The Wine Shop Talk
The Wine Shop Talk
The Beringer Story: A Family & Their Wines - Label Legends Series
Join Sommelier Erin, as she delves into the captivating history of Beringer Winery in Napa Valley. In this episode, discover the story of German brothers Jacob and Frederick Beringer, who founded the winery in 1876. Learn about their innovative spirit, family legacy, and how they navigated challenges like Prohibition. From early wine offerings to becoming pioneers in wine tourism, Beringer's commitment to quality has made it one of California's most storied wineries. Erin also provides practical tips for visiting Beringer Winery and highlights the variety of experiences available. Tune in to uncover the rich history and even a ghost story or two.
0:00 The Beringer Story: A Family and Their Wines
02:08 Brothers from Germany - The Beginning
02:55 Moving to the United States
03:36 Napa Valley
04:22 A Growing Business
05:11 Prohibition and Creative Thinking
06:37 Hauntings and Ghost Stories
07:57 Planning a Visit
🍷 ✨ Discover your personal wine palate personality. Take the Quiz
🍎 Grab Your Fall 2024 Pairing Inspiration Guide
⭐️ Check out our FREE resources and guides.⭐️
🍎 Learn about Cider - Read the Blog
Have a question or a comment to share? hello@winegirlacademy.com
Follow WGA! 👇
⭐️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winegirlacademy/
⭐️Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wine-Girl-Academy-102017018628996
⭐️Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@winegirlacademy
⭐️Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/WineGirlAcademy/_saved/
Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/WineGirlShop - more products being added
⭐️Wine and Chocolate Course Udemy
⭐️Bubbles 101 Course - Udemy - Udemy
Today, I'm going to be diving into the fascinating history of one of California's most story wineries and this winery isn't just known for its exceptional wines, but also for its rich family history, innovative spirit, and even has a goose story or two. So if you're ready to learn more about the history and the stories behind the iconic winery Berenger, let's get started and dive right into today's episode. Hi everyone. And welcome to the wine shop talk. I'm your host smile, Erin Rosar and I am so happy that you're here with me today. If we haven't met before, it's lovely to have you here. And we have welcome back now for those of you who are new, you should know that I've been a professional smile for over 20 years now. And it's my passion and my privilege to make learning about wine. Not only fun and easy, but also practical. I want to make sure that you leave every single episode with some real life practical tips that you're able to use right away to help you find why is it you're going to love and enjoy and be able to share with family and friends. I want you to think of me as your very own practical Somalia. End, if you've been listening in over the past few weeks, this episode is part of a series that I've been doing called label legends. And it's all about the lives behind some of the most iconic wines that people are enjoying around the world. So if you haven't caught the last few episodes where I've dove into Kim Crawford from the iconic New Zealand winery. Last week I shared the story behind the Clayco champagne house. And this week is Berenger. So I hope that you've been enjoying this series it's a bit of a different spin if you will, especially during the summer. And maybe you're listening to this on a car ride. So it's a bit of storytelling, but I think it's really important to understand that there are real life people and there are some incredible stories behind the wines that we love and enjoy in our glasses. And so I do hope that you've been enjoying learning about these iconic wineries, as much as I love sharing the stories behind them. So get comfortable grab a beverage of your choice. And let me tell you a story about the Berenger winery. Now our story begins in the mid 19th century with two German brothers. Jacob and Frederick Berenger. Now, jacob, the elder brother was born in 1845 in mines, Germany, and he grew up surrounded by vineyards in the beautiful Rhine valley. And it's here where he developed a deep passion and appreciation for the skills involved in wine-making. His younger brother, Frederick was born four years later in 1849. And he shared this passion for wine making, but he also had a keen interest in viticulture and the science behind growing grapes. And so this was a perfect family match. If you will, where you have one brother focused on the skillsets involved in wine making and one passionate about how to grow exceptional grapes. In 1868, Jacob took a huge step towards this future, any immigrated to the United States and he settled in New York city. Here. He worked as a cellar master for several wineries in the area and was able to hone and practices craft and began dreaming of starting his own winery and vineyard. Now, Frederick joined his brother a few years later and together, they decided that they would move to California after hearing about the growing wine industry that was happening in that state. They were also attracted by what they thought was the region's potential for producing world-class wines. So in 1876, They founded Berenger winery in the beautiful Napa valley. Here, the brothers purchased 215 acres of land in St. Helena. Recognizing that this area had the ideal climate and soil for viticulture to be able to grow the grapes that they envisioned to be able to make the world-class wine. So they wanted to make. And on this land, they build the winery with their own hands using local materials with their knowledge of wineries and buildings that they brought with them from Germany. And during this time, Jacob focused on the wine, making processes, employing both traditional European techniques And those he had learned while working in New York state and Frederick was able to manage the vineyards, setting up vineyards that he knew would be able to produce the highest quality grapes. Some of their first offerings were Zinfandel, Riesling and 70 L block. The two brothers had a perfect combination with Jacob's meticulous attention to detail through the wine-making process. And Frederick's innovative vineyard practices quickly set their wines apart as high quality and a new standard in the valley. They even began producing a dessert wine, which became very popular for its rich and sweet flavors. Their dedication and hard work paid off. And by the turn of the century, Berenger wines were winning awards and gaining a reputation of excellence. The Ryan House, which is the 17 bedroom mansion which is still on the grounds today was built in 1884. And this served both as a family residence and a symbol of their success is ornate architecture and beautiful gardens made it a landmark in Napa valley then as it still is today. But like all good stories. It wasn't always