CWA - What interests you about wine?
Benjamin Silver - The complexity of the finished product. It tells a story about a grape in a particular vineyard's soil, in a particular year, fermented & aged by a certain winemaker.
CWA - What can you tell us about your winemaking style?
Benjamin Silver - I strive for complete balance, with enough acidity, fruit & tannin structure to maintain through longer barrel aging. Therefore, my wines seem to appeal most fondly to old world palates.
CWA – Do you feel SB County is a good environment for growing Italian varietals? Why?
Benjamin Silver - Yes, in Santa Barbara County we have cool, medium, medium warm, and warm mesoclimates. The Italian varietals grow best in the cool, medium and medium warm spots.
CWA – What is the most important factor in making a great wine?
Benjamin Silver - Besides the right varietal in the right location with the right soil.......A vineyard manager that's obsessed with growing grapes that result in a great wine vs someone growing the best-looking grapevines.
CWA – Is helpful to have a science/chem background when you start making wine? 
Benjamin Silver - Definitely, not only for understanding wine chemistry but also for maintaining a cellar & maintaining happy wines.
CWA - Is there any advice you wish you got before you started making wine?
Benjamin Silver - Never start your own winery without a partner that is equally obsessed with sales and marketing as you are with wine-making.
CWA - Do you have any favorite wine publications/websites/social media sites you follow?
CALIFORNIA WINERY ADVISOR and the Delectable app is very cool for remembering wines you drank & your notes about them.
CWA - How do you feel about the current wine rating system? Do you feel it helps consumers with their wine buying decisions?
Benjamin Silver - I think it sucks. The few people controlling the top wine media are not helping with the education of the consumer by using a point system, that's solely for Retail Sales.
Matching people & their preferences (due to their density of taste buds) is far more important than a score. It gives people an area or group of wines to explore that they'll enjoy.
Wine is meant to be used as a tool in different drinking scenarios, dependent on the varietal, alcohol level, and style. That's why people crave suggested pairings.
Teaching the difference between sipping wines as an aperitif or dessert wine vs. having the understanding of what a "Table" wine really is, should be goal #1 for the public.
CWA - What were the last two truly memorable wines (that weren’t your own) you tasted?
Benjamin Silver - Gianni Brunelli 2006 Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva, and a cask sample of 2016 Le Ragnaie Brunello I tasted with the winemaker/owner.
CWA – Which of your current wines are you the most excited about?
Benjamin Silver - 2010 Trentotto File Syrah, it's still a baby.
CWA - Where can people taste your wine?
Benjamin Silver - In our tasting room at the winery in Santa Barbara.
CWA - Where can people buy your wine?
Benjamin Silver - Silverwines.com or in the tasting room. Besides CA, I'm distributed in MD/VA/DC, Alberta Canada, Japan & Switzerland.
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