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established 1876
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Beringer

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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 141 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.

Beringer is known for establishing many 'firsts' as leaders in the wine industry. We were one of the first gravity fed facilities and among the first to operate using hand-dug caves and cellars. We were the first to give public tours in 1934, starting a Napa Valley hospitality tradition. We are the first and only winery to have both a red and a white wine named #1 Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator Magazine.

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.

Then
Now
1869 1875 1876 1877 1877 1885 1887 1901 1915 1920 - 1933 1934 1939 1940 1967 1971 1972 1976 1977 1979 1984 1988 1989 1990 1996 2000 2001 2004 2012 2015
jacob beringer

1869

Jacob Beringer arrives in California and becomes Cellar Foreman for Charles Krug, one of the first commercial winemakers in Napa Valley. Krug's business was right next to the property that would become Beringer winery.

beringer history

1875

Jacob and his brother Frederick purchase 215 acres in St. Helena for $14,500. This parcel of land, known first as Los Hermanos (The Brothers), will become the heart of the Beringer estate.

 

beringer history

1876

The Beringer Brothers oversee their first harvest and their first crush. With Jacob serving as Winemaker and Frederick as financier, the brothers made approximately 40,000 gallons of wine, or 18,000 cases that first year.
Beringer tunnels

1877

The first two floors of Old Stone Winery are completed, and Chinese workers begin digging 1,200 linear feet of tunnel where the wine will be aged and stored.
beringer hudson house

1883

To make room for what is now known as the Rhine House, Frederick Beringer has Jacob's residence, the Hudson House, moved using horses and logs to transfer it 200 feet north.

Beringer elm row St. Helena

1885

The brothers plant the Elm trees that now form a verdant tunnel along Main Street, which runs in front of the winery in St. Helena
Beringer historical

1887

Beringer wines win their first awards at the Mechanics Institute Exposition in San Francisco, just the first of many accolades over the years
Frederick Beringer

1901

Frederick Beringer passes away, leaving Jacob Beringer sole proprietor of the Beringer winery.
Bertha Beringer

1915

Jacob Beringer passes away, and the winery comes under the care of Charles and Bertha Beringer, two of Jacob's children.
beringer prohibition

1920 - 1933

The winery continues to operate through Prohibition under a federal license that allows wine to be made for religious purposes, so Beringer could sell sacramental wine to churches.
Beringer Vineyards First Public Tour Napa Valley

1934

Prohibition is repealed and Beringer becomes the first winery to offer public tours, sparking wine tourism in Napa Valley.
beringer

1939

During the Golden Gate Exposition on Treasure Island in San Francisco, Winemaker Fred Abruzzini distributes flyers and maps showing "the main highways to Beringer Bros. Winery and other interesting points...," further establishing Napa Valley as a tourist destination.
beringer

1940

Hollywood stars, like Carole Lombard and Clark Gable, visit the winery, and Beringer sells 40,000 cases of wine a year throughout the decade, which was a respectable figure for the time.
Beringer Historic Winery

1967

The 91-year-old Beringer Winery is named a State Historical Landmark.
myron nightingale beringer

1971

Myron Nightingale joins Beringer as just the fifth winemaker in the winery's nearly 100-year history. He developed a special French Sauterne–style wine called, aptly, Nightingale, which is still made and bottled at the winery today.
Beringer Historic Rhine House

1972

The Rhine House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Beringer 1977 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

1976

Ed Sbragia joins Beringer as Myron Nightingale's assistant. Together they launch the Private Reserve designation using specifically selected Cabernet and Chardonnay grapes.
Beringer Barrels

1977

Beringer begins fermenting Chardonnay and Cabernet in French oak barrels.

1979

Bob Steinhauer becomes vineyard manager, and he and Ed begin what will become a legendary partnership. "Bob always says he gives me diamonds," Ed says, "and it's up to me to polish them."
Ed Sbragia Beringer

1984

Ed Sbragia is promoted to Winemaker, becoming only the sixth person to hold the position in Beringer's history.
Beringer Fountain

1988

Beringer commissions a fountain celebrating the first grapes planted in Napa Valley 150 years earlier. Sculpted by Ruth Asawa, it stands in the courtyard behind the Rhine House.
Beringer wine glasses

1989

Beringer becomes the first winery to develop a formal research and sensory evaluation program. Today, more than 250 employees participate in research and sensory trials.
beringer wine spectator private reserve

1990

Wine Spectator names the Beringer 1986 Cabernet Sauvignon #1 Wine of the Year.

beringer wine spectator private reserve

1996

Wine Spectator names the Beringer 1994 Chardonnay #1 Wine of the Year. Not only is it the first time a white wine has garnered this coveted award, but Beringer now has the distinction of being the first and only winery to have both a white and a red wine named #1 Wine of the Year.
laurie hook beringer

2000

Laurie Hook is promoted to Winemaker of Beringer Vineyards. Ed Sbragia stays on as Winemaster Emeritus. 

Beringer pledges a gift of $1,000,000 to COPIA, the American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts in Napa.

Beringer Vineyards Fireplace

2001

Beringer's 125th anniversary, making it the oldest continuously operating winery in Napa Valley.
beringer maximus world record

2004

Maximus, the world's largest bottle of wine, is certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. The bottle, which contained 173 bottles of Beringer 2001 Private Reserve Cabernet, sold for $47,500 at a charity auction.
Beringer Paso Robles vineyard

2012

Beringer expands into Central Coast.

Wine Spectator names the Beringer 2009 Knights Valley Reserve #8 Wine of the Year.

Mark Beringer winemaker

2015

Jacob Beringer’s great, great grandson, Mark Beringer, comes “home” to Beringer as our Chief Winemaker. Laurie Hook transitions to Winemaker Emeritus.
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