Over the last number of years, Chris Benziger has been uniting people, over wine, to benefit some of Georgia’s finest non-profit organizations. Whether hosting virtual or in-person wine tastings for hundreds of people, sponsoring classic fundraising events, or virtual charity broadcast dine-along television, Chris along with his niece Jamie Benziger, of Imagery Estate Wines (yes, they are all incredible vintners), are 100% committed to the goodness of Georgia’s non-profit organizations. It was as if supporting organizations like Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance, Georgia Lawyers of the Arts, Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, Les Dames d’Escoffier International, EDIN, and ADL (Anti-Defamation League) had enriched their lives beyond measure and challenged them both to do even more in our world to benefit others.
It so happens that I reached out to my California friends at the beginning of April 2020 with a curious idea of how they could take a pivotal role in helping many local charities survive the pandemic. Our country had just shut down, and people were scared. What about the future? Some of my favorite charities were already beginning to feel the effects of the initial shutdown; something had to be done. Since we were all using Zoom anyway, it seemed only logical that we could apply the technology to wine tastings. Chris and Jamie’s simple gesture of sharing their wines brought our giving communities together to enjoy, laugh, sip, and most importantly, check in on one another, virtually. It was a great success but it would not stop there.
What’s up next for Chris? Well, he is headed to Fayetteville to host an incredible evening of food, fun, and fundraising all to benefit Fayette County’s own Two Sparrows Village. This November 17th, Chris Benziger is hosting the 2nd Annual Bird Bash in support of Two Sparrows Village at Christian City. This curated wine and culinary event is being held at Town Stage at Trillith and will feature ENZO STEAKHOUSE & BAR, Fayetteville’s newest fine dining Italian restaurant, in partnership with some of Sonoma County’s favorite wines.
“Food and wine are two of the elixirs of life,” said Chris, “getting people together to celebrate around food & wine, while championing a good cause like Two Sparrows Village, is a fun way to make people aware of an issue and give them an avenue to help.”
Recently, Chris and Jamie both came to Atlanta for a visit and had a chance to meet some of the incredible members of Georgia’s charity community. In true Benziger fashion, the dynamic duo arrived with cases of estate wines from their vineyards, and an impromptu in-person wine tasting was held, gathering new and old friends together for the first time in a long while. Both Chris and Jamie have been working tirelessly to change our world; taking their love of wine and spreading a message of charity and hope across the nation, one glass of deliciousness at a time.
During this evening of fellowship, the people who gathered had a chance to express their gratitude for everything that the Benziger Family of Wines had done to ensure their individual and collective success. Two Sparrows Village founder, Jennifer Conforti happened to speak with Chris about his connection to the special needs community. “We have several friends that have children that have autism,” said Chris, “and we need to be proactive in our approach to the world we want to live in, meaning we need to actually get up and do something and not just talk about it.” Needless to say, Two Sparrows Village's approach ‘to providing a supportive living environment for adults with intellectual disabilities within an inclusive community,’ empowered Chris to help make a difference right here in our own backyard.
“Giving is one of the most basic tenets of a functioning society,” said Benziger, “we can judge the merits of a community on how well they take care of those that might need a helping hand.” Join Chris Benziger and all of Fayette County as we gather to celebrate Two Sparrows Village at Christian City and let’s all do our part to make this world a better place. Just be a Chris and imagine how good it must feel to help people that need help the most. Let's all make a bigger difference, together.
