Beringer Vineyards

Jacob and Frederick Beringer, brothers who had emigrated from Mainz, Germany, established Beringer Vineyards in St. Helena in 1876, making it the oldest continuously operating winery in California. The brothers constructed hand-dug caves and cellars before the turn of the century, many of which survive today and continue to be used for barrel ageing. When Prohibition arrived in 1920, Beringer secured a federal sacramental wine license, one of very few California producers to legally maintain operations through the full thirteen years of the dry era. After repeal in 1933, the estate became the first California winery to open its doors to public tours, a decision in 1934 that helped define Napa Valley as a destination as much as a wine region.

• Founded 1876 by Jacob and Frederick Beringer, German immigrants from Mainz
• Pre-1900 hand-dug caves and cellars remain in active use for barrel maturation
• Federal sacramental wine license allowed continuous production throughout Prohibition (1920 to 1933)
• First California winery to offer public tours post-Prohibition, beginning 1934

Beringer remained family-associated through much of the 20th century before a series of corporate transactions reshaped its ownership. Nestlé acquired the winery in 1971, and Texas Pacific Group purchased it in 1996, taking it public in 1997. Foster's Group of Australia acquired Beringer in 2000, and when Foster's spun off its wine division, Beringer became part of Treasury Wine Estates in 2011, which is now listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. Mark Beringer, great-great-grandson of founder Jacob Beringer, served as Chief Winemaker from 2015 until 2021, providing a final thread of family continuity. Ryan Rech has held the role of Chief Winemaker and General Manager since July 2021, and no family member currently holds an operational position at the estate.

• Sold to Nestlé 1971; acquired by Texas Pacific Group 1996 (public 1997); Foster's Group 2000; Treasury Wine Estates 2011
• Mark Beringer (great-great-grandson of Jacob) was Chief Winemaker 2015 to 2021
• Ryan Rech appointed Chief Winemaker and General Manager July 2021
• Treasury Wine Estates ranked the third-largest wine company globally as of 2024, with Beringer in its luxury portfolio alongside Penfolds and DAOU

Beringer controls approximately 1,100 to 1,200 hectares of vineyards spread across several AVAs in both Napa Valley and Sonoma County, making it one of the largest vineyard landholders in the region. Key estate sites include Bancroft Ranch and Steinhauer Ranch on Howell Mountain, the Chabot Vineyard and St. Helena Home Vineyard within the St. Helena AVA, and Knights Valley Vineyard across the county line in Sonoma. The Grace-Benoist Ranch covers Sonoma Valley and Carneros plantings, and additional fruit is sourced from Paso Robles and the Central Coast. Approximately 405 hectares of the portfolio are certified under Beringer's 'Keeping It Green' sustainable vineyard program.

• Bancroft Ranch and Steinhauer Ranch on Howell Mountain AVA supply fruit for mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon
• Knights Valley Vineyard (Sonoma County) is the source of the Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon bottling
• Grace-Benoist Ranch covers Carneros and Sonoma Valley; additional sources in Paso Robles and Central Coast
• Roughly 405 hectares certified under the 'Keeping It Green' sustainable vineyard program

Beringer operates a deliberately tiered portfolio spanning mass-market bottlings to ultra-premium single-vineyard wines, a structure that has shaped how many consumers encounter California wine. At the entry level, the Founders' Estate and Stone Cellars lines draw on fruit from across California, while the California Collection sits just above. The Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon represents a site-specific mid-premium tier, and the Private Reserve labels, launched with the 1977 Cabernet Sauvignon under Ed Sbragia, represent the house's highest ambitions. The 2001 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon earned 96 points from Wine Advocate in 2007. The winery also played a defining commercial role through its White Zinfandel, which helped make that category a gateway for millions of American wine drinkers in the 1980s and 1990s.

• Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon launched 1977 vintage under founding winemaker Ed Sbragia
• 2001 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon scored 96 points, Wine Advocate (reviewed 2007)
• White Zinfandel produced by Beringer became a major commercial category driver in the U.S. market
• Tiered range from Stone Cellars and Founders' Estate through Knights Valley to single-vineyard Private Reserve

Beringer is the anchor of California wine history in a way few producers can claim. Its unbroken operation since 1876, including through Prohibition, its status as a National Historic Landmark, and its invention of the California winery tour make it foundational to understanding how Napa Valley became the wine region it is today. The Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, with decades of critical acclaim, helped establish the global reputation of Napa Cabernet as a benchmark for New World red wine. On a corporate level, Beringer's trajectory through Nestlé, Texas Pacific, Foster's, and Treasury Wine Estates illustrates the globalisation of premium wine business in real time. For any serious student of California wine, Beringer is essential context.

• Designated California Historical Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places (2001)
• Continuous operation since 1876, including through Prohibition, is unmatched among California wineries
• Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon helped establish the critical template for premium Napa Valley Cabernet globally
• Treasury Americas achieved 100% renewable electricity by 2024, with a net-zero target of 2030