This leg of our tour through Napa Valley brought us to one of the oldest wineries in California, Beringer Vineyards. Although much of what people know of Beringer surrounds White Zinfandel, the legacy of Beringer Vineyards is far more steeped in Napa history. Jacob Beringer and his brother Frederick left Mainz, Germany in 1868 for New York, but soon were on their way to California after hearing of a place called Napa Valley. So after a short stint as the cellar foreman for the Charles Krug Winery, Jacob and his financier brother Frederick purchased 215 acres of land in 1875, and the Beringer story began.

With my friends Jacob and Frederick Beringer.

The winery was first known as Los Hermanos (The Brothers), and two years later the Old Stone Winery
was completed and work began on the long tunnel of caves that are still in use today. The wine history I was exposed to had very much a European feel to it. The caves were old and moldy, as were many of the bottles, some nearly 100 years old. This really had me thinking of some of the old winery caves and barrel rooms I have seen in parts of France and Italy. Such a departure from some of the brilliant, shiny, modernly sterilized wineries most often seen in Napa. The history of Beringer Vineyards is everywhere, even in the stories of ghosts still inhabiting the Rhine House, that was built on the property in the mid-1800s. In order to build the Rhine House, Frederick had his brother's house moved by horses, who pulled the house, mounted on a logs, a mere of 200 feet to the north.

Before we took part in this great tour of the past, we were treated to a tour of the property, the wonderful gardens, the ultra-modern outdoor kitchen and then an extraordinary dinner and wine tasting in the main hall. Our dinner, prepared by Chef Maurine Sarjeant and her sous chef Dana Robbers, started with dayboat scallops with heirloom tomato and pepper coulis, a mini patty of squash and padrón peppers; all the veggies were grown in the wineries organic garden. This was served with one of my favorite Cali Chards, the 2010 Beringers Vineyards Sbragia Limited Release Chardonnay. This was a wonderful pairing and a great way to start a delicious meal.

Some very old wine caves.

The next course was Berkshire pork loin with an estate-grown peach chutney and Central Valley asparagus. With this we were served the 2010 Beringer Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The dessert course consisted of beignets dusted with powdered sugar with homemade triple chocolate truffle ice cream and served along with Beringer’s famous Nightingale dessert wine, the 2007 vintage.

What a terrific evening of Napa history, modern winemaking and a sprinkle of culinary art.

Ken Amendola, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Wine Supervisor

Follow him on Twitter @abcwinekena