JOE ANDERSON & MARY DEWANE : Proprietors, Benovia Winery

Joe Anderson and Mary Dewane come from successful careers in the health care industry. They are perfect winery owners because their entrepreneurial experience means this husband and wife team knows exactly what a business needs to grow and thrive.

They also know good wines.

Joe and Mary have invested in the right things to make the winery successful – vineyards, planted in a state of the art way.

Great vineyards are the lifeblood of a winery. A winery that owns its vineyards can grow grapes exactly the way it wants, producing handcrafted wines of the highest caliber to exacting standards. They have also made sure the winery has the necessary equipment to do the work of winemaking in an artful way.

They believe that with the right tools in the hands of the right people, any job is easier and more productive. “This journey began with our passion for wine, the Russian River Valley and the communities where we live,” says Joe. “In everything that we have done, Mary and I have always believed in hiring the right people and building a culture of excellence. We are doing the same thing here. That’s what our fathers, Ben and Novian, taught us.”

PEG MELNIK

Peg Melnik presents seminars and tastings on luxury European cruise lines. Experienced and knowledgeable, Peg is an entertaining wine educator and author with a great sense of fun. She believes “Wine should be Groucho Marx fun rather than black tie serious.”

To get a taste of Peg’s presentation style, see her in action. View her unorthodox wine class, see her book, and subscribe to ONE WINE MINUTE at www.onewineminute.com.

As for Peg’s credits: She is the lead author of the Explorer’s Guide to Napa & Sonoma in its 10th edition, published by W.W. Norton. It has received rave reviews from the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal.