Benovia Winery Names Industry Veteran Josh Trowbridge as New General Manager

Josh Trowbridge, Benovia Winery’s New GM

Josh Trowbridge becomes Benovia Winery’s General Manager. Trowbridge was CEO and General Manager of Tonnellerie Ô, a premium cooperage in Northern California that serves top wineries in the state and around the world. Trowbridge built deep commercial experience earlier in his career and knows the business from the ground up, having spent a summer working in the cellar at St. Francis Winery & Vineyards and completing a harvest with the cellar team at Williams Selyem in the late 1990s. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a B.A. in Political Science and earned an MBA from Sonoma State. Josh has donated time and resources to several organizations including Habitat for Humanity and 4H.

“I first fell in love with wine while I was in college, and from the beginning my aspiration was simple: to help make wine and share it with others. My career has taken me across the wine industry – from the cellar to the commercial side, from wholesaler to supplier, and ultimately into executive leadership – but that original goal has never changed,” said Josh Trowbridge, Benovia Winery’s new GM. “Stepping into the role of General Manager at Benovia represents the culmination of that journey. This is a winery with exceptional vineyards, a purpose-built facility, and a deeply committed team that takes pride in the Benovian ethic of hard work, quality, care, and community. I’m honored by the trust Joe Anderson and Mary Dewane have placed in me, and I look forward to building on the strong foundation already in place while working closely with the team and our partners as Benovia enters its next chapter.”

“My wife Mary Dewane and I remain dedicated to Benovia Winery and the team we’ve built here, and Josh Trowbridge’s strong leadership will allow Mary and me to take a step back from day-to-day management. Josh has a proven track record of financial and team-building success, and his experience will be a huge asset to the winery,” added Joe Anderson, Benovia Winery’s Co-Founder & Chairman.

Mike Sullivan

Mike Sullivan has left his role as Winemaker of Benovia Winery but is remaining in place as the winery’s Consulting Winemaker. As Consulting Winemaker, Mike Sullivan will be responsible for developing a custom crush plan, new grape contracts, and collaborating on blending trials.

“Mike’s dedication, intuition and craftsmanship have helped to hone wines of exceptional character – each vintage a testament to experience earned and passion refined. The team looks forward to working together to continue creating excellent wines under the Benovia label,” said Joe Anderson, Co-Founder and Chairman of Benovia Winery. “Mike has been an integral part of Benovia’s success. Over his twenty years with us he oversaw the planting or replanting of 60 acres at three different estate sites, supervised the design of our technically advanced winery, and most importantly he crafted world class wine.”

Adolfo Hernandez, Benovia Winery’s New Winemaker

Adolfo Hernandez has been promoted to Winemaker. He has been the team’s Associate Winemaker for eight years. A well-respected seasoned winemaker, he has been honored by Sonoma Magazine as a “Top Trendsetting Winemaker to Watch,” and was also distinguished by Wine Enthusiast as a “Latinx expert changing the face of American wine.”

Adolfo has a unique background. His family moved from California to Saudi Arabia for his father’s career, and Adolfo helped his family make wine at home for their ex-pat community. That early love of winemaking turned into a journey that has led Adolfo to key roles with Araujo Estate (now known as Eisele Vineyard), Checkerboard Vineyards, and Pahlmeyer. He earned a B.S. in Biological Sciences, Molecular and Cellular, from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and he also holds an MBA from Sonoma State University.

“Becoming Benovia Winery’s Winemaker is a dream come true,” said Adolfo Hernandez. “For the past eight years I’ve worked closely with Mike Sullivan, Joe Anderson, and Mary Dewane. We have stunning sustainably farmed estate vineyards, a top-notch winery, and a loyal following. I’m thrilled to partner with our expert Vineyard Manager Chris Kangas and the rest of the team to carry on the exceptional winemaking Mike Sullivan started here 20 years ago and take it to even greater heights.”

Megan Koolmees, Benovia Winery’s New DTC Director

Megan Koolmees is Benovia’s new DTC Director (Direct-to-Consumer) after three and a half years as the winery’s passionate, hands-on Tasting Room Manager. Megan first fell in love with wine while living in Paris and studying French Philosophy and Literature. She is a Certified Sommelier and earned a WSET Level 3 with Merit while working as a Sommelier in Los Angeles, before joining the tasting room teams at Tablas Creek Vineyard and Turley Wine Cellars in Paso Robles.