Benton-Lane Winery

Often, it’s numbers that tell the story of a winery. In the case of Benton-Lane Winery, I uncovered those numbers. Twenty-thousand cases produced annually; 140 acres of vines under production; distribution to 46 states and several countries; and home of two of the Top 100 Wines in the World for 2006.

Not bad. But the numbers only tell part of the story. They don’t elude to history, hard work, and love of the land. They don’t speak about the characters who tend the vines and make the wines. Such is the case with Benton-Lane Winery.

California transplants Steve and Carol Girard came north to start a vineyard, founding Benton-Lane in 1988. They had successfully grown premium wine grapes in Napa Valley, but they wanted to grow pinot noir. After racking up considerable miles, they stumbled upon a perfect spot bearing the lovely name of “Sunnymount” in the southern reaches of Willamette Valley.

But they needed a name for their new vineyard, which just happens to straddle the Benton-Lane county line. Hence, Benton-Lane Winery got its name. However, the hard part came later when the Girards needed a label to showcase their pinot noir. For that, they turned to graphic artist Jim Moon of San Rafael, Calif., who, as it turns out, is a stamp collector. Jim drew his inspiration from the federal government’s botched “Inverted Jenny” 24-cent stamp of 1918 on which a mail-carrier airplane was incorrectly printed upside down. A stamp border frames the wine label and for the center of the label, rather than using an upside-down vineyard, Jim chose undulating rows of vines with mountains in the background. The image was an immediate hit with Steve and Carol.

First-time visitors to Benton-Lane Winery will know they’ve arrived at the right place when they spot the large stamp-like sign out front. The distinctive tasting room and winery provide a wonderful venue for sampling various pinot noirs, pinot blanc, pinot gris, and rosé of pinot noir. Outside on the patio, visitors can relax in comfortable teak furniture and marvel at Mount Jefferson in the distance. If they feel like a stroll, they can explore Carol’s herb and vegetable garden, which provides fresh produce for the many goodies served at winemaker dinners and other wine-pairing events.

There’s no way to go postal in this idyllic setting. It certainly gets my stamp of approval.