Old Wineries in Napa Valley – 100 years old or more
When you plan your wine country vacation to the Napa Valley, we suggest that you visit at least one of the Napa Valley’s 100-year-old wineries. The Napa Valley is a treasure of wine history and one way to discover the Napa Valley past is by visiting one of these wineries. These wineries have wonderful stories to tell visitors. Take yourself back in time with a visit to one of these remarkable wineries.
Visit a few of these 100 year old wineries
• Beaulieu Vineyards –Founded in 1900
• Beringer – Famous Rhine House completed in 1884
• Charles Krug – Founded in 1861 by Charles Krug, owned by Peter Mondavi
• Chateau Montelena – Established in 1882 by Alfred Tubbs.
• Inglenook – Chateau dates back to 1879
• Nichelini – Founded in 1890. The same family owns it today
• Trefethen Family Vineyards – Winery built in 1886, Trefethen begins in 1968
Dining and Lodging Recommendations
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A fabulous book on the Napa Valley by a famed American Photographer: Napa Valley: The Land, The Wine, The People
You may also like this Napa Valley wine country information
Beaulieu Vineyards
Beaulieu was founded in 1900 by Frenchman George de Latour. George de Latour and its renowned winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff were responsible for producing some of the world’s most exceptional wines. Strangely, in the 1960’s, the George de Latour heirs sold the winery to the giant Hublein Corporation. The winery quickly went from quality to jug wine status. Fast forward today, and the winery is now a part of the Treasury Wine Estates. The tasting room has many terrific photos of the history of the winery.
Beringer Vineyards
Beringer Vineyards began in 1897 and is also part of Treasury Wine Estates. The tour is one of the best and shows off the caves dug out over 100 years ago.
Charles Krug
The Charles Krug winery dates back to 1861. Many years later, the winery came into the hands of Ceasar Mondavi. Yes, Ceasar was the father of great, late Robert Mondavi. Robert later, in a family tiff, left the Krug operation and opened his winery in St. Helena. Peter Mondavi eventually ran the Charles Krug winery. It is now Peter’s siblings that have taken the winery to another level. They have restored much of the original winery into a tourist delight.
Chateau Montelena
Chateau Montelena began in 1882. Jim Barrett purchased the old winery in 1970 and quickly brought fame and fortune to Chateau Montelena.
The 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay was judged first above all of the French White Burgundies in the famous 1976 Judgement of Paris. The Barrett Family continue to run the winery,
Inglenook Estate
The Inglenook Chateau is the most beautiful structure in the entire Napa Valley. Completed in 1887, it remains one of the most visible landmarks in the Napa wine country. In 1964 the winery was sold to the Allied Grape Growers. Like Beaulieu, the wines went from quality to jug wine. In 1975 Francis Ford Coppola purchased the winery, and today the history of the winery is alive and well. The wine, once again, top quality.
Nichelini
The Nichelini Family has had 121 consecutive harvests and is the oldest continuous family-owned winery in the Napa Valley. This is a small-production winery, only 4000 cases per year. The winery is off the beaten path, some 15 minutes from the valley floor atop Sage Canyon Drive. If you head up there be sure to pack a picnic lunch.
Trefethen Family Vineyards
The original winery built in 1886 was known as Eshcol and continued to make wines until 1940. At that time the winery closed and it was not until 1968 that the Trefethen Family purchased the winery and brought it back to life. The oringal winery facility is still used today. The lower portion is used to age wine and houses the estate tasting room. This is the closest winery to the town of Napa and is an easy one to visit. The winery is located at 1160 Oak Knoll Ave. Trefethen
Additional Napa Valley Wine Routes to enjoy
- Boutique Wineries on Highway 29 – small and fascinating
- Best Silverado Wineries – less traffic and less crowds
- Calistoga Wine Route – northern end of the Valley
- Hidden wineries of the Napa Valley – get away from the crowds
- Historic Napa Valley Wineries – these made the Napa Valley
- Wine and Art Wine Route – wineries with art collections
Tips for your Napa Valley travels
- You are encouraged to have a designated driver. Consider hiring a limousine or van service.
- First time to a winery in Napa? Find out what happens in a typical tasting room.
- Are you wondering about how to taste wine? Wine Tasting Techniques
- Some ideas for which wineries to visit..
- Dine at Napa Valley’s many fine restaurants.
- We list premium lodging and budget lodging.
- Pace yourself and make a day of wine tasting. Don’t forget your camera.
- Visiting three wineries in one day is enough to you keep you busy and content with the slow and easy pace of wine country.
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