David Bennion
Encyclopedia
Dave Bennion was a California winery owner. From an early period, Bennion labeled Ridge Vineyards
wines by vineyard, district, appellation and varietal rather than generically. This is now the standard for New World cabernet sauvignon wines from Argentina, Australia, California, Chile, New Zealand.
Bennion started as a Stanford Research Institute (SRI) engineer who became the first winemaker of Ridge Vineyards, Cupertino, California with his Ridge co-founders, Hewitt Crane
, Charles Rosen
and Howard Zeidler.
Bennion made several contributions. ‘He was the first winemaker at Ridge Vineyards, making the first 1962 Montebello Cabernet Sauvignon. He made the first Ridge zinfandel in 1964, from a small nineteenth-century vineyard on the nearby Picchetti ranch. This was followed in 1966 by the first Geyserville zinfandel’, according to San Jose Mercury News. By making single-vineyard Zinfandels—Sonoma, Santa Cruz, Lodi, Paso Robles—he showed that zinfnadel can express terroir
. In 1967 Dave Bennion left SRI, completely, to become the first president and winemaker of Ridge. Bennion was replaced by Paul Draper as winemaker in the 1970s and as president of Ridge in the 1980s. Bennion later died in an automobile accident on the Golden Gate Bridge. In 1976 a Napa winery would win, but Ridge placed fifth, at the Judgment of Paris cabernet sauvignon wine tasting.,
Ridge Vineyards
Ridge Vineyards is a California winery specializing in premium Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay wines. Ridge produces wine at two winery locations in northern California...
wines by vineyard, district, appellation and varietal rather than generically. This is now the standard for New World cabernet sauvignon wines from Argentina, Australia, California, Chile, New Zealand.
Bennion started as a Stanford Research Institute (SRI) engineer who became the first winemaker of Ridge Vineyards, Cupertino, California with his Ridge co-founders, Hewitt Crane
Hewitt Crane
Hewitt D. Crane was an American engineer best known for his pioneering work at SRI International on ERMA , for Bank of America, magnetic digital logic, neuristor logic, the development of an eye-movement tracking device, and a pen-input device for computers.-Early life and career:Crane was born in...
, Charles Rosen
Charles Rosen (scientist)
Charles Rosen was a pioneer in artificial intelligence and founder of SRI International's Artificial Intelligence Center...
and Howard Zeidler.
Bennion made several contributions. ‘He was the first winemaker at Ridge Vineyards, making the first 1962 Montebello Cabernet Sauvignon. He made the first Ridge zinfandel in 1964, from a small nineteenth-century vineyard on the nearby Picchetti ranch. This was followed in 1966 by the first Geyserville zinfandel’, according to San Jose Mercury News. By making single-vineyard Zinfandels—Sonoma, Santa Cruz, Lodi, Paso Robles—he showed that zinfnadel can express terroir
Terroir
Terroir comes from the word terre "land". It was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties...
. In 1967 Dave Bennion left SRI, completely, to become the first president and winemaker of Ridge. Bennion was replaced by Paul Draper as winemaker in the 1970s and as president of Ridge in the 1980s. Bennion later died in an automobile accident on the Golden Gate Bridge. In 1976 a Napa winery would win, but Ridge placed fifth, at the Judgment of Paris cabernet sauvignon wine tasting.,