BENEDICT, Michael

Michael Benedict, 2019

Michael Benedict

BENEDICT, Michael (1940-2023), research associate at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden who, from 1964-1968 lived on Santa Cruz Island as director of the University of California Santa Cruz Island Reserve. In 1964 he rediscovered the rare Santa Cruz island endemic bush mallow (Malacothamnus fasciculatus var. nesioticus) on a steep bank above the adobe bunkhouse at Christy Ranch. Ralph Hoffmann last reported it in June 1930. E. L. Greene made the type collection on Santa Cruz Island in 1886. Benedict visited all eight California Channel Islands.

• 1981 Moran, Reid and Michael Benedict Dudleya pachyphytum of Isla Cedros, Mexico Cactus and Succulent Journal 53(3):132-36, May-June 1981

In the News~

September 8, 2019 [Fortune]: “Some of California’s Most Famous Wines Came from a Science Experiment. Michael Benedict’s research led to his founding the first vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills. Starting out as a research specialist at the University of California at Santa Barbara in the late 1960s, botanist Michael Benedict had no idea that his studies of the ocean’s effect on plants would lead him to found one of California’s most famous vineyards, Sanford & Benedict, in the Santa Ynez Valley, 48 years ago. It would not only provide the fruit for the future Sanford Winery but also lay the foundation for the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, known for its Pinot Noir. “The region has exploded, far beyond anything I had expected,” Benedict says of the area and its now highly sought-after Pinot Noir. “There’s pleasure in discovering that something you believed in strongly turns out to be true.” And it all began with a science experiment. As a young scientist, Benedict served as the inaugural resident manager of the University of California Research Station on Santa Cruz Island, one of the eight Channel Islands off the coast of California. Santa Cruz Island, visible from Santa Barbara, lies 23 miles offshore. There, he studied the effect of the surrounding ocean on native flora, known as the marine influence, which would later become a defining characteristic of some of the world’s most renowned wine regions. At the time, though, that wasn’t obvious. Not until Benedict learned that in the late 1800s vineyards flourished on the island did he realize he might be onto something. In the 19th century, the island’s winery and vineyard produced some of the wines most favored by Californians. The finished wines were shipped north in barrels and were served at fine-dining restaurants in San Francisco for more than 30 years before being shut down during Prohibition. “Because the vines had been cultivated for many years, a mound has accumulated where each vine had grown,” Benedict says. “The pattern of these mounds was still easy to see. The old winery buildings were still present. All of this prompted the question: How did good wine grapes grow so close to the cold, foggy ocean?” It has to do with the mountains surrounding a valley near the ocean. Benedict explains that the marine layer of cold, foggy ocean air typically hangs 1,200 feet to 1,500 feet above the surface of the water. That will penetrate land until it runs up against a barrier, such as a mountain range, that is higher. Beyond that barrier, air will be cool and dry but lacking the moisture. On Santa Cruz Island, a 2,000-foot mountain range created that barrier and allowed for the perfect environment to grow wine grapes—a valley with cool, dry air. Putting two and two together, Benedict developed a model for an ideal vineyard environment with the marine layer influence. Armed with that information, he set off on a mission: to find a similar environment in which to plant a vineyard somewhere along the West Coast of North America. With his vines growing in a nursery, he traveled from the Todos Santos Valley in Baja California, Mexico, to the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada, looking for land. It was in his own backyard with friend Richard Sanford that he pinpointed the best location: a ranch in Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley.

Nestled between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the San Rafael Mountains, this valley runs east to west compared with most of California’s valleys, which go north to south. The east-west orientation allows for cool, dry air to linger in the valley, offering plenty of sunshine and a long growing season. Luckily, the ranch also had the best soil—an ocean-based shale—of any of the locations Benedict had visited, and it was, surprisingly, available for purchase. In his mind, he had struck gold. From there, he focused on planting vines and harvesting grapes—hardly a straightforward process. At the time, in the 1970s, Napa Valley was in full swing with its Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon prospering. The varieties were also growing in popularity with consumers. Some wineries in Santa Ynez Valley had planted the varieties, but to Benedict, the resulting wines didn’t have quite the same impact as their Napa Valley counterparts. He reasoned it had to do with the climate and set about trying another variety, Pinot Noir, a red grape known for its use in heralded wines from the Burgundy region of France. “The clue was the climate of Burgundy, not of California,” Benedict says of discovering why most California producers ignored Pinot Noir. “The conventional California vineyards were just far too hot for Pinot to produce a balanced wine.”

