Matt Reid

Winemaker, Benessere Vineyards, Plotline Wine

Making wine is a joy. I was slow to choose a career path because my interests are so diverse. Winemaking allows me to synthesize botany, ecology, fermentation, nature, and art. What could be better?

Napa Valley winemakers are particularly lucky in the grape varieties we can work with. Napa's varied climate and soils allow an incredible range of varieties not only to ripen here but to rank among the best examples of those varieties in the world. I am luckier still at Benessere, because we grow and work with varieties that are uncommon at best in Napa Valley, such as Sangiovese, and extremely rare, such as Sagrantino and Aglianico.

I am continually delighted and amazed at the quality of the grapes we grow. Most winemakers say their goal is to pick great fruit and get out of the way. This self-effacing statement is a convenient fiction that we imagine the public wants to hear. The excellent grapes that I work with at Benessere give me a running start on making great wine, but it still requires skill and creativity on my part to make sure the wines reach their fullest potential. This kind of challenge is precisely what makes this job so much fun.

Country born: United States

Education: M.S. Viticulture & Enology, UC-Davis, 2003

Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
I make wine because I love it, it makes me happy, and I want to share that happiness. I hope that when you drink our Benessere wines the love and happiness they contain are conveyed to you.

Sally Johnson Blum

Winemaker, Benessere Vineyards, Plotline Wine

Veteran winemaker Sally Johnson Blum has been crafting fine wine in Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Washington State, the CA Central Coast, and beyond since 1999.
With a dual Bachelors degree in French Literature and Biology from the University of Michigan, a Masters degree in Enology from UC Davis and over 25 years’ experience in farming and winemaking, Sally brings a thoughtful, site-specific and elegant touch to the wines she produces in collaboration with her clients.
Prior to launching her consulting firm, Sally spent 15 years as winemaker at Pride Mountain Vineyards, eight years at St. Francis Winery, and worked with St. Hallett Winery in South Australia and Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville. Among Sally’s many accolades are two 100-point scores from Robert Parker, three wines on the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines in the World list, over 30 wines served at White House State Dinners, and being named one of Glamour Magazine’s Top 10 Badass Female Winemakers.
Sally is deeply engaged with farmers, vintners, and the local communities where she operates, collaborating with the Napa Valley Vintners and Oakville Winegrowers’ Associations, as well as other social wellfare organizations in the Bay Area at large.

Country born: United States

Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years