Joe Benziger and artist Bob Nugent founded Imagery in 1987 for the unusual: Lagrein, Teroldego, Barbera, Tempranillo, and varieties overlooked in California. Every label is commissioned artwork, the 442-piece collection archived at Sonoma State. Second-generation winemaker Jamie Benziger leads the program; The Wine Group has the estate listed for sale.
Imagery Estate Winery was founded in 1987 by Joe Benziger — one of the founding Benziger brothers — and Sonoma County artist Bob Nugent. The vision was twofold: a winemaking project dedicated to varietals that don't usually get the spotlight in California (Lagrein, Teroldego, Barbera, Tempranillo, Malbec, and increasingly experimental field blends), and a commissioned-art program in which every wine label is an original work created by a different artist. Nugent curated the program for nearly four decades, commissioning hundreds of international artists with one rule: incorporate the Parthenon in some form, echoing the small Parthenon replica that sits in the Benziger family vineyard nearby. The resulting 442-piece collection was donated to Sonoma State University in 2016, where it remains a serious art archive. Today, second-generation winemaker Jamie Benziger leads the wine program with her sister Jill and estate art curator Kara.
Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Bordeaux-Style Red) — The flagship; a dark-cherry-cored estate red in a metallic screen-printed label bearing founder-artist Bob Nugent's original sketch.
Lagrein — Dark, inky, and unusual; a rare Alpine-Italian red that typifies Imagery's experimental streak.
Barbera — Bright-acid, food-friendly Italian varietal from winemaker Jamie Benziger.
Malbec — One of Imagery's signature uncommon reds, grown in Sonoma Valley.
Sangiovese — Soft tannins and bright acidity with cherry, herb, and espresso; every label is commissioned art with a hidden Parthenon.
The property sits on Highway 12 in Glen Ellen, about two miles from the larger Benziger Family Winery estate. Visiting today, you'll find an outdoor patio with picnic tables, bocce courts, an art gallery in the tasting room, and a wine list that ranges from Sparkling and Chardonnay through the rare reds the winery is known for. The Wine Group acquired both Benziger and Imagery in 2015. As of late 2025, The Wine Group has paused on-site production (now around two years ago) and listed the 19.56-acre estate for sale — the Imagery brand and inventory are not part of the sale, and the tasting room continues operating daily 10am–5pm. The hospitality permit, allowing up to 24 large events per year, is a key selling point for prospective buyers. Worth visiting now while the program in its current form is still intact.
A second-generation member of the Benziger wine family, Jamie Benziger grew up around the family's Glen Ellen estate, selling tour tickets as a kid. She started at Loyola Marymount before transferring to Sonoma State University to study marketing and wine business, interning at Gundlach Bundschu and working harvests and labs at Benziger, St. Francis, and Bogle, plus a harvest at Villa Maria in New Zealand. She returned to Sonoma in 2015 to work alongside her father, Imagery founder Joe Benziger, and took over as winemaker when he retired in December 2017. Known for an experimental streak — Pinot Noir lifted with Petit Verdot, Chardonnay blended with Chenin Blanc, an Aleatico rosé — she champions Imagery's identity of esoteric varietals and unconventional blends. She was named a Wine Enthusiast '40 Under 40 Tastemaker' and Best Woman Winemaker at the 2019 International Women's Wine Competition.
When Joe Benziger dreamed up Imagery in the mid-1980s as a way to showcase tiny, exceptional vineyard lots, a chance encounter with Sonoma artist Bob Nugent — the two met breaking up a scuffle at a polo match — gave the project its soul. Nugent, an artist and Sonoma State art professor, designed the very first label and went on to build the Imagery Artist Collection: hundreds of original works commissioned from international artists, each echoing the expressive wine inside and incorporating the estate’s signature Parthenon folly. The collection grew past 400 pieces, and Imagery’s marriage of art and wine remains its defining signature.
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Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Bordeaux-Style Red) — The flagship; a dark-cherry-cored estate red in a metallic screen-printed label bearing founder-artist Bob Nugent's original sketch.
Lagrein — Dark, inky, and unusual; a rare Alpine-Italian red that typifies Imagery's experimental streak.
Barbera — Bright-acid, food-friendly Italian varietal from winemaker Jamie Benziger.
Malbec — One of Imagery's signature uncommon reds, grown in Sonoma Valley.
Sangiovese — Soft tannins and bright acidity with cherry, herb, and espresso; every label is commissioned art with a hidden Parthenon.
Imagery Estate Winery was founded in 1987 by Joe Benziger — one of the founding Benziger brothers — and Sonoma County artist Bob Nugent. The vision was twofold: a winemaking project dedicated to varietals that don't usually get the spotlight in California (Lagrein, Teroldego, Barbera, Tempranillo, Malbec, and increasingly experimental field blends), and a commissioned-art program in which every wine label is an original work created by a different artist. Nugent curated the program for nearly four decades, commissioning hundreds of international artists with one rule: incorporate the Parthenon in some form, echoing the small Parthenon replica that sits in the Benziger family vineyard nearby. The resulting 442-piece collection was donated to Sonoma State University in 2016, where it remains a serious art archive. Today, second-generation winemaker Jamie Benziger leads the wine program with her sister Jill and estate art curator Kara.
The property sits on Highway 12 in Glen Ellen, about two miles from the larger Benziger Family Winery estate. Visiting today, you'll find an outdoor patio with picnic tables, bocce courts, an art gallery in the tasting room, and a wine list that ranges from Sparkling and Chardonnay through the rare reds the winery is known for. The Wine Group acquired both Benziger and Imagery in 2015. As of late 2025, The Wine Group has paused on-site production (now around two years ago) and listed the 19.56-acre estate for sale — the Imagery brand and inventory are not part of the sale, and the tasting room continues operating daily 10am–5pm. The hospitality permit, allowing up to 24 large events per year, is a key selling point for prospective buyers. Worth visiting now while the program in its current form is still intact.
A second-generation member of the Benziger wine family, Jamie Benziger grew up around the family's Glen Ellen estate, selling tour tickets as a kid. She started at Loyola Marymount before transferring to Sonoma State University to study marketing and wine business, interning at Gundlach Bundschu and working harvests and labs at Benziger, St. Francis, and Bogle, plus a harvest at Villa Maria in New Zealand. She returned to Sonoma in 2015 to work alongside her father, Imagery founder Joe Benziger, and took over as winemaker when he retired in December 2017. Known for an experimental streak — Pinot Noir lifted with Petit Verdot, Chardonnay blended with Chenin Blanc, an Aleatico rosé — she champions Imagery's identity of esoteric varietals and unconventional blends. She was named a Wine Enthusiast '40 Under 40 Tastemaker' and Best Woman Winemaker at the 2019 International Women's Wine Competition.
When Joe Benziger dreamed up Imagery in the mid-1980s as a way to showcase tiny, exceptional vineyard lots, a chance encounter with Sonoma artist Bob Nugent — the two met breaking up a scuffle at a polo match — gave the project its soul. Nugent, an artist and Sonoma State art professor, designed the very first label and went on to build the Imagery Artist Collection: hundreds of original works commissioned from international artists, each echoing the expressive wine inside and incorporating the estate’s signature Parthenon folly. The collection grew past 400 pieces, and Imagery’s marriage of art and wine remains its defining signature.
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