Co-founder and Winemaker

Ben fell in love with wine through the influence of a few good mentors while working retail wine sales in New York. He moved to California and worked his first vintage at C Donatiello Winery in Healdsburg, California in 2008. After experiences in the lab and cellar in the Russian River Valley and Dry Creek Valley in California, Ben returned to Virginia in 2012 to become the winemaker at Michael Shaps Wineworks. He moved to Early Mountain Vineyards in the summer of 2015 where he served as winemaker as well as crafting the Midland wines (from his family’s Mount Airy vineyard) and the Lightwell Survey Wines. In Summer of 2022, Ben co-founded Common Wealth Crush Co. where he is currently winemaking and running operations.