Few wineries have shaped the story of Napa Valley as profoundly as Beringer. For nearly 150 years, the historic St. Helena estate has stood as a symbol of pioneering spirit, timeless craftsmanship, and unwavering excellence. Founded in 1876 by German immigrant brothers Jacob and Frederick Beringer, the winery is proudly recognized as California’s oldest continuously operating winery.
The Beringer brothers envisioned a winery capable of producing world-class wines that would stand the test of time. They also recognized the exceptional terroir of neighboring Knights Valley, establishing vineyards that continue to contribute to Beringer’s acclaimed portfolio today. Their bold vision helped lay the foundation for Napa Valley’s emergence as one of the world’s premier wine regions.
Over the generations, Beringer has become far more than a winery. It is a living piece of California’s wine heritage, where history, innovation, and hospitality come together to create an experience that continues to inspire wine lovers from around the globe.
A National Treasure in Napa
At the heart of the estate stands the magnificent Victorian Rhine House, completed in 1884 and regarded as one of Napa Valley’s architectural treasures. Beneath the winery lies an extraordinary network of hand-dug caves, painstakingly carved into the hillside between 1876 and 1891. Maintaining a naturally cool temperature of approximately 58°F (14°C), these historic caves have provided the perfect environment for aging fine wines for nearly a century and a half.
Today, Beringer’s historic estate is recognized as both a California Historical Landmark and is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Every stone, vineyard row, and cellar tells a story of resilience, innovation, and an enduring commitment to crafting exceptional wines. Today, the Beringer estate is recognized as a California Historical Landmark and U.S. National Register of Historic Places, preserving an important chapter in American wine history.
Wally’s Wine & Spirits
To celebrate Beringer Vineyards’ milestone anniversary, the historic Napa Valley winery has been hosting special dinners. Director of Winemaking Margo Van Staaveren traveled to Beverly Hills to host a special wine-pairing dinner at Wally’s Wine & Spirits. The elegant invitation-only experience brought together exceptional cuisine and a thoughtfully curated selection of Beringer’s acclaimed wines.
Guests gathered in one of Wally’s private wine rooms, where the evening began with a cheesemonger’s selection of artisanal cheeses and charcuterie served with rustic country bread and a glass of Beringer white wine. It offered a refined balance, vibrant fruit, and elegant structure that was a fitting opening to an inspired culinary journey.
Wally’s renowned hospitality started in the late 1960s as a neighborhood wine shop in Westwood. It’s now evolved into one of Southern California’s premier destinations for fine wine, gourmet cuisine, and luxury dining.
Culinary offerings by the esteemed chefs at Wally’s include a cheesemonger’s choice of cheese and charcuterie served with country bread in one of Wally’s private wine rooms. Wally’s first began as a neighborhood wine shop in Westwood in the late 1960s. Over the decades, it has grown into one of Southern California’s best-known destinations for fine wine, gourmet food, and luxury hospitality. The Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay was a nice start to a luxurious culinary experience.
We learned that Beringer is the largest farmer in Knights Valley. They offer seven different wines from this region and are continuing to grow. “Knights Valley is the winemaker’s tasting table wine,” said van Staaveren. “The Reserve Cabernet is under $100.” She said she likes the lavender, personality and texture of this wine. A tasting went well with Wally’s Purple & Blue Salad made with roasted beets, blueberries, grapes, lemon cucumber, pistachio and buffalo blue cheese dressed in aged balsamic.
The 2021 Knights Valley Reserve Cabernet offers an elegant aroma with expressive ripe black cherry, black plum and blackberry notes on the nose. It went well with slices of rustic bread topped with wood oven-baked Fermier brie. This was enhanced with thinly shaved truffles on top of truffle butter and truffle honey. Each sip offered notes of vanilla bean, clove and cocoa due to well-integrated oak aging.
This medium to full bodied wine paired nicely with roasted heritage Gallus Brun bone-in chicken. Its lush texture offered a velvety mouthfeel with polished tannins. The finish provided a lengthy concentration of pleasing black currant, lavender, wild sage, and thyme. “This is a beautifully drinking wine, but certainly will age gracefully for many years to come,” said van Staaveren.
Next we tasted a Beringer 1977 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine that has secured a special place in Napa Valley history. The year 1977 was the first vintage of Beringer’s Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, launching what would become one of California’s most iconic luxury wine labels.
This 1977 vintage followed the famed 1976 Judgment of Paris, when Napa Valley Cabernets gained international recognition. Beringer seized that momentum by introducing its first Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the historic Chabot Vineyard (then known as Lemmon Ranch) in St. Helena. The vineyard remains a cornerstone of the Private Reserve program today.
This wine paired beautifully with Wally’s wood oven baked French Sea Bass served with burnt lemon, blistered cherry tomatoes and oven-roasted seasonal vegetables. It’s nearly five decades in bottle is a well-preserved example that continues to impress collectors. Smelling of black cherry and cassis aromas, this velvety wine offered hints of cedar and cigar married with dark chocolate, leather and an earthy spice and dried herb finish. The tannins continue to soften beautifully with age, leaving an elegant, savory, and remarkably complex wine.
A glass of this wine was a superb pairing with Wally’s New York Strip steak served with red wine braised cipollini onions dazzling with a tarragon béarnaise.
While caramelized Honeycrisp Apple Tarte Tatin was served with a scoop of vanilla gelato, servers also brought out to the table boards of dark-and-milk chocolates. A special dessert wine, Beringer Nightingale 1986, was poured.
Touted as one of Napa Valley’s most celebrated dessert wines, it’s an outstanding example of a botrytized (noble rot) wine crafted in the style of France’s great Sauternes. While the Nightingale label debuted with the 1980 vintage, the 1986 release is considered one of the classic early vintages that helped establish its reputation among collectors.
“Beringer Nightingale is named in honor of legendary winemaker Myron Nightingale and his wife, Alice Nightingale,” said van Staaveren. “They spent nearly 30 years developing techniques to produce botrytized wines in California.” Inspired by the great Sauternes of Bordeaux, they pioneered a method of cultivating Botrytis cinerea, known as “noble rot”under controlled conditions, allowing Beringer to produce the wine consistently.
“The 1986 Nightingale is a blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc,” said van Staaveren. “The noble rot concentrates the grapes’ sugars, acidity, and aromatic compounds. The result is a luscious dessert wine that balances richness with remarkable freshness and longevity.” Many collectors enjoy this wine on its own as a contemplative after-dinner wine.
As we toasted one last time to Beringer’s 150th anniversary, we all are looking forward to the new wines van Staaveren and her team will debut in the coming years.