smooth sailing for the brothers during prohibition, which lasted from 1920 to 1933, the Berenger brothers had to find creative ways to keep the winery and their family afloat. And their solution was that they were able to sell sacramental wine to the churches. Which was one of the few legal uses of the wine during that time. This move not only helped them survive during prohibition, but also preserved their legacy. They were able to keep all of their lands, their wineries. They did not have to sell parts of their holdings off to be able to provide for their family during this time. After prohibition ended the Beringer winery, didn't just bounce back. It rocketed off and they became pioneers in wine tourism. When in 1934. They invited guests to experience the wine making process firsthand by holding wine tours so that people could come and actually see how the wine was made, how the tasting and this opened up the doors to the Napa. Napa valley experience that we know and love today. This also helped them grow loyal customers who embrace this experience to be part of the action, if you will, at the winery, and to see how all of the magic happened to bring the line together The customers were loving in their glass. Today. Berenger is one of the oldest, continuously operating wineries not only Napa valley, but also California. Now for a bit of family lore, if you will. legend has it that the Wright house is haunted and visitors and staff have reported strange occurrences from mysterious footsteps to flickering lights, to dishes being thrown across the room. and there's a couple of stories of who the ghosts may be. Some say that it's the spirit of Frederick's daughter who passed away in the house and she still roams the halls. Others will say that it is Frederick himself. And he doesn't like people in some of his private spaces, as people are doing tours of the house that they can do today. So, whether you believe in ghosts or not, these stories definitely add an extra layer of intrigue to this historic and beautiful site. Now today Berenger continues to uphold its legacy of excellence. The winery produces a diverse range of wines from affordable everyday selections to premium Award winning and collectible bottles. Their vineyard span some of the most prized locations in Napa valley and they remain committed to sustainable farming practices. Beringer's current winemaker. Mark. Berenger. Is Jacob's great, great grandson. And he continues to carry on the family tradition with a focus on crafting wines that reflect not only the unique terroir. The of the Napa valley, but also each individual vineyard. Now should you be in Napa valley? I highly recommend making sure that you stop in at this beautiful and iconic winery. And it is a must, in my opinion, for any lover of California wines to make the most of your trip. I have a few tips for you. First, take a tour. You can take a tour of the house, the gardens, you'll be able to book all of this on their website. It's a beautiful website, lots of great information. But this will allow you to actually embrace the experience when you're there. It is a very well visited site, so it can be busy. And if you book the tour ahead of time, you're not going to be disappointed that you won't be able to jump in to one of the tours that's happening at the time. So take a look at the different tours that are happening, but definitely I highly recommend. Booking before you go. Also the tasting experience sometimes with some of the tours, tasting experiences are included, but if you don't have time for a tour, there are tasting experiences that you can take part in when you're there and lovely, beautiful, huge tasting room for you to enjoy. Also, they have some virtual tasting. So if you're looking to have a walkthrough of some of their wines in the comfort of your own home, those can be booked on their website as well. Now, explore the grounds. There are. Our beautiful gardens, historic buildings. Perfect. For an afternoon stroll, there are concerts, special events, you can host weddings here Definitely an area that you want to give yourself more time, not less time if you're in the area to really take advantage and take in this beautiful site with all of its history, architectural, and just, it is an incredible site for wine lovers. And my last tip, anytime you are visiting Napa valley, this little bit of safety first, make sure that you have a driver, whether you've booked a driver for the day or one of your group is going to be your designated driver. Because very quickly as you're trying to little bits of wind along the route, those can catch up to you quickly and definitely. I want to make sure that you're safe. So my last tip is always going to be, make sure that you have a safe transportation as. You're touring the valley. Now as we close. Let me just say that Beringer's commitment to quality through the years has earned them numerous awards and accolades and their wines consistently receive high ratings. And they have definitely won the hearts of wine lovers and enthusiasts around the globe. They are, in my opinion, their wines are true to varietal. They're great expressions of the Napa valley. And if it's been a while, since you've enjoyed a glass of beautiful Berenger whites, I would highly recommend that you take a wander down the California Hale and see what's on offer. You might be surprised at some of the new wide styles and new offers they have for you in the aisle. So be sure to check them out. I hope today you have enjoyed learning about the Berenger family, the history and the incredible winery. If you have your own story from visiting the Beringer winery, or you have a favorite wine, I would love to hear about it. Or if you, any questions or comments about today's episode, please reach out. You can reach me@helloatwinegirlacademy.com. Or come say hello on Instagram or Tik TOK, you can find me at wine girl academy. Now, for those of you who are new, that you will find information in the show notes below about my signature wine pellet personality quiz just click the link below, and you'll be able to take a short, fun quiz and discover your pallet personality as well. You'll find the link to all the freebies I have on offer right now on the website. So be sure to check those out. Now as a friendly reminder, new episodes come out every Tuesday. So be sure to like, and follow along. So you never miss an episode next week's episode in this series about label legends I'm going to be heading back to the champagne world and I'm going to be talking about the story of the one and only dome pairing y'all. So I'm going to break down the story behind this iconic champagne house. So be sure to join me next week as we dive into the story and the man dumb pairing y'all and how his name became so dominant. So Northern most famous Champaign brands around the world. On that note, I want to wish you a wonderful week. Cheers to you by now.