The second-generation Zanin family, founded by Emilio Zanin, who emigrated from Veneto in 1969, with son Luca leading. Forty-five acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay span two Bennett Valley vineyards. Winemaker Toni Stockhausen, daughter of Karl Stockhausen, has led since the 2008 debut. Tasting rooms in Sonoma and the ranch.
Bennett Valley Cellars is a small family estate built from Italian Veneto roots, founded by Emilio Zanin — who immigrated to the U.S. from Veneto in 1969 and built American Tartaric Products into a major wine-industry ingredient supplier — and his son Luca Zanin, who purchased the 40-acre Simpatico Ranch and led the family back to growing rather than supplying. The Zanins farm 45 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay across two estate sites: Marina's Vineyard (5 acres, named after Emilio's wife) and Simpatico Ranch. The inaugural 2008 Pinot Noir won gold at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair. Winemaker Toni Stockhausen, daughter of Australian winemaking “living legend” Karl Stockhausen, leads the program. The tasting room sits in downtown Sonoma at 127 East Napa Street, where Luca's wife Elizabeth manages hospitality and retail.
BIN 6410 Estate Pinot Noir, Sonoma County — The flagship, launched with the inaugural 2008 vintage; a Gold-medal Russian River–style Pinot with violets, dark berry and mocha.
Estate Chardonnay, Bennett Valley — A richer, barrel-influenced estate white from the cool Bennett Valley AVA.
BIN 5757 Unoaked Chardonnay, Sonoma County — A crisp, stainless-fermented Chardonnay showing pure apple and pear.
Cuvée Marina Sparkling Wine, North Coast — A méthode-traditionnelle sparkling of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.
The Zanin family — Emilio and Luca, with winemaker Toni Stockhausen — founded Bennett Valley Cellars, farming estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the cool Bennett Valley AVA (Simpatico Ranch and Marina's Estate). Their downtown Sonoma tasting room sits just off the plaza.
Second-generation owners Luca and Elizabeth Zanin host tastings by appointment at their family's 45-acre Bennett Valley estate (Simpatico Ranch) and at a downtown Sonoma tasting room steps from the historic Plaza. Winemaker Toni Stockhausen leads a Pinot Noir-forward program with notable Bin 6410 (Pommard clone) Pinot Noir and Bin 5757 Chardonnay bottlings, alongside a small Cuvée Marina sparkling. Total production remains intentionally small — roughly 2,000 cases a year. The Sonoma tasting room pours daily; private tastings at the Bennett Valley ranch are available by appointment.
A second-generation Australian winemaker, daughter of the late “living legend” Karl Stockhausen, who immigrated to Australia from Hamburg, Germany just before Toni's birth to take a winemaking position at Lindeman's. Toni grew up in vineyards in New South Wales's Hunter Valley and earned a BS in human physiology from the University of Sydney in 1983 before returning to wine — working as Assistant Winemaker at Tisdall Winery in Victoria while pursuing her degree in Enology and Viticulture at Charles Sturt University, which she completed in 1990. She was promoted to Head Winemaker at Tisdall in 1986, holding the role until 1994. After a 1996 educational trip through Burgundy and the Rhône, she moved to California in 1999 to oversee production at Meridian Vineyards in Monterey. Foster's Wine Group later relocated her to Windsor Vineyards (2000–2007), then Weibel Family Vineyards in Mendocino. Subsequently named chief technical winemaker for American Tartaric Products (ATP), Stockhausen was tapped to lead Bennett Valley Cellars when ATP owners Emilio and Luca Zanin launched the estate. She has shaped the winery's classical-style Pinot Noir and Chardonnay program from inaugural vintage through today. The 2008 Pinot Noir won gold at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair; the 2011 Cuvée Marina won Double Gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
Emilio Zanin founded Bennett Valley Cellars, drawing on five generations of family winegrowing that began in Italy’s Veneto region. Born in 1939 in the alpine village of Agordo, he worked his grandfather Pietro’s vineyards as a boy before immigrating to the United States in 1969. In 2006 he purchased a Bennett Valley estate, naming a vineyard for his family and releasing an inaugural, gold-medal-winning Pinot Noir in 2008. Today Emilio works alongside his son Luca and daughter-in-law Elizabeth, farming estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the volcanic, fog-cooled slopes of Simpatico Ranch.
