Beringer Vineyards

Beringer is California's longest continuously operating winery. It has become one of the largest and most distributed American labels, and is known for its range of wines, from affordable table wines to fine single-vineyard cuvées and a private reserve label.

Brothers Jacob and Frederick Beringer harvested their first vintage in 1876, in what has since become the St Helena AVA in Napa Valley. In 1883, Frederick built the Rhine House as his home, a Victorian mansion, and it is now the main visitor site of the winery. Beringer's success was in part because of the federal license they obtained to make wine for religious purposes during Prohibition (1920-1933). The wine was sold to churches for sacramental purposes. After Prohibition was repealed, Beringer became the first winery to offer public tours – a significant contribution to the beginnings of modern Napa Valley tourism. In 2001, Rhine House and the original property were added to the US National Register for Historic Places.

Beringer was bought by the beverage manufacturer Nestlé in the early 1970s, and since then it has changed ownership numerous times. It is currently owned by Treasury Wine Estates, one of the largest North American wine suppliers, which also owns, among other labels, Penfolds, Wolf Blass and Stags' Leap. In 2015, Mark Beringer, the great-great-grandson of Jacob Beringer, became chief winemaker.

As well was having wide distribution, Beringer is known for its range of quality wines. It owns land in Napa and Sonoma and all of the vineyards it owns or leases are third-party certified sustainable. It bottles numerous single-vineyard offerings, some of the most notable being Bancroft Ranch in Howell Mountain AVA, Chabot Vineyard and St. Helena Home Vineyard in St Helena AVA, and Knights Valley Vineyard in Knights Valley AVA. Its portfolio is composed of the usual California offerings such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay, with some Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Bordeaux-style blends as well.

Beringer's most lauded range is the Private Reserve label, offering wines made from Cabernet Sauvingon and a Chardonnay. The 1986 Cabernet Sauvignon was named number one in Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 1990, and the 1994 Chardonnay was named number one in the 1996 edition. Beringer was the first producer to have both a white wine and a red wine be named number one in the list.

In 2004, Beringer entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for largest bottle of wine. A 130-liter (equivalent of 173 bottles) bottle of the 2001 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, christened 'Maximus', was auctioned at a charity event for $55,812.