Louis Benoist Gardens

You may have seen some of roses that I’ve been posting here and on my "Where’s Pinchy" blog that were photographed at the Louis Benoist Gardens in Almaden Winery Neighborhood Park in San Jose.

It’s funny, but since seeing the gardens several years ago, it never occurred to me to find out exactly who this Louis Benoist was. Silly me.

Louis Benoist was one of the owners of Almaden Winery (I’m sure you’ve seen their wines in supermarkets), having purchased the winery with Brayton Wilbur from Charles M. Jones in 1940.

The winery was already well established, with its roots reaching all the way back to the days of the California gold rush, and having been previously owned by Paul Masson.

Benoist was a San Francisco businessman who revitalized the winery and expanded the reach of its vineyards. He sold the winery to National Distillers in 1967, who eventually turned the historic property into a showplace, creating the rose garden in 1941, and remodeling the original 1850 winery building that’s now used as a community center.

The wife and I love strolling around in the gardens whenever we visit our grandson, who lives just a block or so down the street.

So now, I know. And so do you.