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  • Weather

    8° C Moderate rain
  • Time

    04:42 AM
  • Wine average?

    94 Tb
  • Country Ranking?

    89
  • Region Ranking?

    70
  • Popularity ranking?

    104

History

Passion has the wonderful power to turn mere objects into an obsession, to transform everyday tasks into art. At Beringer, we have been living our passion for over 138 years.

Our history dates back to the year 1868, when Jacob Beringer, enticed by the opportunities of the new world, sailed from his home in Mainz, Germany, to New York. However, after hearing that the rocky hillside soil and fertile valley floor resembled that of vineyards back home in Germany, Jacob made his way to the Napa Valley. Jacob and his brother Frederick purchased 215 acres of land in 1875, and became one of the first wineries in Napa Valley.

Since then, we have honed, deepened, and expanded the art of winemaking. We pursue balance between modern technology and time-tested winemaking traditions, resulting in wines of global recognition.

 

NAPA VALLEY

In 1875, Jacob and Frederick Beringer purchased 215 acres of prime Napa Valley land, establishing Beringer as a key player among the few wineries in operation at that time. Since then, Beringer has carefully cultivated a diverse portfolio of prized vineyards across many Napa Valley appellations. These vineyards range from the highest hills in Napa to the valley floor behind our historic winery.

To this day, the sense of innovation and exploration is honored at Beringer in our unending drive to be a leader in emerging region development, sustainable farming practices and vineyard care. Each Beringer vineyard is cultivated based on its distinctive soil, climate and terrain characteristics.

 

KNIGHT VALLEY (SONOMA)

Beringer has owned and farmed its vineyards in Knights Valley since the mid-1960s. The vineyard is located in the northeastern corner of Sonoma Valley, and features cobbled, sedimentary soils that are perfect for growing high-quality wine. In 1983, Knights Valley was established as a new appellation approved by the American Viticultural Area.

Not only has Knights Valley proved an exemplary producer of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, it has also an excellent combination of terrain, microclimates and soils for a variety of experiments in viticulture that inform Beringer's finest wines and will continue to do so for vintages to come.

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Vineyards

At Beringer we know that part of making great wines is caring for the land, animals, and people that make those wines possible. We have had sustainable practices in place since long before sustainable farming become fashionable. All of our owned and leased vineyards are certified sustainable by third parties. And we provide our external growers with the resources they need to achieve sustainable farming practices.

So, why just sustainable rather than organic or biodynamic? Because sustainable farming is all-encompassing. It applies not only to the farming practices in the vineyard, but also the surrounding environment, community, and economy. It covers everything from soil and canopy management, planting developments, water and chemical usage to employee benefits and more. In short, sustainability is about smart farming. It encourages best practices that ensure the longevity of the vineyard and optimization of the quality of the grapes and wine.

 

Beringer’s Sustainable Achievements:

  • We’ve reduced our energy consumption by over 30% since 2007

  • We host the largest solar installation of any winery in California

  • We have passed a rigorous and comprehensive series of audited certification requirements, addressing all aspects from vine to bottle

  • In an effort to protect waterways, all of our owned and leased vineyards are certified by Fish Friendly Farming

 

Beringer’s Sustainable Farming Practices:

  • Minimal tillage reduces soil erosion

  • Tailored cover crop programs attract beneficial insects and increase organic matter and natural fertilizers

  • Compost application improves soil health and nutrition, reduces soil evaporation, and ultimately helps vine balance and wine quality

  • Equipment that can operate across many rows of vines in many functions reduces tractor hours, emissions in the vineyards and soil compaction

  • Integrated pest management systems promote healthy vineyard environments by protecting beneficial insects

  • Habitat protection provides refuge for various species (e.g., owls, raptors, bluebirds and bats) in order to sustain a balanced ecosystem and provide additional pest control

  • Modification of the trellis system to allow sunlight through the canopy of the vines and increased air movement to support even ripening and create a microclimate less conducive to pests and disease

  • Adherence to stringent regulations concerning substances we apply to our vineyards and what is safe for our vineyard staff to use

  • Use of soil-moisture monitory equipment to prevent unnecessary water usage

  • Drip irrigation to reduce water use and evaporation

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Winemaking

With over 2000 acres of top vineyard sites in Napa, Sonoma, and Paso Robles, Chief Winemaker Laurie Hook has an enviable portfolio from which to craft Beringer's acclaimed wines. Laurie and her vineyard team are careful to always use the highest quality fruit to make Beringer wines. However, the hallmark of many of the Reserve wines is the careful blending that goes into each vintage.

