5 Things You Need to Know About Bachelorette Season 7 Contestant Ben Flajnik

Ben Flajnik is one of the contestants vying for Ashley Hebert’s affections on Season 7 of The Bachelorette. Here are a few things to know about the 28-year-old San Diego resident originally from Sonoma, California:

He's a wino: There's something about The Bachelor and Bachelorette that attracts wine guys. (Perhaps the abundance of wine on hand during filming?) Season 3 Bachelor Andrew Firestone's family has a winery; Bachelor Pad contestant Jesse Kovacs runs a winery with his brother; and now we have Ben, co-owner of Evolve Winery with his high school friend Michael Benziger. Evolve's "About Us" page says, "Benjamin is currently studying wine-making at UC Davis and has worked in the alcoholic beverage industry on/off for the past eight years."

He's a party boy: Considering the first bit of info we just shared, this may seem obvious. While studying music production at the University of Arizona, Ben started crafting his own wine and beer on the side. He was also a member of the Delta Beta Chapter of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. (Must-see photo: this party pic of him wearing what looks like a black Slash wig, holding a drink and a microphone.) Also, he may have been in a band called Cold Turkey, though that has not been 100 percent confirmed. Still, the music seems to influence his work: His winery’s video "Bottling Evolve's 2009 Sauvignon Blanc" is set to KISS's "Lick It Up."

He has a sloshy past: Though we know a teensy bit of a criminal past won’t rain on the Bachelor franchise’s parade, it’s still good to know these things beforehand, right? According to Starcasm, Ben and a whopping 73 other underage drinkers were busted by police at a University of Arizona house party in 2003. At the time, Ben reportedly told the local news station, "I understand that they’re doing their job and trying to keep people safe, but the fact there were 50-some-odd police officers here to break up one little college party is a little ridiculous.”

His alter ego is "Storm Horse"? While promoting Evolve on San Diego 91X, Ben revealed that he’s a hardcore San Diego Chargers fan who participates in “Frightening Lightning” tailgate parties (big keg parties in "section F3"!) and other events under the name "Storm Horse."

- SPOILER ALERT!!! - He does well with Miss Ashley, making it to the Hometown Dates: According to Reality Steve, Ashley visited Ben at his California winery. Unless she’s changed her tune since Season 15 of The Bachelor, it may be tough for the UPenn dental student to make a long-distance relationship work.

Source: Starcasm, Evolve Winery

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