Fall Newsletter 2024

October 29, 2024

Welcome to our quarterly newsletter with the latest updates on the winery, tasting room, vineyards, and estate.

 

Fall is always an exciting time in Paso Robles. Harvest kicks into full gear, fall releases debut showcasing the fruits of past year's labors, and the vineyards transform to a beautiful golden color. For us at BENOM, it's also the time to celebrate our anniversary! Here is what we are up to this season.

Grapes shooting out of an optical sorter
A picture of a vineyard at night
Freshly picked grapes during a wine harvest

Harvest Updates

Harvest kicked off right on schedule this year by picking our Sauvignon Blanc at the end of August. By the end of September, we had picked our first reds: Graciano from Paperstreet and Syrah from Hoyt. On October 23rd, we brought in our last fruit—Syrah from Spanish Springs in Edna Valley.

 

The 2024 harvest is looking exceptionally promising. After a strong start with abundant winter rains and a mild spring, the start of summer was unusually cool for Paso Robles, with our first heatwave hitting in July bringing the summer heat. The rest of the summer was consistently warm with another heatwave in August. September started with cooler weather, creating ideal conditions for harvesting our whites before the heat came back. A final October heatwave ripened our reds just in time before the cooler temperatures expected in November.

 

Our estate is thriving as well, with the rootstock vines continuing to grow and establish themselves. By spring, we'll be ready to graft them with the varietals we've chosen to cultivate.

 

Up next for harvest: fermentations. Currently, we are performing daily pump-overs on our reds as they ferment and are tasting the wine daily to ensure exceptional quality.

 

A significant way we bring our French heritage to our winemaking in Paso Robles is through pump-overs. These are performed for our reds during fermentation to re-incorporate the cap, or solid components (skins, stems, and seeds), with the juice. This process is essential to ensure our reds have the aromas, color, and tannins that we seek. Learn more about the process of pump-overs in our latest blog post here.

A winemaker checking our grapes during crushing with dry ice creating mist
Workers picking grapes during harvest at night

BENOM's Ninth Anniversary

Fall is always a special time of year for us because we are not only celebrating the opening of our tasting room in September of 2017 but also the anniversary of the BENOM brand and first vintage!

 

Nine years ago in September of 2015, the BENOM brand was born with the creation of two wines: Origin and Les Deux Frères. BENOM was created to combine Arnaud's love for Bordeaux varietals and Guillaume's love for Rhône varietals with both of their love for the Paso Robles terroir.

 

Two short years later, we officially opened our tasting room doors in Tin City to share our wines with all of you. Fast forward seven years later and we have moved tasting rooms, purchased an estate, released six more wines (with more on the way!), and created a beautiful community of wine lovers. We would not be where we are today without the support of all of you and we cannot thank you enough for that. Cheers to nine years!

BENOM wine holiday gift box in a wooden crate
A BENOM Wine holiday gift box under a Christmas tree

Holiday Gift Guide

It’s hard to believe the holiday season is already upon us! We’re thrilled to announce that our Holiday Gift Guide is now available, perfectly tailored to help you find just the right bottle for every celebration. Whether you're planning to open something special at Thanksgiving, choosing heartfelt gifts for family and friends, arranging corporate gifts, or picking the perfect bottle to toast to the New Year, our collection has everything you need.

 

In our Holiday Gift Guide, you’ll find curated gift sets for all occasions and wine preferences, along with our large-format bottles available online. Take a look at the full guide here and find something special to make this season memorable.

Black and white croquettes on a plate
Two BENOM wine bottles next to each other: Le Vingt and Les Deux Frères
A plate of jambon tapas with a hand grabbing one

Fall Wine Pairings

We're highlighting two wine-pairing recipes from our Fall Release that are perfect for the season as the weather cools. Les Deux Frères and Le Vingt are our softest and most approachable red wines, which are ideal for the fall season. These recipes were created by Chef Jeffery Scott specifically for our wines at our Fall Member Appreciation Party. Enjoy!

Les Deux Frères

Porcini & Duck Arancini with Dried Blueberry Thyme Aioli

 

This take on classic arancini brings savory duck and arancini with a refreshing and herbaceous aioli. By introducing Les Deux Frères, the wine harmonizes effortlessly with the earthy porcini and succulent duck, enhancing the savory depth of the arancini while its velvety texture cuts through the richness. This pairing is great served as an appetizer or as a unique main dish when paired with a refreshing salad. To view this recipe, click here.

Le Vingt

Roncal Puenta Del Esca and Jambon Serrano Tapas with Red Currant Butter and Baguette

 

This recipe combines Roncal cheese, Serrano ham, red currant butter, and sliced baguette, which is a sophisticated take on a classic tapas-style dish, combining the savory, nutty flavors of Roncal cheese with the rich saltiness of Jambon Serrano. Le Vingt, a soft blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan, and Syrah, enhances the dish with notes of ripe red fruit with a touch of spice and acidity, that beautifully rounds out the pairing. To view this recipe, click here.

We are so excited to share more about harvest, the estate, and other winery happenings as the season unfolds. Cheers to the fall season and thank you for all your support over the past nine years!