I’m going to admit something here, [and I'm not afraid to do it... LOL] by now my new wine brain and baby wine tastebuds don't even begin to know what hit them!! Even though we’ve only talked about five wineries, [and the amazing wine train] there were others we visited and in only in a matter of three and a half days!! So, things are starting to jumble all together in my head. Plus, I do not yet know the differences between a Cabernet and a Merlot, or even Chardonnay. [though I know that one is a white wine] I only know at this point what I like and what I don't, and even this seems to change as time goes on and I "expand my pallet" so to speak!!
Onto the last but not least winery visit... the Beringer Vineyard and winery was started by the Beringer brothers, Jacob and Fredrick. They made their way to Napa all the way from Mainz, Germany, back in 1868. They purchased 215 acres where they built a 17-room mansion, known as The Rhine House, with gardens to mimic their family home. They made a note to mention the 40 some panels of stained-glass windows, so I thought I would too. [you can see a few of them pictured below.] This house is the center piece of the property and tasting room. Visitors can enjoy a glass of wine inside the house, maybe in the library or on the porch overlooking the grounds.
I feel like there is some pretty interesting history here. The brothers decided to build the winery against the hillside so they could implement their methods of using the gravity of water flow during the wine making process. [this is how they did it back home in Germany, so wine not!? Hehe] Horses would take the grapes by wagon, to the road that went to the the top of the hillside... this was level with the third floor of the house. The fresh juice, after being pressed by a steam-powered crusher, would then flow naturally down to the second floor. The fermentation process was performed here and once it was completed, the wine would again flow down [with the help of gravity] to the ground floor. This is where it stayed while it was being aged and then bottled at the appropriate time.
Another thing The Beringer brothers put into play, was the creation of about 1,200 feet of linear tunnels into the hillside. They brought Chinese immigrant workers to complete the tedious task of hand chiseling. These tunnels and caves offered a natural insulation that allowed the wine to be stored and kept at the perfect 58-60 degrees Fahrenheit, year-round with no humidity. I had heard about the wine tunnels, and this was something I would have loved to see and/or tour. I did not know that you needed an advanced reservation to catch the slightest glimpse of them!! [yet one more reason to revisit Napa Valley in the future!!]
A bit of intriguing information I found, back in the 1918 Prohibition times, Jacob Jr, was able to keep the winery operational by making sacramental wines for various churches. He produced around 15,000 cases of “alter” wines until Prohibition was repealed in 1933. [Anyone else thinking about communion right now!?] I remember sitting at this beautiful bar, [practically all by myself] enjoying my single wine tasting [haha, as you can see from above this glass was a Cabernet] with a plate of delicious, warmed olives. The boys [Shawn and Chad] sat at one of the tables closer to the wonderful little gift shop [talking about who knows what] and you can see in the photo below, what they were interested in!! Haha!!
Beringer Vineyards holds the record for the longest continually operating winery. It has been around for some 145 years, it is also one of Napas most historic wineries as it is designated a Historic District by the National Register of Historic Places. They have been able to forge a long list of firsts during this time. The use of gravity for wine making, the tunnel and cave wine storage, and being the first to give public tours of a winery and vineyard. They are also the first and only winery in the world to have both a red and a white wine named the number one wine of the year!! They believe that “Passion has the wonderful power to turn mere objects into an obsession, to transform everyday tasks into art.”
Mark Beringer, the great-great grandson of Jacob, [one of the original founding brothers] carries on the family tradition and legacy. He is Beringer's current winemaker and is safeguarding their history of making exemplary wines.
So, have y’all heard enough talk about Napa yet?? Me neither!! Haha!! You know what they say though, about all good things having to come to an end?? Alas, next week we will rejoin the “real world” and head on back to Colorado. Pikes Peak to be exact so you don’t want to miss out on that!!
Cheers to you my wine loving friends, and TTFN!!
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