Brian Benson Cellars has literally grown up in the shadow of his family’s Dark Star Cellars”, as they share the same winery building and some of the same equipment. Young Brian Benson is forging a name for himself making wine in his own style.
The winemaker is focused on making intense, unique, and extremely high quality custom wines. Being run exclusively by owner and winemaker, it is truly a one man show. By hanging out in his grandparent’s vineyard, and later his father’s winery, Mr. Benson learned the wine business early in his life. He made fewer than 150 cases his first year and has grown slowly and carefully to ensure that his product meets his standards.
Outside the little tasting room is a lawn with old oak wine barrels, benches and an umbrella table. Inside is a small square room with a tile floor and modern art prints on the walls. You will most likely find the winemaker/owner behind the counter ready to share his wines. He focuses solely on red wines, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Zinfandel, and some blends.
Mr. Benson has been a huge custom car and hot rod addict since he was a kid. He decided he would build a custom car or hot rod every year and create a special custom blended wine and bottle to match the design of the vehicle. The name of his Cabernet, Merlot, and Zinfandel blend is called Shop Truck Red. His bottle art includes some brightly painted “pinstripes” from a well known automotive car artist.
