Winemaker
Ted Bennett
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Philo, California, United States
i. Biography
Ted Bennett built Navarro Vineyards around a narrow brief: make wine from one place, over a long stretch of time, with patience and fidelity to the fruit. The estate in Philo, United States, is tied to a white-grape focus shaped by Alsace, and Bennett has kept that focus consistent since the beginning. As he put it, “I’ve always loved the wines of Alsace, particularly Gewurztraminer, so we started looking for some land to buy.” In trade terms, the work is defined by continuity, not expansion for its own sake.
The Path
Ted Bennett is the founder and owner of Navarro Vineyards, a role he has held since 1973. That kind of single-site tenure is not common in a business that often rewards movement and reinvention. Here, the value is in staying put long enough to learn the land closely and to build a house style that can hold steady across years.
The Work Today
That same property still frames the work, and the practical discipline behind it reads as deliberate rather than decorative. Bennett’s view of the market is direct: “At some point I realized that wine is sold bottle by bottle, not case by case, whether it's selling to a retailer or repeat customers.” The point is less romance than cadence; wine has to perform in the smallest unit of sale, consistently, until trust accumulates. The making itself remains hands-on. Bennett’s own description is simple: “One thing I have discovered in life is that I really enjoy crushing grapes.” It is a plain statement of craft preference, and it places him close to the raw material rather than at a distance from it.
Signature
Ted's signature wines include Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir Méthode à l'Ancienne, Cluster Select, Première Reserve, and Deep End. Read together, they show a portfolio anchored in place and in a clear preference for white wine, with Gewürztraminer carrying the strongest line back to the estate’s original direction.
In Their Words “At some point I realized that wine is sold bottle by bottle, not case by case, whether it's selling to a retailer or repeat customers.” “One thing I have discovered in life is that I really enjoy crushing grapes.”
Acclaim
His clearest craft marker is Gewürztraminer. In Bennett’s case, that grape links a stated admiration for Alsace to a long-running practical commitment in Philo, United States.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Ted
What is Ted Bennett's current role?
As of 2026, Ted Bennett is Founder and Owner.
What is Ted Bennett known for?
Gewürztraminer.
