SANTA ROSA, Calif. (November 28, 2023) – Joe Anderson, Co-Founder & Chairman of Benovia Winery, is pleased to announce that Benovia Winery and The Anderson Family Foundation have donated $30,000 to The Gary Sinise Foundation.
The Gary Sinise Foundation honors and supports defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need. The $30,000 donation to The Gary Sinise Foundation was raised through sales of Benovia Winery’s Liberation Pinot Noir, plus matching funds from The Anderson Family Foundation. Benovia’s Winemaker & Co-Owner, Mike Sullivan, crafted Liberation as a tribute to veterans, and for all three vintages of the wine, $10 from each bottle purchased has been donated to The Gary Sinise Foundation. The winery recently released the 2021 vintage of Liberation on Veteran’s Day. A striking gift for pilots, veterans and history buffs, the wine is $60 per bottle and can be acquired at www.benoviawinery.com.
“It has been so remarkable to connect with veterans across the country. We owe our veterans an immeasurable debt and to be able to help support the work of The Gary Sinise Foundation is really gratifying,” said Joe Anderson. “All too often we are reminded that freedom isn’t guaranteed, and we are extremely grateful to the many generations of soldiers who have defended ours.”
Supporting and honoring veterans is one of Joe Anderson’s passions. In 2019, Anderson and his team flew his C-53 Skytrooper airplane called “The Spirit of Benovia” to Normandy, as part of the D-Day Squadron to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day. An inspiring documentary of that journey, “Into Flight Once More,” is narrated by Sinise and captures priceless interviews with WWII veterans and shows what happened behind the scenes when fifteen adventurous teams flew to Normandy in restored WWII planes to honor the veterans’ sacrifice and to thank them for their service. The film was directed by Adrienne Hall, and the trailer for “Into Flight Once More” can be found here. The film is available on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV, and press are welcome to post the trailer. The documentary was screened recently for veterans and their families at Benovia Winery, in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley.
About Benovia Winery
Set amidst the magical Santa Rosa Plains in the heart of Sonoma’s Russian River Valley, Benovia Winery is family-owned and dedicated to making exquisite, small-production Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Committed to sustainable farming, Benovia’s vines are planted high-density to conserve natural resources and produce balanced, elegant wines. Benovia was founded in 2002 by husband & wife, Joe Anderson & Mary Dewane, and the winery’s distinctive name is a blend of their fathers’ names: Ben and Novian. With an innate ability to combine skill, experience and his own intuition, Benovia’s winemaker & co-owner Mike Sullivan grew up in Santa Rosa, and helped farm his parents’ Sonoma Mountain vineyard before earning a degree in enology. He is passionate about Russian River Valley terroir. Described as “unassumingly chic,” Benovia’s tasting room is in a renovated Ranch House, surrounded by the estate’s Martaella Vineyard, which was once a quarter horse ranch. Modernized while retaining much of its original feel, it’s among the best places in Sonoma County to enjoy a seated, by-appointment tasting on the deck overlooking the vineyard, or by the cozy fireplace. Tours of the winery and seasonal vineyard tours can also be booked. Reservations are required: www.benoviawinery.com. Benovia Winery is located at 3339 Hartman Lane in Santa Rosa, CA and can be found on social media @benoviawinery.
