Located in north Napa Valley in St. Helena, Beringer Vineyards is a historic and critically-acclaimed winery. Though Beringer is not the oldest winery in Napa, it does boast that it is the oldest in continuous operation, producing wine since 1876 (the winery produced communion wine during prohibition).

While Beringer’s vineyards are located in various places in Napa Valley, the tasting room stands just north of St. Helena off the valley’s main road. The property is rather large, but the centerpiece is the Rhine House, a beautiful yellow stone building inspired by German architecture. The grounds around the house are well-manicured and give visitors the sense of being in their own little oasis. We were able to look around the beautiful and ornate interior with rich woods and stained glass, but had our wine tasting on the patio behind the Rhine House amongst the landscaping. The setting was peaceful an relaxing.

Our tasting was well-curated by our host. We were able to sample several wines, including a sauvignon blanc, a pinot noir, and a malbec. Our host also brought us an extra tasting to ensure we had one of Napa Valley’s (and Beringer’s) famous Cabernet Sauvignons. All of the wines we tried were artfully crafted and complex. We enjoyed tasting them all, as well as the entire experience. Not only were the wines very good, but the setting in the shadow of the historic Rhine House amongst the beautiful landscaping really added to our time at Beringer. We highly recommend a stop at Beringer on a tour of Napa wineries.