Beringer Vineyards is a large winery

Winery

A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...

 located in St. Helena, California.

Beringer Vineyards was founded in 1875, is "the oldest continuously operating winery in the Napa Valley." Located in St. Helena, California, it was the first California winery to offer public tours in 1934, following the repeal of Prohibition. In 1939, Beringer invited attendees of the Golden Gate International Exposition

Golden Gate International Exposition

The Golden Gate International Exposition , held at San Francisco, California's Treasure Island, was a World's Fair that celebrated, among other things, the city's two newly-built bridges. The San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge was dedicated in 1936 and the Golden Gate Bridge was dedicated in 1937...

 to visit the winery using promotional maps printed with the phrase "All roads lead to Beringer". The winery also invited Hollywood stars including Clark Gable

Clark Gable

William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...

, Charles Laughton

Charles Laughton

Charles Laughton was an English-American stage and film actor, screenwriter, producer and director.-Early life and career:...

 and Carole Lombard

Carole Lombard

Carole Lombard was an American actress. She was particularly noted for her comedic roles in the screwball comedies of the 1930s...

 to visit. These early promotions are considered to be the birth of wine-based tourism that is now a large part of the economy of Napa Valley today.

The Beringer name and winery was sold by the Beringer family to Nestlé

Nestlé

Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...

 in 1971, who sold off the company in 1996. It was owned by Foster's Group

Foster's Group

Foster's Group is a beer group with interests in brewing and soft drinks. Foster's Group is the brewer of the Foster's Lager. Foster's Group Limited is a publicly-listed company on the Australian Securities Exchange and is based in Melbourne, Victoria...

 from 2000 to 2011. As of 2011, it is owned by Treasury Wine Estates

Treasury Wine Estates

Treasury Wine Estates is an Australian-based global winemaking and distribution business. Headquartered in Southbank, Melbourne, Victoria, and until a demerger in May 2011 was the wine division of international brewing company Foster's Group.-History:...

.

External links

• Napa Valley Wine Co. the story and historical documents re. Charles Krug, Jacob Beringer/Beringer Bros., and Cesare/Robert Mondavi (in german)