Author Archives: Cathy Gartley

Beringer Vineyards

2000 Main St, St Helena, CA 94574

The Rhine House

Beringer Vineyards is the oldest continuously operating winery in Napa Valley. Brothers Jacob and Frederick Beringer purchased the property in 1875. The most iconic building on the property is the Rhine House. This 17-room mansion was Frederick Beringer’s residence and he built it in memory of his German home at Mainz-on-the-Rhine. The Hudson House, Jacob Beringer’s former residence, also resides on the property. This house was built in 1850 and was on the property when the Beringer brothers purchased it. The Hudson House originally stood in the location of the Rhine House but was moved to a different location when Frederick decided that the spot was the best location for his new home. The Hudson House now serves as a Culinary Arts Center, and the Rhine House is open to the public for viewing and Reserve tastings.

Courtyard at Beringer Vineyards

The Rhine House, beautiful grounds, and wine aging caves are all an impressive site to see. Beringer’s wine aging caves are dug into the hillside of Spring Mountain. Beringer offers daily historic tours of the property and wine aging caves, or visitors can walk through the property (except for the caves) at their own leisure and have a tasting at The Old Winery Tasting Room or a Reserve tasting inside the Rhine House. At night, the Rhine House looks majestic all lit up.

The Old Winery

Being one of the most historic wineries in Napa Valley, the winery does attract a lot of visitors. When I stopped in for a tasting at The Old Winery Tasting Room it was very busy and I had to wait a few minutes to get a place at the bar. The staff was courteous but did not offer up a lot of information about the wines like some of the less busy places in the valley. Many of the wines served in this tasting room are widely distributed outside of the winery. There is also a gift shop in The Old Winery Tasting Room where visitors can browse around while waiting for a spot at the tasting bar. Although the Reserve tasting in the Rhine House is a little more expensive, it is generally less crowded and you can sample some of Beringer’s premium wines. You may be able to find special deals on the Reserve tastings on http://www.winecountry.com/ or via the Winery Finder app.

Bartholomew Park Winery

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Bartholomew Park Winery

1000 Vineyard Ln, Sonoma, CA 95476

Website: www.bartpark.com

Bartholomew Park Winery is tucked away on a side road only a couple of miles from Sonoma Plaza. Visitors would not easily stumble upon this winery without looking for it. Yet, this is one of the most historic wineries in Sonoma Valley and worth seeking out. The grounds upon which the winery sits today were part of the original Buena Vista property purchased by Hungarian nobleman Agoston Haraszthy in 1857. Haraszthy has been credited with the birth of the California wine industry. He was forced from the property in 1867 for financial reasons, and then the winery changed hands several times before Frank and Antonia Bartholomew purchased the property in the 1940’s. They resumed grape growing and restored the Buena Vista label. After 20 years of winemaking, the Bartholomews decided to sell off 20-acres of the property and the brand name, keeping more than 400 acres and the estate vineyards for themselves. Upon their death, a foundation was set up to maintain the relation between the property, winery, and vineyard.

Fast forward to 1994, the Bundschu Family opened Bartholomew Park Winery. They fully restored the historic winery building and gardens. All 37 acres of the estate vineyard were completely replanted. The Bundschu Family managed the property for 20 years until March 2018 when the winery shifted to new management set to reopen in spring 2019. The new management updated the name to Bartholomew Estate Winery and changed the label, but they are still dedicated to maintaining the history of the land.

A portion of the winery houses the Bartholomew Park Museum with many artifacts from the property’s history. The museum is located right off the tasting room and is open to the public for free. The winery sits at the heart of the 400 acre Bartholomew Memorial Park. The grounds of the winery are absolutely stunning and contain picnic grounds, hiking trails, and a replica of Agoston Haraszthy’s Palladian Villa.

I visited the winery before it changed hands in 2018. The staff in the tasting room was very gracious. There were only a few of us in the tasting room when my husband and I arrived, and the staff was more than willing to tell us about the property. The winery produces Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Sauvignon Blanc. My personal favorites were the Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. There were some winery souvenirs available for purchase inside the tasting room. At the opposite side of the room from the tasting bar is the entrance to the museum. The winery offers a one hour tour of the estate with prior reservation. Check their website for dates and times. My only regret about my visit to this winery is that I wish I had spent more time exploring the outdoor grounds.

Entrance to Bartholomew Park Winery

Mumm Napa

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Mumm Napa

8445 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558

Website: https://www.mummnapa.com/

My husband and I made a stop into Mumm Napa after a few friends recommended their tour. Even though I’m not a sparkling wine connoisseur, I did enjoy this winery and tour very much. There are several reasons why I liked the winery so much. The welcoming staff, great views, educational tour, art gallery and good sparkling wines made for a tourist friendly experience.

In 1979, a Frenchman named Guy Devaux was called upon by the famous French Champagne house of G. H. Mumm to go on a quest to find the ideal winegrowing area in the United States. Devaux had more than 40 years of experience making still and sparkling wines in France, South America, and the U.S. It took him four years to find the location in the U.S. where he felt he could produce the highest quality wine from traditional Champagne grapes in the méthode champenoise. The Mumm Napa winery was completed in 1986.

Entrance to Mumm Napa Valley

The first thing we saw when we stepped out of the car from the parking lot was the large red barn style structure to the left that houses the winery, tasting area, and gift shop. Straight ahead in front of us was a great view of the Rutherford vineyards. The first area we arrived at after walking through the large barn doors was the gift shop. To the left of the gift shop is an enclosed salon that is surrounded by glass doors where visitors can sit down for a tasting while looking out at the vineyards. Outside of the tasting salon is a patio that offers outdoor, tableside service right up close to the vineyards.

The winery offers tours of the winery and art gallery several times a day for a fee of $25. It includes a walkthrough of the winery and tastings along the way. As an added bonus, you get to take the flute home with you. The tour runs about 45 minutes and walks visitor through the step-by-step process of making sparkling wine. At the start of the tour we stopped at a demonstration vineyard before heading inside to the winery.

Fermentation room at Mumm Napa

We were greeted with a glass of sparkling wine when we entered the winery. We then proceeded to the crush pad. At the time that we visited it was harvest time and we got to see workers sorting through grapes. The tour then winds its way through the fermentation and bottling areas with some additional wine samples. We learned about the riddling process and disgorgement. During the tour we also walked through the Fine Art Photography Gallery, which is open to any visitors regardless of whether they take the tour. At the end of the tour, we sat down at the patio and finished up with a couple more samples from a selection of their still and sparkling wines. It was a gorgeous day and the tour and wines made it a memorable experience. This is a winery that is worth taking the extra time to see.

View of Rutherford from Mumm’s patio

Wine Tourist

My journeys in wine country.

Author Archives: Cathy Gartley

Beringer Vineyards

Bartholomew Park Winery

Mumm Napa