Beringer Vineyards was founded in 1868 by Jacob Beringer after he left his home in Mainz, Germany, to start a new life in the U.S. In 1870 he traveled by train from the East Coast, first to San Francisco and then on to Napa Valley. To his delight, he discovered rocky, well-drained soils similar to those in his native Rhine Valley. The volcanic soil was ideal for growing the same grapes found in Europe’‘s great winemaking regions. Best of all, the hills could be dug out to provide storage and aging tunnels that would maintain the constant temperature needed to produce fine wines. The tough task of hand-chiseling the tunnels in the mountainside behind the winery fell to Chinese workers who had returned to the Bay Area after helping build the Trans-Continental Railroad. Even today, the average 58°F temperature inside the tunnels makes them the ideal place to age their fine wines. Beringer Vineyards is the oldest continuously operating winery in the Napa Valley. Today the company receives its grapes from more than 14 different vineyards, each specific to a particular grape varietals. As of 2008 the vineyards head wine master is Ed Sbragia and its lead wine maker is Laurie Hook.
