard Petty Mustang auctioned to benefit Barrow
AZ Big Media
An exclusive 2015 Ford Petty’s Garage Stage 2 Mustang GT will be auctioned off during the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction, with 100 percent of the hammer price benefiting patient care and research at Barrow Neurological Institute. The custom Mustang GT has been signed and designed by Richard Petty. The car was donated to Barrow Neurological Foundation by Joe Anderson, chairman of Benovia Winery.
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A new airshow takes off
General Aviation News
On the central coast of California, north of Santa Barbara, lies the city of Santa Maria. While residents are accustomed to the occasional rocket launches from neighboring Vandenberg Air Force Base, they were clearly pleased for the launch of a new local airshow.
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2015 Sonoma Mountain Grenache
Wine Enthusiast
This is a classic version of the variety, the grapes grown at the Four Brothers Vineyard (wine- maker Mike Sullivan is among the brothers). Smoky tar, oak and tannin grip a softly layered, structured mingling of lavender, white pepper, strawberry and leather.
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Working in a Crowded Market? Here's How to Stand Out and Improve Profit Margins
Inc. Magazine
Simple, right? Yet that’s so much easier said than done, particularly when the highest margin opportunities in your industry are also hidden behind barriers of rigid and complex regulatory systems.
Read More91
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2016 Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Wine Spectator
A creamy and plush white, with well-structured flavors of apple pastry, pear and ripe melon that are lathered in plenty of spice. The buttery finish is broad and rich-tasting. Drink now through 2021.
Read More92
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2015 Sonoma County Zinfandel
Wine Enthusiast
Generously rich and layered, this wine is also lovely in aromas of rose petal and lavender, its texture soft and supple. Dark cherry and red licorice give it fruity savory flavor around a full-bodied ripeness that will please a broad array of palates.
Read More90
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2016 Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Wine Enthusiast
From the producer’s Martaella Estate vineyard, planted to heirloom clones, this is a lovely white, buttery in texture with a crisp backbone that balances the lushness on the palate with freshness. Green apple, blood orange and toasted oak mingle effortlessly and with a touch of spice.
Read More93
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2016 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Wine Enthusiast
From several of the producer’s estate sites, as well as the Zio Tony Ranch farmed by the Martinelli family, this wine exudes rich, velvety blue and black fruit flavors within a context of firm tannins and integrated oak. Dots of white pepper and cardamom complete the complex experience.
Read More93
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2016 Three Sisters Chardonnay
Wine Enthusiast
This is made from the spectacular coastal vineyard farmed by the Martinelli family, showing the cool-climate grip of tart, tangy acidity. Flavors of apple blossom and Meyer lemon custard give it an unctuous quality that’s hard to resist.
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Press Release
Benovia’s Mike Sullivan Named Winery Co-Owner & Winemaker of the Year
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (November 21, 2018) – Benovia Winery, a small production, family-owned winery in the heart of the Russian River Valley, is pleased to announce the North Bay Business Journal, which covers the wine industry extensively, named Mike Sullivan Co-Owner & Winemaker of the Year as part of the publication’s 6th Annual Wine Industry More
Good wine makes the perfect diversion when dinner conversation turns tense
The Press Democrat
Wine as a peacekeeper? If you have some interesting choices on the table, it can make a great way to steer the conversation into less heated, but engaging territory.
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Pair These Wines With Your Turkey This Thanksgiving
D Magazine
Thanksgiving is days away, and as you plan your Thursday feast, you should also consider these wine pairing tips. Red, white, and rosé are all appropriate with the meal, keeping these points in mind…
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First Glass: Mike Sullivan
North Bay Biz
This is the question NorthBay biz posed to some notable winemakers in Sonoma and Napa counties. Here, they candidly share the intimate details of that first glass of wine that captivated them, revealing their passions and personalities.
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Visit and Taste! New Sips Across Napa and Sonoma Valleys
Napa Sonoma Magazine
Benovia’s tasting room, housed on a working ranch, was recently refreshed with floor-to-ceiling windows, rustic wood floors, and a refinished fireplace…
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A New Pinot Noir Honors D-Day Liberators
Robb Report
Sonoma’s Benovia Winery will join airborne forces to commemorate the invasion’s anniversary next year.
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Sonoma Stories: On D-Day, a vintner and student of history will fly over the beaches of Normandy
The Press Democrat
Anderson, chairman of the Russian River Valley’s Benovia Winery, will hopscotch from the U.S. to France in his storied, two-engine, World War II-era C-53 Skytrooper transport plane.
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Wine Expert Mark Oldman’s Perfect Pairings for Sunday Concerts at the Tent
Aspen Sojourner
What to sip as you listen to the symphony from the lawn outside the Benedict Music Tent? For input, we turned to wine expert Mark Oldman, one of the most entertaining presenters at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen going on 13 years… What to drink while you’re listening to Beethoven, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, and more.
