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TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT WINEMAKING May 2016 WINES&VINES 69 In addition to the 18-acre Cohn Vineyard, the winery's other estate properties include the 12-acre Tilton Hill Vineyard near the Sonoma Coast and the 42-acre Martaella Vineyard that surrounds the new winery. The winery produces vineyard designate and es- tate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as well as a small amount of Zinfandel and Grenache. Benovia also buys grapes from Martinelli Vineyards and a vineyard owned by Sulli- van's family. A place to grow In 2008, the owners purchased a property ad- jacent to the old winery for the new winery. Sullivan said the original plan had been to renovate and expand the existing winery, but that proved problematic, and the partners in- stead chose to use the new property to build a winery for red wines and maintain Chardonnay production at the older facility. Jessie Whitesides, architect and principal with A 2 Studios in Santa Rosa, Calif., designed the winery. Whitesides also designed the Las- seter Family Winery in Glen Ellen, Calif., Paul Hobbs Winery in Sebastopol, Calif., and other North Coast wineries. Chico, Calif.-based Mod- ern Building Inc. oversaw construction. At the core of the new building is a bank of open-top tanks that are accessed by a central catwalk. Large doors on the north and south sides of the winery provide abundant natural ventilation and sunlight. A covered crush pad KEY POINTS Completed in time for the 2015 vintage, the new winery is designed specifically for red wine production. The facility includes a fully equipped lab and bottling line. Two separate barrel rooms offer plenty of space for aging wine. Benovia's new Pinot-focused winery is located on the estate in the Russian River Valley and surrounded by new vineyards. —continued on page 73