When a building has been standing since 1884 and a winery has been in continuous operation since 1876, it collects more than vintage bottles. It collects stories. Some of Beringer's are warm and historical. A few are harder to explain.
These are the ones the team keeps telling.
At a Glance
- Estate: Beringer Vineyards, 2000 Main Street, St. Helena, CA
- Founded: 1876
- Rhine House: Built 1884
- Location of Reported Activity: The wine caves, the Rhine House, the executive dining room, the Rhine House attic
Footsteps in the Caves
Mykee Ramos, Assistant Hospitality Manager, was closing the wine caves one evening when something stopped him.
"I heard footsteps further into the tunnel and thought it was one of my associates hiding. But then I got a text from both of them saying they were already heading out. The footsteps continued, so I made a very quick and swift exit."
The caves were cut into the hillside behind the Rhine House beginning in the 1870s and remain one of the most atmospheric spaces on the estate. Whether or not they're inhabited, they have the kind of presence that makes you listen more carefully than usual.
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Frederick's Poltergeist
In the Rhine House, team members have reported hearing a wine glass fall and roll across the floor. The glass never breaks. It always seems to originate from the center of the table. No one has ever identified a cause.
The story has been repeated often enough that it now carries a name: Frederick's Poltergeist, a nod to Frederick Beringer, the co-founder who built the Rhine House in 1884 and modeled it after the Beringer family's ancestral home in Mainz, Germany. Whether Frederick is responsible remains an open question.
"Good Night House"
Members of Beringer's Culinary Team have reported seeing apparitions in the executive dining room, particularly during early morning prep and late-night closing. The sightings are consistent enough that the team has developed a ritual around them.
"They never come across as hostile, but it's enough that we've started a tradition," one team member explained. "When the last lights are turned off, we always say, 'Good night house.'"
The Rhine House Attic
The Rhine House attic is rarely used and rarely accessed. Despite this, several team members have noticed a light shining from the upper windows after dark.
"On multiple occasions, we've noticed a light shining upstairs at night. No one recalls going up there, and the space is rarely used."
No explanation has been offered that satisfies everyone who has seen it.
A Word on the Estate
Beringer's historic property, including the Rhine House, has been designated as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. The caves, the house, and the grounds carry nearly 150 years of winemaking history. Whether the stories above are supernatural or simply the residue of a long, well-lived past is a matter of perspective.
Either way, the Taste of Beringer Tour runs year-round. The caves are part of the grounds. You're welcome to listen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Beringer Vineyards haunted?
Team members at Beringer have reported several unexplained experiences over the years, including footsteps in the wine caves, a wine glass that rolls across the Rhine House floor without breaking, apparitions in the executive dining room, and an unexplained light in the Rhine House attic. Whether these constitute a haunting depends on your definition, but the stories have been consistent enough across different team members and different locations on the property that they've become part of Beringer's estate lore.
How old is the Beringer Rhine House?
The Rhine House was built in 1884 by Frederick Beringer, one of the two brothers who founded Beringer Vineyards in 1876. Frederick modeled the house after the Beringer family's ancestral home in Mainz, Germany. The Rhine House and the broader Beringer estate have been designated as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.
Can I visit Beringer's wine caves?
Beringer's wine caves are part of the estate and can be explored through certain tour experiences. Visit beringer.com/pages/visit for current tour offerings and reservations.
