Randy Bennett started as Sojourn’s Assistant Winemaker in 2008. He is now responsible for making all the Sojourn wines and overseeing cellar operations and vineyard management activities. He works closely with our growers and cellar crew to achieve Erich’s vision for the wines each vintage. Randy is also Sojourn’s General Manager, running the day-to-day operations of our production, marketing, and business operations.

Randy’s introduction to winemaking came under the tutelage of Thomas Brown and Mike Smith while working in the wine caves of Nicholson Ranch in Sonoma. Randy was introduced to the art of making distinctive high-end wines during his time helping Thomas and Mike, as they produced wines for Schrader Cellars, Rivers-Marie, Myriad Cellars, Tamber Bey, and Nicholson Ranch.

Before entering the wine business, Randy received a degree in Business Information Systems from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and worked for 13 years at Accenture, leading large-scale business transformation projects for major financial services firms. Although a very different career, this experience prepared him to pursue his passion for wine and to successfully manage the myriad of challenges that face an enterprising young winery. Randy, his wife Lindsay, and their two children live in the town of Sonoma.