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Sonoma Does Tasting Rooms Right
Robb Report
A slow, quiet evolution has transformed Sonoma’s wineries into the best places to taste this summer.
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Rave Review of Benovia 2015 Three Sisters Chardonnay
Wine Enthusiast
“The combination of climate, elevation and soil type-there’s lots of shale at Three Sisters-is distinctive in Sonoma County. It produces Chardonnay fruit with high natural acidity…”
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Wine Enthusiast Reviews Benovia's 2015 Estate and Single Vineyard Wines
97 points – 2015 La Pommeraie Chardonnay
95 points – 2015 Tilton Hill Estate Pinot Noir
95 points – 2015 La Pommeraie Pinot Noir
93 points – 2015 Martaella Estate Pinot Noir
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate Reviews Benovia's 2015 Vintage
95+ points – 2015 Three Sisters Chardonnay (sold out)
93+ points – 2015 Tilton Hill Estate Pinot Noir
93 points – 2015 La Pommeraie Chardonnay
91+ points – 2015 Cohn Estate Pinot Noir
91 points – 2015 Martaella Estate Pinot Noir
91 points – 2015 La Pommeraie Pinot Noir
91 points – 2015 Russian River Valley Chardonnay
90 points – 2015 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Sonoma County wine auction raises over $840,000, up 6%
Press Democrat
…the highest bid went to one of the special fire-relief lots, a pinot noir collaboration called “Resilience” from AldenAlli, Arista Winery, Benovia Winery and Williams Selyem. The 20-case lot featured grapes picked from the Sonoma Coast and the Russian River Valley and sold for $70,000, equaling $291 per bottle.
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Adventurous Women Over 50 - Mary Dewane
GoodHousekeeping
The Outdoor Adventurer
Mary Dewane, 66, co-founder of Benovia Winery, avid skier, diver, triathlete, and cyclist.
“I would encourage all women to find their passion, pursue it, and stick with it. For me, physical activity and outdoor sports have been important. It is who I am and how I feel about myself, and it has helped me with confidence and control in other aspects of my life. I love that at this age, I can introduce skiing, kayaking, and diving to my grandchildren!”
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Wine Spectator Reviews Benovia's 2015 Vintage
92 Points – 2015 Martaella Estate Pinot Noir
92 Points – 2015 Tilton Hill Estate Pinot Noir
92 Points – 2015 Sonoma County Zinfandel
91 Points – 2015 La Pommeraie Pinot Noir
91 Points – 2015 La Pommeraie Chardonnay
Buy Now
Benovia's 2018 Spring Release is Now Available
We are excited to announce Benovia’s 2018 Spring Release! We welcome back a few of our summertime favorites that were of extremely limited supply in the previous vintage along with the exceptional and very ageable 2015 Cohn Estate Pinot Noir.
Buy Now
Recipe: Benovia Winemaker Mike Sullivan’s Cassoulet
Cowboys & Indians Magazine
…sense of home comes through in every morsel and slurp of Sullivan’s warm and homey cassoulet recipe pairing perfectly with a nice pinot noir.
Read MoreTaste This: Wine Barrels...Why do they matter?
Wine barrels are usually made of oak but what kind of oak? Did you know that wine barrels are often toasted? Leslie Sbrocco, host of Taste This, visits winemaker & co-owner Mike Sullivan of Benovia Winery in Santa Rosa, to get to the bottom of…the barrel.
Pruning Season in the Russian River Valley
Travel Bites, Flights and Sights
To deeply appreciate the wine, understanding what it takes to get the juice into the glass is integral. That’s why last weekend’s vine pruning seminar at Benovia Winery was both fascinating and educational.
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Now Showing in Sonoma
Performances Magazine: The Wallis
Sonoma county may be known for its wineries, rugged Pacific coastline and redwood forests, but in March, film buffs have four more reasons to visit
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After the October wildfires, California Wine Country is ready to pop some corks
The Washington Post
At Benovia Winery, Matt drove down a gravely lane that cut through the vineyard like a middle hair part. On an outdoor terrace, a quartet of women sipped wine, clearly relishing their time away from their dependents. Mike Sullivan, co-owner and winemaker at Benovia, joined us inside a baronial room that, if it could talk, would sound like Ian McKellen.
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Press Release
Benovia Winery Announces New Leadership Structure with Ed Thralls as General Manager and Co-Founder Mary Dewane as Vice Chairman
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (February 15, 2018) – Benovia Winery, a small production, family-owned winery in the heart of the Russian River Valley, is pleased to announce new leadership with Ed Thralls promoted to general manager and Co-Founder Mary Dewane stepping into the new role of vice chairman. “I am excited about Benovia’s leadership team and More
Cultural and Culinary Theme Cruises for 2018-19
Travel Pulse
Wine connoisseurs will want to take note that Benovia Winery Proprietors Joe Anderson and Mary Dewane and Wine Educator Peg Melnik will be hosting an AmaWaterways river cruise.
