Travel Tips

Suzy Gershman’s Bottle Blogs, Pt. 6: Beringer Wines

Peter Greenberg Worldwide
Locations in this article:  Las Vegas, NV Paris, France San Francisco, CA Santa Barbara, CA Shanghai, China

Suzy Gershman tipples her way through California Wine CountryWas there a time when Beringer meant cheap wine?

If I remember it that way, boy am I wrong.

Today’s Beringer wines can easily go up to $200 a bottle and are considered a worthy addition to any collection.

Granted, there are still good buys in this family brand—the oldest vineyard in continual operation in the Napa Valley.

Many wines sell for $20-30 per bottled; the 2007 White Zinfandel sells for under $10 a bottle and is frequently mentioned on 10-best lists of price, quality and value.

Although Beringer was never known as a jug wine, it did not make the move into killer Cabernets and prestige wines until the last 25 years or so. Before that time, many a housewife turned to the brand as a cooking wine or something to serve herds of undiscerning guests.

Pinot noir vines - photo by Andy KatzThat’s all part of ancient history now as Beringer and winemaker Laurie Hook offer up single vineyard cabs, a 1996 Napa Valley private reserve cab that will knock your socks off, some mountain reds, some chards of serious importance and a parade of wines that easily and respectfully cost well over $100 each. In fact, shoppers at San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square Cellar 360 will easily find reds at over $200 a bottle.

The showplace at Beringer Brothers in St. Helena is the Rhine House, a stone reproduction of the family home that overlooked the (you guessed it!) Rhine River and was built in 1876. One of the other brothers actually lived on the property before that time; his house was later moved down-yard somewhat to accommodate the ‘big house’ which today is totally renovated and suitably grand. For visitors who don’t even care bout wine, this is a house, and a property, to see just for the dream–of-me potential.

Explore California’s wine region with Suzy:

The front parlor of the Rhine House has been turned into a gift shop—and a good one at that. Most wineries have gift shops; few of them are very good. (St. Jean has the best.) The merchandise mix is wine (duh), wine accessories, hats, scarves, T-shirts, and home style. It’s a blend that not only works, but is so classy that it adds a layer of depth to the Beringer image.

Vineyard light - photo by Andy KatzThere are a variety of tours, tastings, seminars and events to choose from the web site or on arrival. Like all vineyards, there are seasonal events, especially now, after the vendage (which is called “The Crush” in Napa) when each Saturday and Sunday morning at 11 a.m. beginning in November, the Fine Wine Series offers post-harvest tastings.

Beringer seems to make more wines than other vineyards and have more range in price than any other vineyard in the area. Some of their wines are made in such limited quantities that only 200 cases were produced and sales have been limited to wine club members or shoppers at the retail venue inside the Rhine House.

Check out gorgeous photos of wine county in Vineyards of Sonoma County, a photo gallery by Andy Katz.

You’ll have to note the vintage you are tasting or considering to lay-down when you visit—the 2005s are a hit now, but many 2008s are out on grocery store shelves and selling for under $10. These could be the wines you want to buy by the case to lay down in storage for a few years; the cabs could make an excellent every day wine in about five years. If you’re a little more flush, go with the secret the winemaker told me and get hold of some Bancroft Ranch Cabernet from 2006.

Berry kisses,
SuzyKG

By Suzy Gershman for PeterGreenberg.com. Visit Suzy on the Web at www.suzygershman.com, and check out more of her “Bottle Blogs” at www.borntoshoplady.blogspot.com.

We Think You’ll Like