Tastings will continue on site; expected completion in spring 2026
RUTHERFORD, Calif., July 17, 2024 – Established in 1900 and recognized as a pioneering winery of Napa Valley’s Rutherford American Viticultural Area, Beaulieu Vineyard (BV) announces it will break ground on a multimillion-dollar renovation. The renovation will reimagine the property’s original beauty and history with a design that honors the winery’s pioneering past, present, and future leadership in California winemaking. The current Reserve Tasting Room located at the south end of the building and the adjacent club lounge will remain open during the renovation. Winemaking will also continue on site.
“Given the historical importance of BV to the American wine industry, it’s incredibly exciting to restore this iconic estate for future generations to experience an important part of Rutherford. It started with a vision from Georges and Fernande de Latour, then André Tchelistcheff, and I feel privileged and very proud to be the current steward to lay the foundation for the next century,” says General Manager and Senior Winemaker Trevor Durling.
When Founders Georges de Latour and his wife Fernande first laid eyes on their original Rutherford vineyard (still farmed by BV today), she exclaimed, “Quel beau lieu,” or “what a beautiful place“. Later, in 1923, the de Latours purchased the winery located across the street from the vineyard from former U.S. Senator Seneca Ewer. The original winery structures dating back to the 1880s were built of stone. They boasted distinguished twin gabled roofs obscured or removed over time with construction in the 1930s, 40s, and later decades under past proprietors. Treasury Wine Estates acquired Beaulieu Vineyard in 2016 and, since that time, has invested heavily in making improvements in BV’s vineyards in an effort to continually improve the quality of the wines. With this project, the focus shifts to creating a luxury “brand home” worthy of a global icon.
Renovation Details
Led by Signum Architecture and anticipated to be completed in spring 2026, the renovated property will provide an extensive offering of tasting experiences in a luxury hospitality environment that parallels its longstanding legacy. The redesign will restore the original stone buildings visible in historic photographs while providing an even more inviting and elevated visitor experience that weaves together past and future, connecting guests with the property’s storied vineyards.
“At its core, the renovation of Beaulieu Vineyard is an act of revival – a long-term commitment to the history and future of the Napa Valley,” says Kirsten Shinnamon Baker of Signum Architecture. “Restoring the winery’s approach to the original structures and adapting them for contemporary use is an inherently sustainable redesign, as it captures and repurposes the energy embodied in the historic structures.”
The redesign will feature a rerouted entry, creating a more connected visitor arrival adjacent to the winery’s Seneca Vineyard (also known as BV10). New spaces in the two-floor building will include an open-air tasting courtyard, multiple private tasting rooms for hosting intimate and VIP experiences, a dedicated club member lounge, a Georges de Latour Private Reserve Wine Library for collector experiences, and an expansive hall overlooking the vineyards with flexible seating to accommodate larger groups.
Working with a professional historian and archivist, Beaulieu Vineyard completed a yearlong inventory of its historical collection of physical and printed materials in 2022. Pieces from the winery’s collection, including Georges de Latour’s original 1925 Cadillac Imperial Touring Car, will be artfully incorporated throughout the spaces, and brought to life with immersive storytelling and exhibitions.
The milestone renovation will support the winery’s bold sustainability vision to run on one hundred percent renewable electricity this year and be carbon neutral by 2030 for its own operations. The project will incorporate sustainable materials throughout, and the renovation team will seek creative new uses for those materials removed from the building. A new solar array will renewably power the site, including ample EV parking and an all-electric kitchen. Finally, all exterior spaces will feature water-wise landscaping using native plants.
About Beaulieu Vineyard
Established in Rutherford, Napa Valley, in 1900, Beaulieu Vineyard (BV) is considered a highly collectible classic and has set a world-class standard for California Cabernet Sauvignon. Known for its legacy of innovation driven by the contributions of such luminaries as founders Georges & Fernande de Latour and enologist André Tchelistcheff, the winery has maintained its cultural relevance for more than 120 years. Since its debut in 1940, the winery’s pinnacle bottling, Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, has become the benchmark for Napa Valley Cabernet and one of the most collected American wines. With an international reputation, Beaulieu Vineyard wines have wowed the world’s elite over the generations, from presidents and princes to queens and celebrities. Today, Beaulieu continues to break the boundaries of traditional winemaking all in the pursuit of mastery, remaking a new standard of excellence. For more information, visit https://www.bvwines.com or follow @bvwines on Instagram.