The Pinot Noir from his vineyard quickly proved that his hunch was true. Today, some of the best American Pinot Noir hails from the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, and grapes from the 51-acre Sanford & Benedict Vineyard are in demand. They are, after all, the oldest Pinot Noir plantings in Santa Barbara’s wine region. Benedict was also ahead of his time when he originally planted the vines: He created a basin around the root of each vine to serve as a natural irrigation system, aided by the water-holding properties of the vineyard’s deep soil; this reduces the water waste that would result from a more elaborate irrigation system. Nesting sanctuaries around the vineyard attract birds who help control pests, and composting helps foster the microbiome of the soil. “Michael’s early work and ideas have been an inspiration,” says John Terlato, vice chairman of the Terlato Wine Group, which has been the managing partner of the vineyard and Sanford Winery since 2005. “His vision was to produce great wines, and he too believed—and verified through his research—that great wines come from great vineyards.”

Expressions of the vineyard’s fruit are best experienced in the Sanford Winery’s portfolio, which includes a vineyard-designate Pinot Noir, block-specific bottlings, a founders’ series that uses fruit from the vineyard’s oldest vines, and a blanc de noirs sparkling wine. “Our winemaking is focused on showing the potential of the vineyard,” Terlato says of the team’s minimal-intervention approach. “We place the vineyard at the forefront and farm it intelligently, thoughtfully, and sustainably, and then present wines that are precise, balanced, seamless, and structured.”

It would be easy for Benedict to sit back and gaze upon his creation, but that’s not his personality. Instead, he’s interested in constant innovation, especially with the support of Terlato Wine Group. Now a consulting winegrower, he continues to work closely with the team at the vineyard and winery as well as make wine for other estates, including Lavender Oak in Buellton, Calif. He points out that at Lavender Oak, the wine model pulls from another world-class European region: Merlot from Pomerol in Bordeaux.

“Our Santa Ynez Valley is almost magical in its ability to produce everything from fine Champagne-like sparklers to Rhône-like Syrahs,” he says. “[The future holds] all great things for Santa Barbara County wines.”

July 7, 2023 [Independent]: “Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Co-Founder Michael Benedict Has Died.Renowned Botanist and Vineyard Pioneer Changed Santa Barbara County’s Wine Industry. Michael Benedict, the botanist who co-founded Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in 1971 and forever changed Santa Barbara County’s wine industry, died this week. He was 83 years old, and the cause was melanoma.

Benedict and Richard Sanford planted their vineyard in the early 1970s, eventually proving that pinot noir could thrive in the valleys between Buellton and Lompoc. Their discovery drew global attention and energized the region. In 2001, the surrounding area became federally designated as the Sta. Rita Hills, which is now considered one of the best places for pinot noir on the planet. Sanford & Benedict Vineyard still exists, and many of the original vines continue to produce highly coveted grapes every vintage. “The wine industry sort of found me rather than the other way around,” said Benedict in 2020. He started his professional life as an academic, living and studying the botany of Santa Cruz Island, where he learned that the island’s main valley was once home to a substantial vineyard and winery in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. “I was interested in how this could happen so close to the ocean,” he explained. “Everyone knew that wine requires lots of sunshine and lots of warmth.” He realized that, while the overall climate was moderated by the sea, the island’s small mountain ranges protected the valley from overwhelming maritime influence. He pondered where that might apply to the mainland, and realized the east-to-west lying Santa Ynez Valley might possess similar attributes.

He was sailing quite a bit at that time with Sanford, and their wealthy friends agreed to back a vineyard venture if they found the right place. In 1970, they purchased vines from the original DeMattei-Nielson Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley and planted a four-acre nursery at Betty Williams’ farm, which became Buttonwood. Then they started hunting for an ideal location, from British Columbia and Oregon to Northern California and Baja California. They kept coming back to the western reaches of the Santa Ynez Valley, which opens directly onto the cold Pacific Ocean. “From that point on, it was kind of luck,” said Benedict. “Lo and behold, halfway between Buellton and Lompoc, there was this big ranch that hadn’t been farmed since World War II.” That property became known as the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard. Within a few years, the vineyard’s pinot noir, planted in 1973, won wide critical praise — especially that first commercial vintage of 1976, which writer Robert Balzer popularized in his article “American Grand Cru in a Lompoc Barn.”

When Sanford left to start his own winery in 1980, Benedict kept managing the vineyard and selling grapes for the next decade. After his original investors passed away, Benedict and the remaining interests sold the property in 1990. He retired to Yankee Farm near Hope Ranch in Santa Barbara, raised his daughter, Morgan, and spent much of his time in Mexico. “I never completely left the wine industry,” explained Benedict, who would often offer his advice to vintners. In recent years, he’d spent more time at the old Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, advising the current owner of Sanford Winery, John Terlato, and winemaker Trey Fletcher.

