Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/391696
66 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014 Benziger Family Winery, Sonoma Just minutes from bucolic Sonoma town square, where geese squawk and children run free, Sonoma Mountain is home to several wineries, many of them so far off the beaten path that they remain under the radar. Not so with Benziger. Mike Benziger and his wife Mary purchased the bowl-shaped vineyard atop an extinct volcano caldera in the late 1970s with help from his parents, Bruno and Helen. Today, winemaker Mike and a dozen other family members own and operate this holistic mountaintop winery, which is today one of the only Demeter-certified Biodynamic vineyards in the country. Partner Chris Benziger says, "Every wine in our portfolio—from our Benziger Family line to the vineyard-designated Signaterra tier, from cool-climate de Coelo offerings to our prestige Tribute bottling—car - ries a third-party certification of green farming practices. Whether the vineyard is certified sustainable, organic or biodynamic, it's carefully tended with the most eco-responsible methods available." Chris believes that farming sustainably is the right thing to do from the perspective of being good stewards of the land, adding "We believe that farming naturally, with as little input as possible, allows the wines to express themselves in an authentic, distinctive way. In short, we think it's good for the land and it makes the best wines." He adds, "We believe the better our sustainability gets, the better wine quality the end user gets. Also, we hope our consumers feel good about supporting natural winegrowing and biodiversity—we know we do." PHOTO COURTESY OF ROCCAFIORE Cantina Roccafiore, Umbria The state-of-the-art winery at Roccafiore. PHOTO COURTESY OF BENZIGER FAMILY WINEY Benziger's certified-green mountaintop estate is in an extinct volcano caldera. More a resort and spa than a farmhouse, this agritu- rismo owned by Leonardo Baccarelli and his son Luca is located in the "green heart of Italy"—Umbria. Visitors enjoy luxurious accommodations in an old stone house and connecting country house, food and wine prepared from the organic farmland and vineyards, and even picnics and off-road safaris to take in the verdant Umbrian countryside and observe the estate's Cinta Senesi pigs. Winemaker Hartmann Dona works with indigenous varieties Grechetto di Todi, Trebbiano Spoletino, Sangiovese, Sagrantino and Montepulciano. Roccafiore also produces spicy, richly-hued extra virgin olive oil from Frantoio, Leccino and Moraiolo olives. The estate was an early adapter of solar panels in order to generate its own electric power, and uses lighter bottles, biofuels for tractors, and water saving methods. All wines are organic with EU Certification. Luca says, "We strongly believe that the organic agriculture is the best way to express the love for the land and for the territory where the wines come from. This means to be a modern player in the market, taking care of the environment and of the health of the consumers." The wines are certified by an Italian authority named Codex approved by the Ministry of Argriculture and Forestry. SUGGESTED WINES Cantina Roccafiore 2012 Fiorfiore, Umbria IGT ($18) Cantina Roccafiore 2011 IL Roccafiore, Umbria IGT ($16) Cantina Roccafiore 2011 Prova d'Autore, Umbria IGT ($24) TERRAVINO PARTNERS SUGGESTED WINES Benziger Estate 2013 Paradiso de Maria Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma Mountain ($35) de Coelo 2012 Quintus Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast ($75) de Coelo 2012 Terra Neuma Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast ($75)