Beringer Brothers 1876 to today’s Beringer Vineyards
Our wine country photo of the day is the Beringer winery in St. Helena. The old Rhine House built in 1884 is a photographer’s delight, especially in the morning light. The winery was established in 1876 as Beringer Brothers by brothers Jacob and Frederick Beringer. The Rhine House is a landmark along Highway 29 just north of the main area of St. Helena. Beringer is the oldest continuosly-operating winery in the Napa Valley. During prohibition the winery was able to produce wine but for religious uses only. Unfortunately, the Beringer Family sold the winery in 1971 to the Nestle Company. Since then the winery has had several owners and is currently owned and operated by Treasure Wine Estates. Somewhere along the line, the name Beringer Brothers changed to Beringer Vineyards. Today the winery offers many touring and tasting options. The Rhine House can be rented for group events. The most intriguing aspects of Beringer are the caves. In 1877 Jacob Beringer hired Chinese workers to dig the caves into the hills of the property. These laborers used picks and shovels to dig out the caves. Can you image? Today there are only a handful of wineries in the Napa Valley that have caves made in this manner. A tour of the wine cave is a delightful and historic experience. The winery is open daily from 10am to 6 pm.