In 2010, he began consulting for Lavender Oak Winery on the eastern end of Santa Rosa Road, where the owners wanted to plant a vineyard. Again hitting the climate and geologic research, Benedict discovered that this warmer, clay-rich pocket of the Santa Ynez Valley was most like Pomerol in Bordeaux, France, home to the world’s best merlot, bolstered by just the right amount of cabernet franc. Merlot became the winery’s flagship grape.

Benedict’s path into wine was always rooted in his Santa Cruz Island experiences, which remained a beloved part of his memories throughout his life. According to Marla Daily of the Santa Cruz Island Foundation, Benedict was the first director of the University of California’s Santa Cruz Island Reserve, from 1964 to 1968, and even rediscovered a small population of the rare Santa Cruz Island endemic bush mallow that had been lost since 1930. In 1996, Benedict became member #36 of the All Eight Club, meaning that he’d set foot on all eight California Channel Islands. “It was Michael’s vast knowledge of botany, geology, and climate that led him to investigate the possibilities of growing grapes in various local geographical regions,” said Daily, who knew him for more than half of a century.

Though they were not close for many years, Benedict’s former business partner Richard Sanford said that they made a good team in the early days, with Michael’s botany skills and his own geology and geography background. “Sanford & Benedict Vineyard was a great adventure,” said Sanford.

Michael Benedict is survived by his daughter, Morgan Benedict. ”

July 11, 2023 [The Wine Spectator]: “Santa Barbara Pioneer Michael Benedict Dies at 83. Co-founder of Sanford & Benedict helped pave the way for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Sta. Rita Hills. Vintner Michael Benedict, who co-founded and planted the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in what is now the Sta. Rita Hills appellation of Santa Barbara in the 1970s, passed away on July 3 from melanoma. Benedict was also a botanist, mathematician, conservationist and expert sailor. He was 83.

Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is one of California's most renowned vineyards, and it helped draw attention to the potential of wine in Santa Barbara County and the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, in particular. Wine Spectator recently recognized it as one of the best vineyards for Chardonnay in California.

“He was an incredibly kind, generous, authentic human being,” said John Terlato, whose family currently owns and farms the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard. “He had an incredible impact on me. I'm going to miss the man.”

“Like most young people, I first got interested in wine and beer in college,” Benedict told Wine Spectator earlier this year. By the late 1960s, Benedict was working as a botanist with the University of California Santa Barbara. He was enjoying his passion for sailing when he met both his future vineyard partner, geologist Richard Sanford, and an investor who told the men, “If you guys want to start a vineyard, I will finance your startup,” recalled Benedict.

“I leapt at the opportunity since I wanted to be a farmer. I was an academic. I was on the faculty and had a wonderful job, maybe one of the best jobs in the whole university system—running the research station out on Santa Cruz Island.” There Benedict discovered a pre-Prohibition vineyard and small wine industry, just off of the coast of Santa Barbara, which opened his eyes to the region's potential.

Benedict did plenty of research before deciding where to plant, driving up and down the western coast. He kept an eye on the thermometer in his car, focusing on daytime high temperatures. “I drove up and down the Okanagan Valley, and the Columbia River going up to Spokane, and Northern Oregon,” explained Benedict. But he also realized something else he was looking for: “I didn't want to [plant vineyards] where somebody else had already done it. Why follow in somebody else's footsteps? That didn't interest me at all as much as the challenge of finding a new place in Santa Barbara County, which I knew had to exist because of the three valleys open to the ocean—the ocean has an effect that makes them nice and cool.”

Benedict brought in other wine industry professionals, including professors from U.C. Davis to help him assess his choice. They all told him it was too cold to plant grapevines there. But Benedict wasn't fazed. “I'm interested in other people's opinions, but I don't act on other people's opinions . . . unless I think it's a good opinion.”

Sanford and Benedict first planted vines in 1971, hand-drilling 50,000 holes with a two-man auger. The wines that they made in the mid-1970s captured the attention of wine lovers, and were the first examples of what the region is capable of. The duo worked together for a decade before parting ways. Winemaker Richard Sanford would open his namesake winery in 1981, and launched Alma Rosa Winery in 2005, cementing his importance in the region.

The vineyard is currently owned by Terlato Wine Group (which also owns Sanford Winery), and John Terlato is particularly passionate about the site. About a decade ago, Benedict walked into the Sanford tasting room and introduced himself. “He felt we were committed to bringing the true potential of Sanford & Benedict,” said Terlato. The two became friends.

