Home / Wineries / Beaulieu Vineyard
Wineries · Rutherford · Napa Valley · California
Beaulieu Vineyard
Beaulieu Vineyard brings Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon into focus, with a history that connects vineyard identity and André Tchelistcheff’s cellar work.
Photo: The original uploader was Geographer at English Wikipedia., 24 January 2006 (original upload date). Original photograph and credit · CC BY 1.0. Resized; no generative changes.
The quick profile
- Where to begin
- Rutherford · Napa Valley · California
- The producer
- Napa Valley producer
- A useful time marker
- Founded 1900
A Rutherford starting point
Georges and Fernande de Latour founded Beaulieu Vineyard in 1900. Its history is closely connected with Rutherford and the wine that became Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. The producer identifies 1936 as the inaugural vintage of that wine. Those dates describe different beginnings: a business and a particular bottling.
The person behind the cellar connection
André Tchelistcheff joined in 1938. Beaulieu’s account describes his influence on fermentation control, cellar practice and the development of its wines. It is tempting to make a famous winemaker the entire explanation. A more useful reading holds together the vineyard, the cellar team and the repeated decisions made across changing seasons.
Cabernet, place and a particular bottle
Begin with Cabernet Sauvignon, then check the precise appellation and vintage on the bottle or technical sheet. Rutherford, Napa Valley and California describe different geographic scales. A producer can make more than one range. Expressions such as “Rutherford dust” are tasting language; they are not evidence that soil particles travel unchanged into the flavour of a glass.
Three things to notice
- Beaulieu Vineyard is often shortened to BV.
- The winery’s founding year is not the first vintage of every wine in its range.
- A wine’s stated origin is more precise evidence than a broad assumption about the brand.
Try a little discovery
Compare the official description of Georges de Latour Private Reserve with another BV Cabernet Sauvignon. Circle the origin, vintage and aging information. Ask which differences are documented and which are simply suggested by the names.
A few questions worth uncorking
Does every BV wine come from the same vineyard?
Do not assume so. Read the origin and vineyard information for the particular wine and vintage.
Did Tchelistcheff found Beaulieu Vineyard?
No. Georges and Fernande de Latour founded the business in 1900; Tchelistcheff joined in 1938.
Follow the connections
Discover another winery
Behind this introduction
Sources checked 15 October 2026. Producer accounts are first-hand sources for their own history and wines; discovery questions are Talk to the Cork editorial interpretations. Wine ranges, methods and visitor arrangements can change. Use the producer’s official information for the particular wine, vintage or visit.