The blending process is painstaking, and takes place over many months. Each lot of wine is tasted regularly, and its progress in the barrel is monitored daily by Laurie and her team. The final blend is only determined after multiple rounds of tasting and discussion, often coming down to half-a-percent difference in the varietals used or the components from other lots of wine. This exacting process, along with the passion and knowledge of Laurie and her team, is what creates wines of uncommon complexity, ageability and finesse, such as those that come from Beringer.

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Inside information

BERINGER's NAPA VALLEY VINEYARDS

 

BALE LANE VINEYARD, St. Helena

Located in the warmer mid-valley area of Napa Valley, the well-drained soils of Bale Lane produce excellent full-flavored Sauvignon Blancs and Sémillons.

 

BANCROFT RANCH VINEYARD, Howell Mountain

This beautiful, mountainous vineyard covers 89 acres of nutrient-poor, rocky soils at 1,800 feet, and produces the intense Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc that we use in our Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

BIG RANCH ROAD VINEYARD, Oak Knoll

Located in the cool southern region of Napa Valley, Big Ranch Road, with shallow, gravelly soil of low fertility, produces Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Noir with full, rich flavors and excellent structure.

 

CHABOT VINEYARD, St. Helena

The obsidian-laden Chabot Vineyard is located on the eastern slope of Napa Valley. The Chabot vines produce superlative Cabernet Sauvignons, deep in color, rich in flavor, and with a suggestion of mint. In 1977, the Cabernet from these 31-acres became the first bottled as Private Reserve.

 

GAMBLE RANCH VINEYARD, Oakville

The rocky land of Gamble Ranch emanates from the rich fan of sedimentary soil of Rector Creek. This produces grapes of maturity and intensity well-suited to Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

LAMPYRIDAE VINEYARD, Mt. Veeder

Lampyridae, which means "firefly" in Latin, sits on Mount Veeder at approximately 2,400 feet. At this elevation, the vineyard is high above the fog layer, so it gets longer hours of sunshine and warmer nights, but days are cooler than the lower elevation vineyards. The grapes that grow in this ashy soil showcase incredible depth and intensity.

 

MARSTON RANCH VINEYARD, Spring Mountain

Marston Ranch is a contiguous, multi-level string of smaller vineyards situated in the Spring Mountain appellation west of St. Helena. The volcanic and low fertility soil of this 33-acre mountain vineyard is highly regarded for both Rhône and Bordeaux varietals, primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.

 

STANLY RANCH VINEYARD, Carneros

Located just a half-mile north of the San Pablo Bay in the prestigious Carneros appellation, the shallow, clay-loam soils and cool climate of Stanly Ranch Vineyard are ideal for growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes.

 

ST. HELENA HOME VINEYARD, St. Helena

This vineyard was part of the original 215 acres Jacob Beringer purchased in 1875. The Cabernet Sauvignon planted on the sloped sedimentary soil of this 48-acre vineyard has been a key component of our Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon since 1982.

 

STEINHAUER RANCH, Howell Mountain

At 1,800 feet on Howell Mountain, this 36-acre vineyard of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc sits above the fog, enjoying cool mountain temperatures and high solar radiation. The vineyard is named in honor of Beringer's longtime vineyard manager Bob Steinhauer.

 

YOUNTVILLE VINEYARD, Yountville

The clay-loam soils of this vineyard in the southern area of Napa Valley produce Chardonnay with full, rich flavors and excellent structure.

 

VOGT VINEYARD, Howell Mountain

The 16-acres of restrictive volcanic soils at 1,600 feet produce intense and structured grapes. Fruit from Vogt Vineyard was first used in the 2009 Private Reserve blend.

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32 different wines with 126 vintages

People

  • Laurie Hook

    Chief Winemaker
    You can't make wine only through science. California winemakers learned that in the 1970s and early 1980s, when a highly scientific approach resulted in very clean wines but not necessarily the most interesting ones.
  • Ed Sbragia

    Winemaster Emeritus
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