Read MoreSouthwest Florida Wine & Food Fest: Raise a toast
News-Press
Here’s a toast to the Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest’s 10th anniversary. Nine years and $18.7 million later, the largest fundraising event for the nonprofit SWFL Children’s Charities has consistently ranked as one of the top-grossing wine fests in the country.
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points
Benovia 2015 La Pommeraie Chardonnay
Wine Spectator
Offers lots of rich fig, melon, apple and citrus flavors without being weighty. Gains complexity and depth, becoming more charming and elegant.
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2018 Naples Winter Wine Festival: How much did each auction lot go for?
Naples Daily News
Hundreds came out to the Naples Winter Wine Festival to raise money for the Naples Children & Education Foundation on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018. Since the auction and festival began in 2001, the festival has raised more than $161 million for children.
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Prince of Pinot 2017 Wineries of the Year
PinotFile
Benovia Winery and Kutch Wines are this year’s California “Wineries of the Year.” The two wineries present quite a contrast. Benovia has a more glamorous winemaking facility and hospitality center in Santa Rosa…
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50 Best Wines of 2017
VinePair
#35 Benovia 2014 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
You’ll quickly fall in love with this featherweight, transparent ruby-hued wine. It is incredibly floral and delicate, with bright red cherry and barely-there tannins.
98
points
Benovia 2015 La Pommeraie Pinot Noir
PinotFile
Highly nuanced perfume… focused and adroit with a dreamy velvety texture… proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove.
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points
Benovia 2015 Tilton Hill Estate Pinot Noir
PinotFile
Deep, dark garnet color in the glass. The nose opens beautifully over time in the glass, revealing hi-tone aromas of black raspberry, spice box, underbrush and warm brioche. Lush and concentrated, with vigorous fruit flavors of blackberry, black raspberry and ollaliberry.
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points
Benovia 2015 Martaella Estate Pinot Noir
PinotFile
Moderately dark garnet color in the glass. More forward drinking, with lifted aromas of black cherry, black raspberry, cola, spice and wilted rose. Delicious core of black fruits framed by discreet tannins. Very polished and fresh in character, with an extremely long and fruited finish.
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points
Benovia 2015 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
PinotFile
Moderately dark garnet color in the glass. Those nose opens in stages over time in the glass to a wondrous perfume of dark cherry and berry and spice. Quite dark fruited on the palate in a mid weight plus style of great concentration accented with a note of Asian 5-spice.
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Sonoma County’s Culture of Caring
Wine Enthusiast
After the Northern California wildfires, one Sonoma local spotlights the wineries and businesses in her county that are giving back to the community.
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points
Benovia 2015 Three Sisters Chardonnay
Wine Enthusiast
With a persistence of lightly-toasted oak, this youthful wine offers intense luxury. A gritty, stony texture complements its delicious aspects of lemon rind and anise. Green apple, ocean spray and an underlying streak of dried herb provide additional complexity and length. –Virginie Boone
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points
Benovia 2014 Bella Una Pinot Noir
Wine Enthusiast
Thickly concentrated at first, this wine settles in the glass to share a wealth of juicy black-cherry flavor that’s impressively accented in black tea and cola spice. Medium bodied, it feels sublime on the palate and holds its ripeness in check, allowing a simmering acidity to speak. –Virginie Boone
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points
Benovia 2015 Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Wine Enthusiast
Floral, with a beautiful oak imprint, this wine is deep gold in color and sharply satisfying in complex layers of tangerine and grapefruit. Medium bodied and well integrated, it impresses from start to finish, ending in a bite of crunchy green apple dipped in honey. –Virginie Boone
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points
Benovia 2015 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Wine Enthusiast
Vibrant on the nose and expertly put together, this is a well-made appellation wine, expansive in dark cherry, pomegranate and plum. Generous in oak and tannin in its youth, it shows a full-bodied finish that settles smoothly into velvety waves of cardamom and rose. –Virginie Boone
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points
Benovia 2012 Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine
Wine Enthusiast
Made entirely from Chardonnay, this is a bright sparkling wine, bubbling in acidity and dry, leavened layers of apple and pear. A creaminess of vanilla balances the crispness, making for a successful small-production sparkler. –Virginie Boone
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Robb Report: Benovia Winery
Robb Report
Located right in Sonoma’s Santa Rosa, which took much of the hit from the fires, Benovia is waiving tasting fees and donating $50 per tasting appointment to three funds.
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North Bay fire fundraiser Rise Up Sonoma draws hundreds for fine food and wine
Press Democrat
More than 600 attended the event at Sonoma Country Day School, which featured 60 of San Francisco and Sonoma County’s finest chefs and restaurants, and 40 local wineries.
