Napa Valley: Small in Size, Grand in Legacy
IN THE VINEYARD
Napa Valley is a place of extraordinary beauty and global significance, and Beringer is proud to stand as a benchmark winery in its international legacy. Though just 30 miles long and a few miles wide, this valley is home to a remarkable range of microclimates and soils perfectly suited for fine wine. From Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Franc, Napa Valley produces some of the world’s most acclaimed wines.
As the first Agricultural Preserve in America, Napa Valley balances natural beauty and winegrowing heritage, safeguarding it for generations to come. Despite representing only 4% of California’s wine grape harvest, its stature far outweighs its size. In fact, Napa was the first American Viticultural Area (AVA) designated in California, established in 1981.
Uniquely, only 2% of the world enjoys a dry Mediterranean climate, and Napa Valley is one of them. This rare climate provides consistency and exceptional quality vintage after vintage, something few regions can rival. Shaped by a dramatic geologic history, the valley showcases volcanic soils, marine influences, and an unparalleled diversity of terrain. With more than 100 soil variations—nearly half of the world’s known soil types—Napa offers winemakers an unmatched palette of possibilities.
In Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon reigns as King, and Chardonnay as Queen, flourishing in a valley that is small in size, yet truly mighty in stature.
Fun Vineyard Fact
Did you know you can tell a grape variety by the shape of its leaf? Each variety of Vitis vinifera L. has a distinct leaf pattern. Take a look at the vines here in our demonstration vineyard and see if you can identify the varieties for yourself!
Ampelography is the science of identifying, naming, and classifying grape varieties by studying the unique characteristics of the grapevine—most often the shape of its leaves, shoots, clusters, and berries.
The leaf on the left is Cabernet Sauvignon with its deep sinus' or lobes on the left and right. The leaf on the right is Chardonnay and has softer, less distinct lobes giving it a rounder appearance.
Winemakers Will Tell you
Quality Starts in the Vineyard
Napa Valley is one of the smallest winegrowing regions in the world, with only one-sixth the planted acreage of Bordeaux. Yet, from this compact valley come some of the world’s most admired wines. Thanks to generations of established viticultural practices, Napa vineyards yield smaller crops of exceptional quality grapes, which skilled winemakers craft into wines of global acclaim.
Napa’s extraordinary diversity of soils, its unique microclimates, and the spirit of collaboration within the vintner community inspire growers to continually refine their practices in pursuit of excellence.
Vineyards here are intentionally farmed for low yields, producing grapes with vivid, concentrated flavors. Throughout the growing season, each vine is tended more than twenty times by hand—a far more meticulous approach than just a few decades ago, when the philosophy was simply “prune, sucker, and pick.”
Napa also leads in innovation. It is one of the only premium wine regions in the world with a university experimental vineyard. The UC Davis Field Station in Oakville supports groundbreaking viticultural research, benefitting Napa and the global wine community alike.
American Viticultural Areas
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.
St. Helena AVA
Bale Lane Vineyard
Located in the warmer mid-valley area of Napa Valley, the well-drained soils of Bale Lane produce excellent full-flavored Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.
Chabot Vineyard
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.
St. Helena Home Vineyard
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.
Howell Mountain AVA
Bancroft Ranch Vineyard
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.
Steinhauer Ranch
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.
Pauli Vineyard
The 16-acres of restrictive volcanic soils at 1,600 feet produce intense and structured grapes. Fruit from Pauli Vineyard was first used in the 2009 Private Reserve blend.
Knights Valley AVA
Sonoma County
Beringer has owned and farmed its vineyards in Knights Valley since the mid-1960s. The vineyard is located 17 miles north of the winery, in the northeastern corner of Sonoma County, and features volcanic, well-drained soils that are perfect for growing high-quality wine. In 1983, Knights Valley was approved as a new American Viticultural Area (AVA). The Knights Valley designation was first used on a Beringer label in 1974.
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.
Other Napa AVAs
Gamble Ranch Vineyard, Oakville AVA
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.
Big Ranch Road Vineyard, Oak Knoll AVA
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.
Lampyridae Vineyard, Mt. Veeder AVA
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 AVA
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 Rhone and Bordeaux varietals, primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.
Stanly Ranch Vineyard, Carneros AVA
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.
Yountville Vineyard, Yountville AVA
The clay-loam soils of this vineyard in the southern area of Napa Valley produce Chardonnay with full, rich flavors and excellent structure.
