Meet the Team, Kara Benton

As a small, family-owned and operated winery, we are very hands on with all aspects of our business.  Yet sometimes the day to day operations do not give our customers an inside view to the people behind the products.

Kara Benton is the CFO for all of our companies and is active in just about all aspects of winery life.   She is a mother, wife, and skilled professional who keeps everything running smooth.

Kara has an MBA and spent time studying the European Union abroad.  She also spent a year living in Australia and has traveled through both Europe and Asia.

At Benton Family Wines, Kara is head of all administration including accounting and human resources.  However, it is not uncommon to see her in the tasting room or winery helping out.

Favorite music to listen to at work?

I like to listen to hip-hop and pop.  It is upbeat and helps me work faster.  My co-workers often laugh at me when they walk in and I am busting out an Eminem song with my headphones on.  I like all types of music, but happy, upbeat music is what I prefer most of the time.

What is your favorite wine from our companies?

I like white wine more than red wine, in general.  Our Viognier is my favorite wine that Daniel makes.  One thing that inspired us to dive into the wonderful world of wine was our first wedding anniversary trip to Napa.  We visited Stag’s Leap Winery and this was the first time I had tried a Viognier, I was hooked.  Luckily, I have a husband who is talented enough to make this wine for me now!

What is your favorite wine outside of ours?

I don’t think I have one wine that is a favorite.  I always enjoy trying new things and continuing to learn about different wines.  I like Albinos from Spain, Pinot Noirs from Oregon and there is even a Viognier from my home state of Virginia that I love…but haven’t had in a while.

If you could share a meal with anyone, who would it be?  What would you eat?

My family has been so important in my life.  I would love to share a meal with my grandparents, aunts and uncles who have passed on.  I would not care what we eat, because the food is not what matters.  The company you are with and the time you spend with loved ones is much more important than what is on the plate in front of you.

What is your favorite part of the wine industry?

My favorite part of the wine industry is the sense of community everyone has.  There have been so many times that other vineyard workers, vintners or winery owners have helped us out since we started traveling this road.  We feel fortunate to have met so many great people along the way and we can call many of them our friends.

What is your favorite meal?  What wine would you pair with it?

I love almost all seafood and that generally goes with white wine.  If I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be crab (prepared any way – cold, dip, warm with butter, crab cakes, it doesn’t matter) paired with Viognier.  I do also really enjoy salads and gazpachos with various rosé, but crab usually beats anything.

Who in the wine industry do you admire?

Everyone!  This is a tough business.  When we first began I found it odd that everyone wanted industry specific knowledge (I work in finance).  I thought I could count, add and subtract so what more could there be, but now that we are 10 years in, I understand.  Every aspect of this business is somewhat unique and everyone in the business should be given credit where credit is due.

Do you prefer aged wines or younger wines?  Why?

I definitely prefer younger wines.  I like the fruit forward profile of younger wines.  I am not necessarily looking for sweetness in wine, but I like bright fruit and definitely want the fruit flavors to be more present.  Aged wines seem to typically have less fruit and more earthy, leather, tobacco or smoke flavors.  I certainly appreciate aged wines, but they do not generally have the flavor profile I enjoy the most. 

 

What is your fondest wine memory?

I cannot choose one moment.  I have shared and enjoyed wine with many friends and family over the years.  Wine is part of a life well lived.  Sharing great wine and food with loved ones will always create fond memories and forge new friendships.  We have met so many wonderful people because of wine and we look forward to meeting more people and continuing to share a part of our family with theirs.

 

The Good Life

Our passion is wine!  We are located in the beautiful Napa Valley.  We farm spectacular vineyards and produce amazing wines.  But that is not to say we do not have a passion for other adult beverages.  Anyone who has met our staff knows that our love of the “good life” has no bounds.

I thought today I would introduce you to my favorite cocktail.  As with most things in my life, the history of the drink is as important as the taste.  I was first introduced to the Vieux Carre in it’s birthplace, the Carousel Bar in the French Quarter of New Orleans.  the Carousel Bar is a historic bar located in the Hotel Monteleone on Royal Street.  In my opinion, this is one of the must stay locations in New Orleans.  The hotel has been hosting guests since 1886 and is the epitome of southern luxury.

Even if you do not stay at the hotel, you must visit the bar.  The Carousel Bar is just what the name implies.  It is a carousel that slowly rotates around the bar.  You sit on stools and watch as the bartenders and busy Royal Street slowly roll by.  Don’t worry, it is extremely slow.  I know some of you are worried about drinking on a moving bar!

Now for the drink.  The name Vieux Carre is the original French term for the neighborhood that we now know as the French Quarter.  The cocktail was invented in 1938 by then head bartender, Water Burgeron.  The drink is as complex as the city itself with a combination of spice from Rye Whiskey, smoothness from the Cognac and herbal notes that Benedictine provides.  There is a little investment in the ingredients, but it is well worth your hard earned dollar.

Here is the original:

3/4 oz of rye whiskey

3/4 oz of Cognac

3/4 oz of Sweet Vermouth (please use Carpano Antica, there really is no other sweet vermouth)

1 tsp of Benedictine

2 dashes of Peychauds Bitters

2 dashes of Angostura Bitters

Lemon peel for garnish

Mix all the ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice.  Stir. Strain into an old fashion glass with a large cube of ice.  Garnish with lemon peel (you can also use an orange peel).

Mix up a Vieux Carre, sit back and listen to some New Orleans jazz and discover a new level of the “good life”  Might I recommend some Louis Armstrong, Etta James, Rebith Brass Band, Preservation Hall Jazz Band or Kermit Ruffins to get you started!