Terlato describes talking to Benedict for hours, going over the details about how the vineyard came to be, calling Benedict a visionary with an inexhaustible curiosity. “He was kind, he had a good heart. His instinct was to share. He was a dear friend, and a remarkable human being.” ”

September 18, 2023 [The Independent]: “The history of wine in Santa Barbara County wouldn’t be the same without Michael Benedict. Michael had the dirt on wine and the wine on dirt. Literally. Nobody knew more than Michael about how and where grapes grow best, and nobody did more to establish vineyards that produce outstanding wines in the Santa Ynez Valley — and especially in the Santa Rita Hills AVA (American Viticultural Area).

Some of the world’s best pinot noir, chardonnay, and other wines are made from grapes grown on the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, which Michael first planted with business partner Richard Sanford in early 1971. Sanford & Benedict wines, loved in their time, are legendary today.

Michael Benedict died in July at age 83 of melanoma. He was active and engaged with work right up to the end, and he leaves behind many friends and loved ones, including Margaret Daley — his companion and collaborator of many years — and their daughter, Morgan Benedict.

The stories about Michael as a wine guy are many. You can read them in Wine Spectator, Wine Industry Advisor, Wine Enthusiast, Fortune, Stories of the Vine, Gabe Saglie, The Grape Collective, RJonWine, Noozhawk, and many other places, including the Independent.

The vineyard at Sanford & Benedict | Credit: Doc Searls But Michael was far more than a wine guy. Born in Santa Monica, he became a sailor as a youth, served in the Naval Reserve, and lived on a boat in Santa Barbara when he went to UCSB, at first to study mathematics. He switched to botany after taking a course on California’s native flora.

He began work as a botanist at UCSB in marine sciences and served as the first resident manager of the university’s Field Station on Santa Cruz Island, in 1966. (The station later became the Santa Cruz Island Reserve, and it joined the UC Natural Reserve System in 1972.) This was during a time when Santa Cruz and other large islands off California’s South Coast were still owned by ranches that were gradually finding their way into the hands of the Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service. This migration of ownership was a process Michael helped guide, thanks to his strong and respectful relationships with all parties involved, including ranchers on the islands.

His work as a botanist also stretched far down the coast, into Baja California and out into the islands off that coast. It was there, on Isla de Cedros, that he discovered Dudleya pachyphytum, a rare and “undescribed” plant also called the Cedros Island liveforever. He and Reid Moran described the plant and its conditions in Cactus and Succulent Journal of America in 1981.

At that time, Michael was a research associate of the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, to which he contributed many acquisitions to the garden’s herbarium and living collections, while also serving for a time on its board. He led or participated in botanical explorations of every Channel Island. Among his many findings was a rare species of Malvaceae (or mallow) that was thought to be extirpated (gone from a native region). In Baja California, he also rediscovered a Dudleya relative, still undescribed.

Michael was also fond of deserts and was instrumental in commercial use of species such as Salvia cedrosensis “Baja Blanca,” Malva assurgentiflora x M. venosa “La Purisima,” and Corethrogyne filaginifolia “Smart Aster.”

In the 1980s, Michael helped start the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County and served as chair of its first board. He later served on the County Planning Commission, working on mitigation plans for the All-American Pipeline in the County. In all these roles, he always advocated a balance between the competing needs for environmental conservation, open space, agriculture, business, and urban growth.

I met Michael when he and my wife, Joyce, were both on the board of the Waldorf School of Santa Barbara, and Morgan and our son Jeffrey were both students there. We have been good friends with Michael, Margaret, and Morgan ever since.

Michael and I shared a deep interest in geology, another subject of his vast knowledge. I remember standing under some oaks behind the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard (which he and Margaret always called “The Ranch”). There Michael, between pauses to name and describe one plant after another, told me that Monterey shale, best exposed in the cliffs above the Santa Barbara shoreline, was host to the region’s oil reserves at the coast while also contributing ideal soil to vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills.

Near where we stood were houses, built as Sears kit-homes a century before. None were in their original locations. “Michael moved them,” Margaret told me. “His competence was equal to any challenge.” When he and Margaret first lived there, they lit their spaces with kerosene lamps and employed the reservoirs, channels, and culverts Michael built to capture, store, and move water for domestic use and to cool the winery. Later, Michael routed electrical and telephone lines half a mile from Santa Rosa Road up to the house and office. I have treasured memories of picnics at that site and in “The Barn” nearby, where Michael made the vineyard’s first wines.

There is so much more I’d like to say, but space here is limited, so I’ll give Margaret the last word:

It’s hard to explain how deep Michael’s connection was with the earth, his profound ability to integrate the diverse disciplines of the natural world, how those melded into an understanding of the natural conditions in a place, and how that place would best be used in ways that are both beautiful and respectful of the whole environment. Michael had a persistent sense of wonder, and he patiently encouraged us all to have the same.”