Here in Roswell and around the world, heroes have emerged during these most unusual times. Meet two heroes who have done so much for so many and who continue to give unabashedly: Chris Benziger of Benziger Family Winery and Tribute Wines, and Jamie Benziger of Imagery Estate Wines. 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, and right here, one glass at a time.
The Benziger family legacy began in the early 1970s when Mike and his wife Mary left White Plains, New York and moved to California to support their eldest son in building the family winery. The family legacy not only lies in the creation of organic, biodynamic vineyards that produce globally renowned wines but, it is rooted in the loving and generous, dynamic duo of winemaking Chris Benziger and his incredible niece, Jamie.
I reached out to my California friends at the beginning of April 2020 with an idea of how they could take a pivotal role in helping many local Atlanta charities survive the pandemic. 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, to check in on one another, virtually. It was a great success but it did not stop there.
Over the last three years, the Benziger family 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 and Jamie 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, ADL, and Two Sparrows Village had enriched their lives beyond measure and challenged them to do even more in our world to benefit others.
During 2020 and 2021 there were more than 800 guests at virtual wine tastings across Atlanta with thousands of bottles of wine donated helping to raise critical funds for so many worthy organizations. Funds raised in conjunction with the Benziger’s generosity were the very lifeline needed to keep the doors open at many non-profits in our city.
Recently, Chris and Jamie came to Atlanta for a visit and had a chance to meet some of the incredible members of our non-profit community. In true Benziger fashion, Chris and Jamie arrived with cases of estate wines - wines that typically never leave the vineyard, to share with all of their new friends. A beautiful wine tasting was held at the Capital Grille in Dunwoody. During this evening of fellowship, everyone who gathered had a chance to express their gratitude for what the Benziger Family of Wines had done to ensure their individual and collective success throughout the pandemic.
The Benziger's steadfast determination and commitment to helping some of Georgia’s most deserving charity organizations has set them apart from everyone else, in any industry, ever. They are two of America’s greatest heroes and we are all just a little better having met them!