Fashion and wine share more than an audience. Both reward attention to craft, both carry a distinct sense of place, and both are best experienced in good company. That's the idea behind the Cynthia Rowley x Beringer Vineyards Wild & Refined Playing Cards — a limited-edition collaboration that brings together two brands built on exactly those values.
At a Glance
- Collaboration: Cynthia Rowley x Beringer Vineyards
- Product: Wild & Refined Playing Cards — a limited-edition, slightly oversized deck
- Design Details: Rhine House depicted on the Joker card; queens holding grapes; kings holding a Beringer bottle
- The Concept: A shared ethos — Beringer's "wild" Knights Valley AVA meets "refined" Napa Valley; Cynthia Rowley's bold patterns meet timeless silhouettes
- Featured Wine Collection: Knights Valley
The Cards
The deck is slightly oversized — a deliberate choice that gives players the space to take in the details. Each face card carries a nod to Beringer's iconography: the Joker depicts the historic Rhine House, built in 1884. The queens hold grapes. The kings hold a Beringer bottle. The design is bold and layered, the way a good collaboration should be.
The "Wild & Refined" concept runs through both brands. For Beringer, it maps directly to two wine regions: the lesser-known Knights Valley AVA in Sonoma County — rugged, volcanic, and less traveled — and the Napa Valley AVA, with its long history of producing some of California's most acclaimed wines. For Cynthia Rowley, it's the tension between bright, bold patterns and sophisticated, timeless silhouettes that has defined her work since she launched her eponymous brand after graduating from the Art Institute of Chicago.
The Launch Party
Beringer and Cynthia Rowley celebrated the collaboration's debut on August 1 at Cynthia Rowley's flagship studio in Manhattan. The evening brought together friends of both brands for a night built around the card deck's dual spirit — food and wine pairings that moved between bold and refined, course by course.
The wine lineup showcased three expressions from Beringer's portfolio, each matched with food that reflected its character:
Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay — with aromas of citrus blossom, lemon curd, white nectarine, yellow peach, and grilled pineapple — was paired with mango crab with chili and Thai basil, seared tuna niçoise, and smoked tofu and vegetable Vietnamese summer rolls.
Beringer Knights Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon — concentrated with black currant, blackberry, cassis, warm spice, vanilla, and mocha — was matched with jerk chicken skewers.
Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon — layered with wild fruits, cocoa, and full-bodied ripe tannins — complemented cremini mushrooms stuffed with chèvre and chives, and beef carpaccio crostini with white truffle, arugula, and Parmesan.
Between pours, magician Hebah Sahibzada performed card tricks with the Wild & Refined deck and illusionism with Beringer corks and bottles.
Meet Cynthia Rowley
Cynthia Rowley began her career in fashion at the Art Institute of Chicago, originally intending to become a painter. After graduating, she moved to New York City with limited resources and launched her eponymous brand. Since then, she has built a label known for its playful mix of pretty dresses, beachy separates, and whimsical homeware — all shaped by a sense of adventure that has taken her from surfing in remote locations to scuba diving in arctic glaciers.
Rowley has earned a CFDA Award and was named Designer of the Year at the American Image Awards. She is also a bestselling author and has appeared on several television programs. Her work across fashion, design, and culture made her a natural partner for a brand that has spent decades living at the intersection of the wild and the refined.
Why Cards?
Games and wine share a fundamental quality: they bring people together. A deck of cards at a table creates the same conditions as a bottle of wine — laughter, competition, conversation, and connection. The Wild & Refined Playing Cards were designed to embody that overlap, to be the kind of object that sits on the table at the kind of gathering where great wine is also present.
Explore the wines that inspired the collaboration: Knights Valley Collection and Private Reserve Collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Cynthia Rowley?
Cynthia Rowley is a New York-based fashion designer who launched her eponymous brand after graduating from the Art Institute of Chicago. She is known for a signature style that blends bold patterns and bright colors with sophisticated, timeless silhouettes. She has earned a CFDA Award, was named Designer of the Year at the American Image Awards, and is a bestselling author. Her brand spans fashion, homeware, and design.
What are the Cynthia Rowley x Beringer Playing Cards?
The Wild & Refined Playing Cards are a limited-edition collaboration between Cynthia Rowley and Beringer Vineyards. The deck is slightly oversized and features illustrations that draw on Beringer's iconography: the Rhine House on the Joker card, queens holding grapes, and kings holding a Beringer bottle. The design reflects the "wild and refined" ethos that both brands share — Beringer's two AVAs (Knights Valley and Napa Valley) and Rowley's bold-meets-refined design philosophy.
What is the "wild and refined" concept at Beringer?
"Wild and refined" reflects Beringer's dual identity across two wine regions. Knights Valley, a lesser-known AVA in Sonoma County with volcanic soils and mountain terrain, represents the "wild" side — bold, rugged, and expressive. Napa Valley, home to Beringer's flagship Private Reserve wines since 1876, represents the "refined" — structured, storied, and celebrated. The two sides of the portfolio are distinct in character but connected by the same commitment to quality.
What Beringer wines pair with a game night?
For a casual game night, Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is an approachable, crowd-pleasing option. For a more elevated occasion, Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon brings structure and depth that rewards a slower pace. Knights Valley Mountain Rosé works well for lighter spreads and mixed groups.
Planning a game night? Our Wild and Refined Date Ideas guide has more ways to pair Beringer wines with an evening worth remembering.