Read MoreGo Winery-Hopping for a Great Cause
VisitCalifornia.com
These California wineries are donating tasting room sales to fire relief.
Read MoreSonoma After the Fires: What’s Damaged, What’s Not (And Deals)
Shermans Travel
Despite these terrifying figures, most of Northern California’s wine country was unscathed. Only a few businesses suffered significant damage and most vineyards were untouched—in fact, the vines actually stopped the flames.
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Don’t Cancel Your Wine Country Travel Plans
Travel+Leisure
What many people may not know, however, is that the fires are effectively extinguished, and now is actually a great time to visit the region.
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Northern California's wine country needs you to visit
CNN Travel
The fall harvest season is traditionally a busy time of year for Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties, whose economies depend on visitors tasting their wine, booking their hotels and dining in their restaurants.
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What to Drink Now: California Pinot Noir
D Magazine
Elegance and harmony shine in each of the Pinot Noir wines produced by Benovia, particularly their raspberry and cherry filled Martaella Vineyard Pinot Noir…
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Recipe: Blackberry-Glazed Liberty Duck
Cowboys & Indians
Dazzle guests with this inviting, warming entrée from Valette restaurant and Mary Dewane’s Cohn Estate Vineyard Blackberry Jam.
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French fry bar?! Three wineries with great food
The Mercury News
Like wine tasting? Of course you do. But admit it: The experience is so much better when the tasting room offers really good food to soak up all those tannins. Here are three we’re loving in Napa and Sonoma:
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Benovia: A Passion for Wine
Drink Me
Some stories have mini stories that need to be mentioned while the main one is told, the story of the Benovia Vineyard is one of those stories.
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Everything you wanted to know about the Sonoma wine auction and its Dallas connections
Dallas News
…for Texans who want to try out an auction full of wine, beautiful scenery (and weather) and not a drop of pretentiousness, the Sonoma County Wine Auction is a great start.
Read MoreCNBC's Power Lunch - Healthcare and Wine
CNBC
Joe Anderson, Benovia Winery CEO and former CEO of Schaller Anderson, weighs in on the future of health care and how he’s transitioned into the business of wine.
25 Wines for the Second Half of Summer
The Daily Meal
Sauvignon blancs in profusion, some well-priced Chablis, a rosé, and a few good reds
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Uncork these and make splash with the neighbors
The Press Democrat
When you live in Wine Country, the idiom “Keeping up with the Joneses” takes on new meaning. Impressive wines are the rage.
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Excellent Values from Recent Tastings
The Press Democrat
Benovia Pinot Noir Tilton Hill Vineyard Sonoma Coast 2014 —Perched on a ridge just a few miles from the ocean, this is Benovia’s coolest vineyard. Delicious, wild strawberry and raspberry flavors.
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How much for This Jeroboam? For this Famous Chef? Food Festivals Lure the Wealthy
New York Times
And then, pointing to his left on the dais, eliciting admiring pants from the hundreds in attendance, he indicated an example of the rarest: an 18-liter bottle, a 2014 pinot noir from Benovia Winery in California. A Melchior, it contained $1,920 worth of wine.
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25 New Chardonnays, Sauvignon Blancs, and Other Good Things
The Daily Meal
Here are some of the better new ones, along with a few other white wines worth considering and eight recently released reds.
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What Makes Some Wine So Expensive
Food & Wine
During his Wines for Zillionaires Seminar at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Mark Oldman let us in on what can make a bottle so pricey.
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Alec Baldwin Does Good, Drinks Well at LymeAid
Wine Spectator
Not one to shy away from a wine-soaked soirée, Alec Baldwin was a model master of ceremonies, keeping the crowd laughing, but also talking about his personal experience with the disease.
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The yellow, er, pink rosé of Texas: Chronicle tasting panel's recommendations
Houston Chronicle
Our tasters gave it a unanimous recommendation with a high score of 9.4. “Well-balanced with soft tannins.” My score: 9.1. “Complex, layered wine. Elegant.”
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Press Release
Benovia Winery Co-Founder and Owner Mary Dewane Named General Manager
Benovia Winery, is pleased to announce that winery co-founder and owner Mary Dewane has been appointed general manager. Dewane co-founded the small production, family-owned winery in the heart of the Russian River Valley with her husband, Joe Anderson, in 2005. Benovia is best-known for its expressive, estate-produced Pinot Noir and bright, complex Chardonnay.
Press Release
Benovia’s Joe Anderson, Mary Dewane win Wine Industry Award for winery ownership
Benovia Winery owners Joe Anderson and Mary Dewane were power players in health care before diving into wine in 2002. The couple talked with the Business Journal about how a harvest peddle through Wine Country has led to a decade so far of peddling prized pinot noir and chardonnay wine and building a bounty of contributions to Sonoma County charities.
