2007-05-18
Tasting Room of the Week:
by Charles Neave
Just north of the town of St. Helena in the northern half of the Napa Valley sits a family winery with a contemporary rebirth but roots – literally – in the history of this famous winemaking region. Today, this bit of history is entered by a drive along an oak-lined lane and then though a white gate and past a meandering rock wall that leads you to a red brick road that ends at the Benessere Vineyards winery.
When Chicagoans John and Ellen Benish purchased this 42-acre piece of land about 13 years ago, an old winery and a vineyard in desperate need of replanting were part of the package. Their idea, like so many others who set out to follow the dream of being winemakers, was to make a bit of premium wine and that was it. Today, however, that land where the Wappo Indians once produced arrowheads and tools, and where dairy cattle and then horses once wandered, includes a modern winemaking facility complete with tasting room, a vineyard planted primarily to Sangiovese, and the Benish home.
Part of the decision to plant Sangiovese was a stated desire to get people to try a varietal other than Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. It also acknowledges and celebrates the Napa Valley’s rich Italian heritage. And quite fortuitously, it was discovered that this particular vineyard was perfect for planting Sangiovese.
Today, Benessere’s vineyards are planted to not just Sangiovese, but to Zinfandel and Merlot as well, with a little Muscat di Canelli and Syrah for fun (the former) and blending (the latter). The soil allows for good drainage and the climate is very similar to that in Tuscany, the historic cradle of world-class Sangiovese.
The winery’s list of current releases runs to a dozen offerings, and no where is there a better spot to sample them than at the winery. A beautiful oasis set back from the road, they pour four wines a day (more if you smile nicely) and are more than happy to talk about the wines and the winery for as long as you would like. All of the wines reflect the heritage and tradition that Benessere aspires to provide, while they continue, year after year, to produce small production lots of the finest wine possible.
As you sit at this spot at the end of the road, glass of Sangiovese (or Merlot, or Zinfandel, or one of their fascinating, “can’t-quite-put-a-finger-on-it” blends) in hand, you take the time to look around. You smell rosemary and roses, sit in periwinkle bistro chairs beneath a pergola and look out at the Mayacamas Mountains. Inside you have already met Stormy, a gorgeous 160 pound Newfoundland. She lies on an Italian stone floor in a cozy tasting room that has French doors opening into the working part of the winery. You reflect on the fact that this is a way of life you could very easily get used to. Which is what one certain couple from Chicago set out to achieve from the very beginning.
To learn more about the winery and to try the wines of Benessere Vineyards, their tasting room is open by appointment every day from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. It is located at 1010 Big Tree Road (off of Route 29) in
St. Helena. For more information, for directions or to make an appointment, give them a call at (707) 963-5853 or go to their website, www.benesserevineyards.com.
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