Ep 12: Veterans in Wine: Ben Martin of Dauntless Wine Co. and Williamette Valley Pinot Noir

Ben served as an Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) crewman with the 7th Marine regiment out of 29 Palms, CA. After his enlistment, Ben enrolled in colleg where he found a passion for small business and eventually propelled him into agency work and brand management. In 2012, Ben helped launch a pilot nonprofit aimed at rehabilitating veterans through permaculture which showed promise that agriculture can be an alternative treatment for Veterans suffering from PTSD and TBI. Looking for inspiration, he found that the French Foreign Legion houses over 100 aging Legionaries on a vineyard chateau where they grow grapes, make wine, and find peace. Ben wondered – "Why not here?" Soon after, the idea of veteran viticulture re-emerged during a Walla-Walla wine trip with co-founders Ryan Mills and Paul Warmbier which led to the launch of Dauntless Wine Company.

In this episode, Ben walks us through how he fell in love with wine and how learning the parallels between wine and agriculture sparked his interest in it. He also shares the story behind Dauntless Wine Co., and lets us in on the rich history of the featured wines he has brought for us today. 

[00:01 - 09:47] Opening Segment 

• I introduce our guest for this episode
• Ben shares about his wine story
• • Wine as part of soldier’s culture
  • Parallels of soldiering to farming 
• Launching a nonprofit 

[09:48 - 18:58] From Wine Enthusiast to Wine Entrepreneur 

• Learning that wine making is agriculture driven
• How Dauntless came to be 
• Merging military history and wine 
• Join my wine club and connect with other wine lovers! 
• • See link below

[18:59 - 32:56] Let’s talk about Wine 

• 2020 Pinot Gris 
• • Ben shares a little wine history about the battle of Trenton 
  • Bet talk about experiencing fires in Willamette Valley 
• 2018 Sherman Syrah
• • Named after the Sherman tank
  • One of the most iconic tanks of World War II
  • Best pairing for Syrah 
• 2018 Battle Taxi Pinot Noir
• • Using cloned grapes
  • Named after 113 ABC, the first all aluminum armored personnel carrier
  • Classic pairing for Pinot Noir

[32:57 - 38:02] Closing Segment

• Favorite Wine
• Got-to pairing
• Favorite wine resource
• Connect with Ben
• • See links below 
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“ And we wanted something to be more encompassing, that embodied all time periods, and veterans of all statuses from all eras.” - Ben Martin

Connect with Ben through Instagram, and Facebook! You can also check out his website at www.dauntless wine.co. 

Let’s continue the Everyday Wine Conversations and connect with me through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. You can also check out my website at ​www.​klevywineco.com.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! LEAVE A REVIEW + help us get the word out there! Share this podcast to someone who wants to join the wine conversations. Go ahead and take a screenshot, share this to your stories, and tag me on Instagram! 

JOIN THE CLUB through this link and handpick wines every month, from up and coming wineries, winemaker owned brands and wineries with unique stories while supporting those wineries directly. You can also join our Facebook Group to connect with other wine lovers, get special tips and tricks, and take your wine knowledge to a whole new level.