| Beaulieu Vineyard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Napa Valley, U.S. |
| Appellation | Rutherford AVA |
| Founded | 1900; 126 years ago (1900) |
| Key people | Trevor Durling, General Manager and Director of Winemaking |
| Parent company | Treasury Wine Estates |
| Known for | Georges De Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Varietals | Cabernet Sauvignon,Pinot noir,Chardonnay,Sangiovese,Zinfandel,Syrah,Viognier,Merlot,Sauvignon blanc |
| Distribution | national |
| Tasting | open to the public |
Beaulieu Vineyard (BV for labelling purposes) is awinery nearRutherford,California, belonging to the appellationRutherford AVA. It was established by Georges de Latour and his wife Fernande in 1900.
Initially a purchase of 4 acres (1.6 ha) of land in 1900, Beaulieu Vineyard derives its name from theFrench phrase "Quel beau lieu" which translates toEnglish as "What a beautiful place". Legend has it that Fernande uttered these words when she first saw the land.[citation needed] The following year (not according to this timeline:https://www.bvwines.com/heritageArchived 29 May 2018 at theWayback Machine, they purchased a nearbywinery originally built by California State Senator Seneca Ewer in 1885. De Latour's knowledge aboutphylloxera which had ravaged manyNapa Valley vineyard, and his decision to import arootstock variety resistant to the pest helped secure his stature as one of the early pioneers of California's wine industry.
WhenProhibition in the United States began in 1920, most wineries in the country were forced out of operation. However, Beaulieu obtained a contract to supplysacramental wine to churches nationwide.[1] The demand for such wine increased dramatically during the years of Prohibition and the winery repeatedly expanded. By theRepeal of Prohibition in 1933, production had grown to over 1 million US gallons (3,800,000 L) per year.
Following Repeal of Prohibition, Beaulieu hiredAndre Tchelistcheff fromFrance as winemaker and the quality of its wines increased significantly. Tchelistcheff also became a mentor to other important winemakers such asMike Grgich (whoseChateau Montelena Chardonnay won theJudgment of Paris), Joe Heitz ofHeitz Wine Cellars, andRobert Mondavi. By the 1940s, Beaulieu wines were served at all majorWhite House functions.
In the mid-1940s, Beaulieu was owned by Marquis de Pins, whose wife was a member of the French wine-making de Latour family. This was noted inLife Magazine in an article on the debut ball at which their daughter was a debutante.[2]
In the 1950s and 1960s Beaulieu was considered one of the "big four" Napa Valley producers, along withInglenook (also in Rutherford),Charles Krug, andLouis Martini.[3]
In the Ottawa Wine Tasting of 1981, the 1970 vintage of Beaulieu Vineyard George de Latour Private ReserveCabernet Sauvignon received second place.
The winery was purchased by internationalconglomerateHeublein Inc., in 1969.[4] Heublein was later acquired byRJR Nabisco, then sold to Grand Metropolitan in 1987. Grand Metropolitan becameDiageo plc in 1997 through a merger withGuinness,[5] and is now the largest multinational beer, wine and spirits company in the world. In 2016 Diageo sold Beaulieu Vineyard toTreasury Wine Estates.
38°27′37″N122°25′24″W / 38.460159°N 122.423444°W /38.460159; -122.423444
