Fall 2025 Newsletter
October 1, 2025
Fall brings a sense of energy that we look forward to in anticipation. It is a season shaped by the rhythm of harvest and the excitement it brings. This fall has been defined by momentum: the vineyard alive with activity, the estate continuing to take shape, and the joy of sharing this time with many of you in the tasting room and at events. Before we turn our attention toward the end of the year, we’re excited to reflect on the season’s highlights and give you a look at what’s ahead.
2015
The first harvest for BENOM, bringing in grapes that would become our debut wines, Origin & Les Deux Frères, marking the beginning of our story.
2017
The original BENOM tasting room opens in Tin City, where we shared a space with our friends at Aaron Wines.
2020
We move into our own tasting room, the space we call home today, and where we continue to host guests.
2023
Arnaud & Guillaume fulfill a long-held dream with the purchase of our estate property in the York Mountain AVA.
2024
We plant 20 acres of rootstock at the estate, setting the groundwork for the next generation of BENOM wines.
2025
Grafting is completed across the estate, bringing 14 varieties to life as we look ahead to our first small estate harvest in 2026.
10 Years of BENOM
This year marked our tenth year at BENOM - a milestone that invites both reflection and gratitude. In the span of a decade, we have watched what started as just a vision grow: from our first vintage in 2015, to opening the tasting room in 2017, to planting and grafting the estate that now continues to take shape before our eyes.
Each step has been made possible because of you. Your support and your enthusiasm for our wines have shaped this journey in ways we could never have imagined. As we look ahead, we feel an enormous sense of gratitude. Thank you for being part of these first ten harvests. We’re just getting started, and we’re honored to share the road ahead with you. The next chapter promises to be our most exciting yet!
2025 Harvest Journal
The 2025 harvest began on September 2nd with Sauvignon Blanc and came to a close on November 4th with Syrah from Spanish Springs - our traditional final pick of the season. The rhythm felt familiar: a cooler year, much like 2023, with the vines taking their time and each varietal ripening on its own schedule. Nothing rushed, nothing forced - the vineyard set the pace.
When reflecting on the season, Guillaume noted that the extended timeline was a gift: the cooler conditions preserved freshness, lifted aromatics, and allowed flavors to develop with remarkable clarity. The berries came in with vibrant acidity and beautiful balance - early signs of a fantastic vintage. While these wines are only at the beginning of their journey, they already show extraordinary promise.
Though every harvest is unique, there’s an undeniable thread connecting the 2025 vintage to the standout years in recent Paso history. This vintage carries that same quiet confidence - the kind that suggests both longevity and approachability, shaped by our winemaking team’s guiding influence in the cellar. We look forward to watching these wines evolve and sharing them with you in the years ahead.
Notes from the Winery
With fruit processing complete and the last lots safely in barrel, the winery has shifted into a new rhythm – quieter but filled with the soft echoes of a harvest season well executed. Fermentations have wrapped up beautifully, and the team has finished pressing and barreling down every tank.
From the outside, this chapter may appear still, but inside the cellar, it is one of the most important phases. Now resting in barrels, each wine begins to reveal its character with greater clarity. These young wines will spend the next year developing slowly, gaining texture, nuance, and depth until blending begins in December 2026.
In the meantime, our team is turning its attention to the 2024 vintage. Early blending trials are underway, offering us the first true glimpse of how last year’s components come together. It’s a thoughtful, immersive process, one that shapes the personality of every wine we make. As the 2025 vintage settles into its long rest and the 2024 wines move closer toward refinement, the cellar is filled with a sense of anticipation for what lies ahead.
The Arrival of 2023
The release of the 2023 vintage was a moment we’d been eagerly anticipating and a highlight of the season. Your response made it all the more meaningful! Considered one of Paso’s standout years, the wines showed beautifully upon release and were received with genuine excitement. Le Vingt sold out quickly upon release, but Origin, Les Deux Fréres and Lapsus remain available on our website and in the tasting room. If you haven't yet experienced it, we hope to share the vintage with you soon.
Serving & Aging our Wines
Not sure which BENOM bottle to open next? Our Aging Chart makes it easy to see what’s drinking beautifully now and what’s worth holding onto. It’s a perfect way to ensure each bottle is enjoyed at its best. If you have questions about aging or serving a specific bottle, don't hesitate to reach out, and we are happy to provide guidance.
Pairing Recipes
As you pull bottles from the cellar for holiday dinners or quiet evenings at home, don’t forget to explore our Recipe Library for pairing inspiration. It's a perfect place to start when crafting meals and moments to highlight the wine in your glass.
Visit & Celebrate
We'd love to welcome you for a tasting this holiday season - a moment to slow down, share good wine, and visit. If you can't make it to the tasting room before year's end, keep an eye out for our 2026 event calendar, coming soon with a full lineup of opportunities to gather in the year ahead.
Thank you for sharing 2025 with us. Your support means more than we can say, and we can't wait to raise a glass with you in the year ahead!
Thank you for following along with our journey. We look forward to closing out the year with you!