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Raeburn Winery, Certified Sustainable, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, CA

Raeburn wines are handcrafted in our California Certified Sustainable Winery in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. We follow sustainable winemaking practices with water-efficient, low-impact farming. The result is exceptional handcrafted wine made with Sustainability, Respect and Responsibility.

Our Crew

Our Crew

Derek Benham Photo

Proprietor

Derek Benham

Derek was born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley. Derek spent his childhood summers working in the fields pulling weeds, harvesting potatoes, and trellising grapes, and he frequented the Sierras with his mother Phyllis, an ardent environmentalist and bird watcher. She was fearless, spending days in the mountains on her own with a young child and a notebook to record her wildlife and bird observations — all of which shaped Derek for the road ahead.

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Joe Tapparo Photo

Winemaker

Joe Tapparo

Raeburn Winemaker Joe Tapparo was raised in Sonoma County, surrounded by vineyards and wineries. As a young man, he helped his godfather plant a Pinot Noir vineyard in the Russian River Valley, his first exposure to this world-class winegrowing region. As he worked amongst the young vines, Joe daydreamed about the day that he would make his own wine.

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Our Land

Our Land

Sustainability

Sustainability

Respect and Responsibility

Raeburn Winery Founder, Derek Benham, was born to consummate birdwatcher and passionate naturalist, Phyllis Benham, who instilled within him a deep respect for nature.

Derek founded Raeburn Winery in Phyllis’ honor in 2012, with a mission to protect the thriving and diverse watersheds of the Russian River Valley she so loved and provide a safe habitat for grapes and creatures alike. As a further nod to Phyllis and our mission, we honor the graceful egret on our label, a common sight along local waterways.

Raeburn is made in a Certified California Sustainable Winery. Our system and set of beliefs reflect the best practices of sustainable production including mindful winemaking and low impact farming.

We run one of the most eco-friendly, water-efficient facilities in the industry. A canopy over the winery diverts rainwater (up to one million gallons annually) into Atascadero Creek, a federally protected salmon-spawning habitat. We collaborated with Tesla Energy to install Powerpack commercial batteries at the winery. In addition, we recycle 90% of all winery packaging materials.