Bennett Valley Cellars began its journey from dream to reality some 60 years ago in the vineyards of the Veneto region in Italy.  Young Emilio Zanin eagerly worked in his grandfather’s vineyard before and after school, where he learned to love the hard work and passion necessary to make wine.  Having achieved the American dream after immigrating to the United States in 1969, Emilio and his family have now realized their life-long ambition of having their own vineyards from which to produce premium wine.

 

            Nestled in the pristine Bennett Valley AVA , Bennett Valley Cellars farms 40 acres of Estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  Our well-drained alluvial volcanic soils and fog-cooled climate combine to create an ideal growing environment for producing world class wines.  The end result is wine with flavors and aromatic characteristics unique to this beautiful valley.

 

          Most of our Estate grapes are grown on our Simpatico Ranch Vineyard.  In  Italian, “Simpatico” means “Likeable,” “Compatible,” and “Congenial.” We find this a fitting description of the birthplace of our wine and our winemaking approach. We think our wines pair best with family and cherished friends.

 

          While we are serious about making premium wine, we don’t take ourselves too seriously- wine is a celebration and should be enjoyed in a non-complicated way. We believe that making wine requires profound respect for the entire process- from vineyard to bottle.

 

          Our winemaker, Toni Stockhausen, says, ““Like many winemakers, I believe that great wine is made in the vineyard. The moment the grapes are harvested, the flavor compounds and aromatic esters are established. My role as winemaker is to pay attention to the      details- enhancing the fruit characters and hand-crafting the wines   specifically to achieve quality flavors, aroma and mouthfeel.  Part of the pleasure of enjoying wine is the taste of each unique vintage and the flavor profile which prevails in each particular growing season.”