Beaulieu Vineyard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beaulieu Vineyard |
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| Location | Napa Valley, U.S. |
| Appellation | Rutherford AVA |
| Founded | 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, often called BV, is a famous place in Rutherford, California, where they make wine. It's part of a special area called Rutherford AVA, known for its great grapes. A couple named Georges and Fernande de Latour started this vineyard in 1900.
The Story of Beaulieu Vineyard
Beaulieu Vineyard began in 1900 when Georges and Fernande de Latour bought a piece of land. The name "Beaulieu" comes from a French phrase, "Quel beau lieu", which means "What a beautiful place". It's said that Fernande exclaimed these words when she first saw the land.
In 1901, they bought another nearby place that was already making wine. Georges de Latour was very smart about farming grapes. He knew about a tiny bug called phylloxera that was hurting many grapevines in the Napa Valley. He decided to bring in special grapevines that could fight off this bug. This helped him become one of the first important people in California's wine industry.
Surviving Tough Times
From 1920 to 1933, there was a time in the United States called Prohibition in the United States. During this period, it was against the law to make or sell alcohol. Most places that made wine had to close down. But Beaulieu Vineyard was lucky! They got a special permission to make "sacramental wine" for churches.
Because churches needed a lot of this wine, Beaulieu Vineyard actually grew bigger during Prohibition. By the time Prohibition ended in 1933, they were making a huge amount of wine each year.
A New Era of Quality
After Prohibition ended, Beaulieu Vineyard hired a very talented winemaker named Andre Tchelistcheff from France. He helped make their wines much better. Andre Tchelistcheff also taught many other winemakers who later became famous, like Mike Grgich and Robert Mondavi.
By the 1940s, Beaulieu Vineyard's wines were so good that they were served at important events at the White House. In the 1950s and 1960s, Beaulieu was known as one of the top four wine producers in the Napa Valley.
Changing Hands
In 1969, a large company called Heublein Inc. bought Beaulieu Vineyard. Over the years, Beaulieu Vineyard was owned by a few different big companies. In 2016, it was bought by Treasury Wine Estates, which is a major wine company today.
Beaulieu Vineyard continues to be a well-known name in the world of wine, famous for its long history and quality.
