David R. Bennion
David Ralph Bennion | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1929-02-12 Utah, U.S. |
| Died | 1988-03-28 |
| Occupation(s) | Winemaker, company founder |
| Known for | Founder of Ridge Vineyards; pioneering vineyard-specific labeling in California wine industry |
David Ralph Bennion (1929–1988) was an innovative figure in the California wine industry and the founder of Ridge Vineyards in California, where he served as winemaker from 1959 through 1969. He was a trailblazer in California for identifying wines by vineyard, district, and appellation, especially with Zinfandel, a labeling practice that has since become widespread across the state. Ridge's premier wine, Monte Bello, is celebrated as one of the finest wines globally.
Early life
Bennion was born on a farm in Utah on February 12, 1929. He relocated to California during the late 1940s to pursue studies at Stanford University, where he met Frances Lusk, whom he married in 1953.
Career at SRI
His professional journey began at Stanford Research Institute (SRI), where he specialized in magnetic circuits. Bennion played a role in developing the circuitry for Shakey the Robot, recognized as the first robot capable of autonomous reasoning about its actions.
Founding of Ridge Vineyards
In 1959, Bennion joined forces with Hewitt Crane, Charles Rosen, and Howard Zeidler to purchase an 80-acre vineyard located above Cupertino, California in the Santa Cruz Mountains. That same year, he produced his inaugural wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon. Encouraged by these early successes, they rebranded as Ridge Vineyards by the time of the 1962 vintage.
Bennion created Ridge's first Zinfandel from a nineteenth-century vineyard on the Picchetti ranch in 1964, followed by their initial Geyserville Zinfandel in 1966. By highlighting single-vineyard Zinfandels sourced from areas including Sonoma, Santa Cruz, Lodi, and Paso Robles, he illustrated Zinfandel's ability to reflect distinct terroirs. This philosophy extended to other varietals such as Chardonnay, Ruby Cabernet, Riesling, and Cabernet Franc.
He introduced a unique label design featuring Optima typeface and included detailed information uncommon for California wines at that time—such as vintage year, vineyard origin, grape blend percentages, and exact alcohol levels. Each bottle also contained winemaking notes describing weather conditions during growth, harvest details, and bottling dates.
Bennion’s approach to winemaking emphasized minimal intervention; he relied on natural grape yeasts with restrained application of sulfur dioxide to inhibit undesirable yeasts while maintaining beneficial strains. For fermentation, he utilized wooden lattices to submerge the cap into the must—a traditional European method that proved effective and was later adopted by numerous wineries throughout California.
In 1967, Bennion resigned from SRI to assume full-time duties as Ridge's first president and winemaker. He remained in this role until 1969 when he appointed Paul Draper to oversee winemaking operations but continued as president until 1984.
Legacy
David Bennion passed away in a vehicle accident on the Golden Gate Bridge on March 28, 1988. After his death, a Trust Fund and Fellowship were established at UC Davis to support ongoing viticulture research and preserve the heritage of winemaking in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The 1971 Ridge Monte Bello under his guidance achieved fifth place in the renowned 1976 Judgment of Paris. In a 2006 re-creation held simultaneously in London and Napa Valley, this same vintage was ranked as the top wine once again, underscoring its enduring significance within the wine community.