[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 62 (Thursday, April 21, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E564]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                      HONORING BERINGER VINEYARDS

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                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 21, 2016

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor 
Beringer Vineyards, which today celebrates its first annual Founders 
Day ceremony, commemorating the vineyard's founding in 1876 and 140 
years of continuous operation. The success of Beringer is of particular 
importance to me, as I worked as a maintenance supervisor at Beringer 
after returning from serving in Vietnam.
  Since the winery began operations in 1876 under founders Frederick 
and Jacob Beringer, it has not missed a harvest or wine vintage, making 
Beringer California's longest continually operating winery. In another 
contribution to the history of St. Helena, the founding brothers 
planted the now-famous tunnel of elm trees along Main Street shortly 
after Beringer Vineyard's founding. Beringer Vineyards became the first 
California winery to offer visitors tours in 1934 after the repeal of 
Prohibition, contributing to the influx of visitors to Napa Valley. The 
winery was named a State Historical Landmark in 1967, and the Rhine 
House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
  During its long history, Beringer has earned numerous accolades among 
wine professionals. It is the only winery to win the `Wine of the Year' 
from Wine Spectator for both a red and a white wine, the 1986 Private 
Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and the 1994 Private Reserve Chardonnay. 
Indeed, Beringer has had more placements on the Wine Spectator's Top 
100 list than any other winery in the world. In a further testament to 
the winery's longevity and quality, from 1988 to March 2016, Beringer 
earned 450 90 plus scores in premiere wine scoring publications.
  Mr. Speaker, Beringer Vineyards has been a resolute leader of the 
California wine industry for 140 years. It is truly a Napa Valley 
institution, and its success has brought acclaim to Napa Valley growers 
and winemakers. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor 
Beringer Vineyards here today.

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