Today we’d like to introduce you to Denise Besson.
Hi Denise , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
From Farmer’s Daughter to Professor to Winery Owner: Denise Besson’s Journey Back to Her Roots
Rooted in five generations of family, shaped by resilience, and fueled by a passion for bringing people together, Denise Besson’s journey has come full circle. What began in the fields of her childhood has grown into an award winning family winery, a community favorite, and a legacy that she didn’t set out to make.
“I was riding on a tractor and forklift with my father long before I even knew how to walk,” Besson recalls with a smile.
Growing up, she spent countless hours among acres of crops, from bell peppers and tomatoes to flowers and, her personal favorite, vineyards. She remembers watching her father lift heavy irrigation pipes with remarkable strength, lining them along the rows while she and her mother followed behind, connecting them one by one. As dusk settled over the fields, the water pressure would build, and the sprinklers would begin their familiar rotation.
Before the family could return home for the evening, there was one final task: checking every sprinkler to make sure none were clogged. Sometimes, that meant working well into the night. “These were early life lessons of hard work,” stated Besson. Yet beneath the beauty of the farms, there was a reality Besson would come to understand all too well; we were in the red more than we were in the black.
“I remember my parents sitting at the kitchen table every year, doing ‘the books,’ and it just never seemed to be in their favor,” she says. “There were holidays when we neither gave nor received gifts because there simply wasn’t enough money. Farming is unforgiving and mother nature is powerful. You work an entire year to get paid once. Imagine that, not getting a pay check all year long and then come harvest, an unexpected glassy winged sharp shooter or freeze wipes out your crop. All that blood, sweat, and tears for nothing,” stated Besson.
Her childhood gave her a deep appreciation for the land, but it also exposed her to the financial uncertainty that accompanied it. Her father wanted something different for his daughter. As she prepared to graduate from high school and leave for college, he encouraged her to pursue a different career rather than farming.
Besson took that advice to heart. She earned her master’s degree and entered higher education, ultimately becoming a college professor. Teaching offered an opportunity to give back to her community, serve others, and make a meaningful difference in the lives of her students. It was more than a profession; it was a calling.
For 30 years, she built a career around helping others discover their potential, encouraging them to find their voices, challenge themselves, and imagine possibilities beyond what they had known. She had followed her father’s advice and forged a life of her own, seemingly far removed from the uncertainty of farming.
Then, in 2013, life took an unexpected turn.
“I was blindsided,” Besson recalls. “Life has a way of changing its trajectory in ways you never anticipate or plan for.”
A divorce left her a single mother of two young daughters, and suddenly, the life she had carefully built looked entirely different. In the midst of uncertainty, she and her girls moved to one of the ranches her father farmed—a place deeply familiar to her, where her grandparents had once lived and where some of her most treasured childhood memories had been made.
What might have seemed like a return to the past became the beginning of an entirely new chapter.
She was raising her daughters in the middle of a vineyard, surrounded by the landscape that had shaped her earliest years. Their days were filled with simple, beautiful moments: walking among the vines while the girls rode their bicycles, dragonflies trailing behind them, and watching the seasons unfold as the vineyard leaves shifted in color.
There was something restorative about being back on the land. The place offered a sense of continuity at a time when so much else had changed. The vineyard was no longer simply a backdrop to childhood memories; it had become the setting in which she was rebuilding her life and creating new memories for her daughters.
In many ways, Besson had come full circle. But this time, she returned not as the little girl following her parents through the fields, but as a woman with an education, a career, two daughters to raise, and a renewed understanding of what family, resilience, and home truly meant.
And, as it turned out, the land had another chapter waiting for her..
A NEW HARVEST, A NEW BEGINNING, A NEW MAN
Just when Besson was beginning to find her footing again, life introduced another unexpected chapter—and another person who would help shape her future.
His name was James Fahey.
A divorcee himself, Fahey understood the disorienting experience of having life take an unforeseen turn. Yet he had arrived at a place in his healing that Besson was still working toward. He was passionate about life, passionate about wine, and, as it turned out, passionate about Besson.
A business major from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Fahey brought a business-minded perspective, an entrepreneurial spirit, and an enthusiasm for wine that complemented Besson’s own experiences and growing vision. What began as casual wine-tasting dates and afternoon lunches gradually evolved into hours of conversation, shared laughter, and the kind of connection that makes it possible to imagine a future different from the one you had once planned.
Their conversations were about more than wine. They were about life, possibility, and the unexpected blessings that can emerge from difficult circumstances. Day after day, Fahey reminded Besson of how fortunate she was to be living where she was, surrounded by the vineyards and familiar landscapes she had returned to after years away. The land she had once known as a little girl was now offering her something new: a place to heal, rediscover herself, and begin envisioning what might come next.
For Fahey and Besson, those conversations eventually moved beyond their personal lives and toward a shared vision. The vineyards, the family’s agricultural heritage, and their mutual passion for wine began to converge into something neither could have fully anticipated at the outset. The idea became a partnership, and the partnership became a plan.
In 2017, the vision shared by Fahey and Besson became a reality with the official opening of Besson Family Vineyards. For the first time in the family’s history dating back to 1925, wine was being bottled under the Besson family name. It was a milestone nearly a century in the making.
The winery’s tagline, “Home of the Century Old Vines,” paid tribute to the living history surrounding them. These vines were more than a source of grapes; they represented generations of agricultural knowledge, perseverance, and a family’s enduring relationship with the land.
“The experience of watching my parents struggle financially has never left me and I understand that working the land requires more than passion; it demands business sense, adaptability, unpredictability. That’s why James and I keep it petite boutique. We make 1500 cases or less a year. We don’t oversaturate our local market, we look at the demand and trends, and we adapt accordingly,” stated Besson..