Cheers

 

Meet the Staff, Megan Fifield

Meet Megan Fifield.  Megan was the first teammate on board when we opened the new tasting room in Downtown Napa.  She is a Napa native who grew up in Pope Valley.  Megan is in charge of our tasting room and wine club operations. 

1. Favorite music to listen to at work?

I like to listen to a pretty wide variety of music. Mostly stay between country and rock music while at work, Tom Petty Radio can be pretty hard to beat.

2. What is your favorite wine from our companies?

My favorite from Benton Family Wines, would have to be the Croze brand, Rutherford Reserve. However, I really enjoy the Smith Wooton Cabernet Franc as well.

3. What is your favorite wine outside of ours?

Outside of Benton Family Wines, I really enjoy Italian and some Spanish wines, makes sense though, because I love Italian food! I have 2 favorites, Benessere Aglianico and The Terraces Tempranillo.

4. If you could share a meal with anyone, who would it be? What would you eat?

I’d love to have another meal with my grandmothers. I’d like to have breakfast with one, eggs golden rod, and lunch with another, mac n cheese!!

5. What is your favorite part of the wine industry?

My favorite part of the wine industry quite honestly is the people. I was shy as a younger person. The wine industry has pushed me to open up. I love getting to meet new people, from all over the world. Talk to them, get to know them and their interests and their love for wine. Wine has a way of bringing people together, it’s how I’ve met some of the closest people I now have in my life.

6. What is your favorite meal? What wine would you pair with it?

My favorite meal is spaghetti, red sauce and ground venison (and quite a few other things thrown in) I’d pair it with an almost spicy and not too over powering wine, such as a Sangiovese or a Cabernet Franc. 

7. Who in the wine industry do you admire?

I admire lots of people in the wine industry, but I’d have to take it back to the originals, the ones who saw disease and hard times, pushed through, the farmers, working hard for what they love, and still to this day have a big name and big hand in what the wine industry has become.

8. Do you prefer aged wines or younger wines? Why?

It depends, sometimes I like a big young Cabernet Sauvignon. I also tend to like younger rather than older Pinot Noirs. However, I’ve really started to appreciate a lot of older wines for their softness and maturity.

9. Weirdest/most interesting wine story?

I’ve had a lot of interesting times while in the wine industry. But I think it would be, getting the chance to clean out a tank and be part of harvest!!!

10. What is your fondest wine memory?

My fondest memory. It would have to be with the people I’ve met through hosting in the wine industry. I’ve met some incredible people. I’ve heard lots of stories, good and bad. I’ve been there during great times, and some even unfortunate and very hard times. It’s incredible to me what you’ll find yourself part of, even just meeting someone for about an hour and a half. I’ve made some of my very best friends through the wine industry, even 2 of which that will be standing next to me on my wedding day! All that being said, I guess it’s hard to name just one.

 

It Takes a Village

I feel fortunate to live in an area where the primary industries are food and wine.  Those are the glamorous categories most talked about when the Napa Valley gets mentioned, but there is a whole other industry that is the foundation of both fine dining and wine that guides our principals…agriculture.  This is an agricultural community and for far too long this side of the business has not been glorified.

It is a lot like sports.  The fundamentals and hours of practice are not the sexy part of the sport.  Game day is, and that is what people talk about.  There are rarely highlights of the behind the scenes work that athletes and coaches put in on ESPN.  The highlights are reserved for games played in front of large crowds with all the pomp and circumstance.  Rarely do they highlight the athlete that is up at 4 am to get their first of 3 workouts in preparing their mind and body for the grueling season to come.

Similarly, the fine dining and wine businesses do not always showcase the underlying fundamentals of the work it takes to be successful.  Critics are not in the restaurant gardens at the break of dawn critiquing compost, irrigation techniques, soil preparation, etc…  They are in the luxurious dining rooms taking pictures of finished dishes that are expertly prepared and artfully plated.  They do not visit the family farms that produce products that eventually end up on their plates in Michelin starred restaurants.  I wonder if they even consider the early mornings and hard work that go into each and every component on the plate.  Do they understand that while the dish is the creation of a famous chef, there is a whole team of dedicated artisans that took part in creating and executing that dish?

This is also relevant to fine wine.  There are a lot of unsung heroes who play integral roles in bringing that bottle of wine to life.  Does the wine critic or consumer really understand the hours and back breaking work the vineyard laborers put in over the growing season?  Do they understand the long days managing weeds, working the soil and cover crops, hand farming each vine to produce the fruit that is in their glass?  The hours of maintenance and repairs on equipment.  The days sweating under the beating sun in June and July?  The harvest crew that works 18+ hours processing the fruit when it comes to the winery.  The cellar staff that works in cold and dark conditions, caring for and raising the young wine to maturity.  In addition, there are all the ancillary suppliers who depend on the success of wineries to be able to sell glass, corks, capsules, barrels and labels.

The number of people involved in that glass of wine is much larger than most consumers realize.  I know there are large corporate wineries that mechanize, and their products fill an important niche in the marketplace, but what I am talking about here are the family owned and operated wineries.  The wineries where the family touches every aspect of farming and production.  There is a part of their soul that can be felt in every sip of their wine.  You can taste the hours of hard work.  You can feel the pride on your palette.  You might even be able to see a label that is just slightly off centered because it was hand labeled.

These are the wines that tell a story.  Not just a story of the winemaker or the brand.  Not just about the members of the immediately family.  These wines tell the story of a community.  They are a testament to all the people involved, from the dirt to the glass.

As it goes with most agricultural communities, the wineries of the Napa Valley work hard to support each other and our community.  From loaning equipment to neighbors in need, to showing up to lend a hand when things get tough, I could not be prouder to be a part of an industry and community.

The next time you open up that bottle of wine, think about all the people that helped bring that enjoyment to your glass.