2005-07-29
by Charles Neave
Beaulieu Vineyard is truly one of the majestic and most respected grand dames of American viticulture history. A history that, has one way or another, touched almost every winery in this country, and continues to have an impact on the business of turning grapes into fine wines that are respected around the globe.
A Frenchman – a native of Bordeaux named Georges de Latour – started it all when he arrived in this country in the year 1900. Within a few years he had purchased 128 acres of prime vineyard land adjacent to his Rutherford home in the fertile midsection of the Napa Valley. These vineyards, called BV#1 and BV#2, form the very heart and soul of the winery’s production of their famous Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon.
Georges de Latour was one of the true visionaries when it came to the art and science of winemaking. He was quite the shrewd and forward-thinking businessman as well. Quite fortuitously he had developed a close relationship with the Catholic Church over the first part of the Twentieth Century. A relationship that allowed his winery to provide altar wine to the church and thus allowed Beaulieu Vineyard to operate legally (and profitably) during the many long years that were Prohibition. A time that saw almost every other winery in the country lock their doors, many of them for good as the economic consequences of the act took its toll.
The winery founder was also among the first to recognize the true genius of a young Russo-French émigré and enologist named Andre Tchelistcheff, a man who is widely regarded as one of the prime influencers of modern winemaking. In fact Tchelistcheff spent 35 years at Beaulieu, until his retirement in 1973. Prior to his death in 1995, at the age of 91, Tchelistcheff developed techniques and technologies that are still used today by legions of winemakers.
Today, the popular Beaulieu Vineyard Visitor Center has just opened a beautiful new tasting facility for visitors to the historic winery. The extensive major remodeling of the Reserve Room facility has been thoughtfully designed to highlight the Beaulieu wine collection. It does so in a way that showcases the many factors that make Beaulieu wines some of the most collected California wines ever since the early part of the last century. Project architect Michael Guthrie has said of the new facility, “The new BV Reserve Tasting Room has been designed to convey a respect for the past with a vision toward the future.”
The roster of wines produced by Beaulieu today runs the full gamut of varietals, including the venerable Cabernet Sauvignon as well as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Syrah, Zinfandel, Merlot, Pinot Noir and a fancifully named Limited Release wine called Beauzeaux. Other Limited Release Wines include a Pinot Gris (and a rare Pinot Noir Vin Gris), Sangiovese, Ensemble Red and Ensemble Blanc, plus a Port.
In addition to the daily Appellation tasting, which includes a variety of five Beaulieu Vineyard special selections, they also offer a Reserve Tasting Flight of four wines. It includes the Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Dulcet Reserve – a lovely Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz blend and their newest reserve wine, Carneros Reserve Chardonnay and Carneros Reserve Pinot Noir. A new feature that is now offered is a daily Older Vintage Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon tasting in the new Older Vintage Room for a small additional fee.
The winery is also known for the variety of special tastings that are available, including Verticals, Horizontals and Customized Tastings, as well as individualized special events and tours. These special events might include Vineyard Tours, Sensory Experiences and Corporate Events.
The Beaulieu Vineyard Visitor Center is located at 1960 St. Helena Highway (Route 29) in the middle of the small town of Rutherford. They are open daily from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. For more information or to arrange special events contact them at
(707) 967-5233, or look on their website at www.bvwines.com.
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