Beringer Wines
Beringer is one of the best known names in the Californian wine history, and was one of the first operating wineries in the Napa valley, with a history dating back to 1876. Unlike many other Californian brands, whose philosophy, and marketing angle is based on modern lifestyle, and relaxed entertaining, the Beringer brand is built very solidly on its long and prestigious history and heritage.
Beringer is not one of the biggest in terms of volume, but has a very strong, and loyal following of wine lovers, who enjoy the Beringer range from entry level to its impressive premium wines.
The Beringer winery is one of the oldest in California, and certainly the oldest continuously working winery, having survived the years of prohibition in the 1920s.
It was founded by 2 brothers, German immigrants, who had come to the States to find a better life, in the 1870s. Jacob and Frederick Beringer, having worked in vineyards in Germany, found the prized land they sought, in the Napa, bought the land, and founded the Beringer wine estate in 1876.
Having worked in vineyards in Germany, Jacob Beringer recognised the high quality of the volcanic soils in Napa, and thus the history of the premium range of wines from Napa began, with Beringer at the heart of that age of discovery.
The reputation of Beringer wines in California grew, as the brothers developed the business and even survived the prohibition years of 1922-1933, by producing a sacramental wine, made purely for religious purposes! In the mid 30s, Beringer became the first winery to offer public tours, thus starting the Napa wine tourism phenomenon. By the 50s, Beringer was one of the best known Californian wines, drunk by many Hollywood stars.
Throughout the late 20th century Beringer continued to invest, grow and build up a strong team of talented winemakers, and occupies a very special place in the history of the Napa Valley, with the Beringer estate and the main house (the Rhine House), still in situ, and declared a State Historical Landmark in the 90s.
What Styles Of Wine Do Beringer Produce?
The Beringer range of wines runs from the fresh, fruity styles of the Classic range to the pinnacle of top quality Napa wines. There are 3 main tiers of wines:
Beringer Private Reserve – Beringer Private Reserve represents the pinnacle of the portfolio. Former Chief Winemakers Myron Nightingale and Ed Sbragia created the Private Reserve program in 1977 with the goal of crafting Napa's finest Cabernet Sauvignon. The Private Reserve Chardonnay was introduced with the 1978 vintage, and together these wines have earned three decades of extraordinary accolades, including two "Wine of the Year" awards.
Founders Estate – the wines in this range are produced from grapes, grown in some of the best vineyards along the Californian coast, and offer elegant, well-made, full-flavoured styles of wine, with the focus on elegance. The range includes a modern style Sauvignon Blanc, with a zesty, crisp edge, and a buttery, smooth Chardonnay, with only subtle oak. The reds include a rich, plummy, chocolatey Merlot, and a silky, velvety Cabernet Sauvignon.
Knights Valley – Beringer Vineyards has owned and farmed its Knights Valley vineyards since the mid-1960s, when the Beringer family recognized that the cobbled, rocky alluvial soils were a great place to grow high quality wine grapes. The Knights Valley designation was first used on a Beringer label in 1974. Beringer was instrumental in garnering official recognition for the area in 1983 as a premier wine growing region in the form of its own American Viticulture Area (AVA) designation..
There are also plenty of excellent single vineyard wines as well as the entry level Main and Vine wines to check out