What emerged was more than a place to go and enjoy wine, rather a family owned and operated winery built around hospitality and connection, wines that are estate grown or locally sourced grapes, and vineyard views that are breathtaking. .”When we opened nearly 10 years ago, we had just three varietals; our flagship Estate Syrah, Estate Chardonnay, and an Estate Rosé made from Syrah.
Today, Besson Family Vineyards offers 14 wine varietals, a white wine based hard seltzer line called DAMMIT JIMS, has earned multiple awards, been voted Best Winery by locals for three consecutive years, and cultivated a loyal following and wine club that appreciates great wine and service that makes you feel like family.
For Besson, the winery also represents an unexpected blending of the skills she developed throughout her life. The educator who spent years communicating, connecting with people, and building relationships now brings those same strengths to the business. She oversees the wine club, social media, and all business matters, Nearly all her servers are former students, many with graduate degrees working on the weekends for extra money or simply to work alongside Besson. “She was my favorite professor in college and I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to work alongside her at the winery.” stated Kylie Silvia.
The ability to tell a story, foster relationships, and bring people together—skills she cultivates in the classroom—has found a new home at the winery.
COMING FULL CIRCLE
Perhaps the greatest irony is that the life her father hoped to protect her from ultimately became the foundation for something she could never have imagined as a young girl riding beside him on a tractor.
He taught her that education would give her choices. Life taught her that even the most carefully laid plans can change. And the land taught her that sometimes, after the hardest seasons, something new can grow.
For Denise Besson, coming full circle has never meant going backward. It has meant returning to her roots with the wisdom, experience, and courage to create something new.
Today, as she watches family members work side by side, welcomes guests to the winery, and helps guide a business that continues to evolve, she is doing more than honoring the past. She is building a future in which the next generation can find its own place among the vines.
And that may be the most rewarding harvest of all.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Just two years after opening, COVID-19 pandemic forced our businesses to rethink nearly every aspect of how we were to operate. Shelter-in-place orders, social distancing, and restrictions on in-person gatherings meant that the traditional winery experience suddenly looked very different.
“Drive in and pick up your wine” became the new way of doing business. Customers wore face masks, transactions took place at a distance outdoors, and the simple pleasure of gathering with friends over a glass of wine was forbidden. It was a bizarre and challenging time to be in business, particularly for a small, family-owned winery whose identity was built around hospitality and bringing people together.
But the pandemic was only one hurdle. In the years since, the cost of producing wine has continued to climb. Corks, foil, glass bottles, labels, bottling services, and virtually every other component of the winemaking process have become more expensive. Each increase adds another layer of pressure to an industry already navigating shifting consumer habits and an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Then there is the conversation surrounding the next generation of wine drinkers. Headlines frequently point to declining wine consumption, particularly among younger adults, and the broader wine industry is feeling the effects. Sales have softened across California, leaving wineries of all sizes to reconsider how they connect with consumers and position themselves for the future.
Perhaps most importantly, the family has never believed that success means doing things the same way forever.
Recognizing changing tastes and the opportunity to reach a new generation of adult consumers, Fahey and Besson expanded their offerings with DAMMIT JIM’S Hard Seltzer, a white wine-based hard seltzer line that has developed a loyal following of its own. The product represents more than a new addition to the lineup; it reflects a willingness to listen to the market, think creatively, and embrace opportunities beyond traditional winemaking.
For Besson, adaptation is not simply a business strategy. It is a philosophy shaped by the experiences of her own life.
“I firmly believe that when you are faced with challenges, whether in your personal life or in business, there are always options and solutions,” she says. “You may not see them immediately, and they may require you to step outside your comfort zone, but you have to be willing to look at things differently and find another way to push forward.”
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
What do we specialize in –
Wines –
Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Estate Ancient Vine Grenache, 117 year old vines, Gold Winner, OC Commercial Wine Competition
Estate Old Vine Zinfandel, 105 year old vines, Gold Winner, OC Commercial Wine Competition
Estate Syrah, Flagship Wine, Double Gold Winner, OC Commercial Wine Competition
Specialty Drinks – Froze’ Blend Rose’ Drink – We have a Froze’ Club, People join the club and just come out to the winery for the froze’s, they’re that good! Club membership from March to October. AKA – Adult Slurpee!
DAMMIT JIMS Hard Seltzer – The only winery to offer a white wine based hard seltzer. Mango, Pineapple, Watermelon, Peach Bellini, Cherry Limeade, Seasonal Flavors – Spiced Apple and Blackberry Sangria. Can take them to go in 4-packs cans or growlers. Also can enjoy it from the tap at the winery.. We’re very proud of this line because it is so different, unique, and has its own cult following. Can join the wine club and do a mix match of wine and hard seltzer for your club selection.
We’re open two weekends a month from March to October / November and December one weekend a month. Strictly outdoor venue, weather permitting.
Kid and Dog friendly. Supervised at all times.
Caterer and live music available at every opening.
Can book private parties and events.
Website www.bessonfamilyvineyards.com to learn more about us. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Come out and support the winery at one of our weekend openings.
Book a private event and utilize our facility/winery.
Become a BFF with BFV! Join the wine club and receive 4 bottles quarterly.
Purchase bottles, growlers, cans to go or stay a while and enjoy live music, tastings, and food at the winery.
Bring our wine or hard seltzer into local restaurants and bars. Get the word out and pull strings.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bessonfamilyvineyards.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bessonfamilyvineyards/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bessonfamilyvineyard
Image Credits
Michael Hawk Photography and Good ol’ days Photography
