Jason F.
Yelp
When driving into the grounds that make up Benessere Vineyards, there is a big red truck that greets visitors in their parking lot and there is nothing more down home country meets Italian elegance than the wines, grounds and tasting room that is Benessere Vineyards. Located just north of downtown St. Helena, Bennessere is a small but enterprising vineyard that specializes in small-lot Italian inspired wines that the Napa Valley is so famous for. The grounds here provide not only the perfect backdrop for visitors but the ideal locations and soil for growing classic Italian varietals such as Sangiovese and Sorrodenteo as well as other non-Italian varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Zinfandel. I came with a group of friends on a sunny Saturday afternoon and before we decided where we wanted to go wine tasting this day, we looked online and found out that Benessere was one of the more affordable places in the region for an estate wine tasting, on top of being of the few places in the region that still had reservations even with a couple days notice.
What caught my friend's eye when it came to booking a tasting for our group was their A Taste of Italy tasting that cost $35 a person. Technically it was for four pours, but we had got there so early that the tasting rooms associates as led by Ryan were generous with their pours as we received two extra pours that were not on their tasting menu. Benessere has managed to keep up with the times, no matter the situation thanks to their covering outdoor tasting area set on top of a gravelly area right in the center of their vineyards. The open-air covered portion is still there with a lot of casual patio seating and table seating, but now its more covered tent areas to give people more privacy and sense of security. Our first pour began with their 2019 Pinot Grigio, which technically wasn't on their Taste of Italy menu, but was a light and crisp way to start our afternoon with a refreshing preview of the wines that Benessere has to offer. Our tasting then continued with a pour of their 2017 Sorridente, which is the Italian word for "smile" and is their signature red blend that had an amazing bouquet upon our first pour. With a lush and rich lingering taste on the palate, this wine could have been my favorite pour of our afternoon. Then tasting room associate Ryan was generous enough to give us an extra pour in between our regular tasting. Their 2017 Sangiovese had a wonderful depth to its taste thanks to flavors of various berries and spices.
By this time, our party was intrigued by a food item on their menu at Benessere, their Sangiovese Chocolate Truffles which are actually made from their Sangiovese and paired so well with all of the remaining red wines we drank. Our fourth taste was their 2016 Phenomenon, which is known as their super Tuscan thanks to the expansive blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Syrah. Our fifth tasting was their wine known as John's Promise which tasted as if it was a fine dark chocolate that lingered on the palate and accentuated the chocolates we tried with each sip. Our sixth and final pour was their 2017 Aglianico, which is a dark-skinned Italian variety indigenous to the Campania region around Naples, and was a beautiful red wine with powerful aromas and flavors and significant tannin. For a little over forty dollars, we enjoyed six wines and two chocolate truffles each, which for Napa Valley is not a bad deal and all you can hope to experience. This hidden gem is tucked away far away in the upper echelon of wine country among more notable wineries that may have more buzz but do not have more enriching red blends. With the sole exception of their Pinot Noir, all of their grapes are grown here in the valley. Recently they lost over ninety percent of their vines due to smoke damage from the recent wildfires that ravaged the area. They regretfully couldn't do anything with an inferior product and I admire their dedication to quality wines because at Benessere Vineyards you are not going to get anything less with great homespun customer service and amazing Italian varietal blends this intimate winery deserves any wine lovers attention.