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BIN 6410 Estate Pinot Noir, Sonoma County — The flagship, launched with the inaugural 2008 vintage; a Gold-medal Russian River–style Pinot with violets, dark berry and mocha.
Estate Chardonnay, Bennett Valley — A richer, barrel-influenced estate white from the cool Bennett Valley AVA.
BIN 5757 Unoaked Chardonnay, Sonoma County — A crisp, stainless-fermented Chardonnay showing pure apple and pear.
Cuvée Marina Sparkling Wine, North Coast — A méthode-traditionnelle sparkling of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.
The Zanin family — Emilio and Luca, with winemaker Toni Stockhausen — founded Bennett Valley Cellars, farming estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the cool Bennett Valley AVA (Simpatico Ranch and Marina's Estate). Their downtown Sonoma tasting room sits just off the plaza.
Bennett Valley Cellars is a small family estate built from Italian Veneto roots, founded by Emilio Zanin — who immigrated to the U.S. from Veneto in 1969 and built American Tartaric Products into a major wine-industry ingredient supplier — and his son Luca Zanin, who purchased the 40-acre Simpatico Ranch and led the family back to growing rather than supplying. The Zanins farm 45 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay across two estate sites: Marina's Vineyard (5 acres, named after Emilio's wife) and Simpatico Ranch. The inaugural 2008 Pinot Noir won gold at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair. Winemaker Toni Stockhausen, daughter of Australian winemaking “living legend” Karl Stockhausen, leads the program. The tasting room sits in downtown Sonoma at 127 East Napa Street, where Luca's wife Elizabeth manages hospitality and retail.
Second-generation owners Luca and Elizabeth Zanin host tastings by appointment at their family's 45-acre Bennett Valley estate (Simpatico Ranch) and at a downtown Sonoma tasting room steps from the historic Plaza. Winemaker Toni Stockhausen leads a Pinot Noir-forward program with notable Bin 6410 (Pommard clone) Pinot Noir and Bin 5757 Chardonnay bottlings, alongside a small Cuvée Marina sparkling. Total production remains intentionally small — roughly 2,000 cases a year. The Sonoma tasting room pours daily; private tastings at the Bennett Valley ranch are available by appointment.
A second-generation Australian winemaker, daughter of the late “living legend” Karl Stockhausen, who immigrated to Australia from Hamburg, Germany just before Toni's birth to take a winemaking position at Lindeman's. Toni grew up in vineyards in New South Wales's Hunter Valley and earned a BS in human physiology from the University of Sydney in 1983 before returning to wine — working as Assistant Winemaker at Tisdall Winery in Victoria while pursuing her degree in Enology and Viticulture at Charles Sturt University, which she completed in 1990. She was promoted to Head Winemaker at Tisdall in 1986, holding the role until 1994. After a 1996 educational trip through Burgundy and the Rhône, she moved to California in 1999 to oversee production at Meridian Vineyards in Monterey. Foster's Wine Group later relocated her to Windsor Vineyards (2000–2007), then Weibel Family Vineyards in Mendocino. Subsequently named chief technical winemaker for American Tartaric Products (ATP), Stockhausen was tapped to lead Bennett Valley Cellars when ATP owners Emilio and Luca Zanin launched the estate. She has shaped the winery's classical-style Pinot Noir and Chardonnay program from inaugural vintage through today. The 2008 Pinot Noir won gold at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair; the 2011 Cuvée Marina won Double Gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
Emilio Zanin founded Bennett Valley Cellars, drawing on five generations of family winegrowing that began in Italy’s Veneto region. Born in 1939 in the alpine village of Agordo, he worked his grandfather Pietro’s vineyards as a boy before immigrating to the United States in 1969. In 2006 he purchased a Bennett Valley estate, naming a vineyard for his family and releasing an inaugural, gold-medal-winning Pinot Noir in 2008. Today Emilio works alongside his son Luca and daughter-in-law Elizabeth, farming estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the volcanic, fog-cooled slopes of Simpatico Ranch.
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