What It Means to Be an American Icon

“I thought you should have this.” That’s what a man said one day as he walked into our tasting room, handed the wine steward a bottle of BV vintage 1919, and walked out. He knew how important Beaulieu Vineyard’s history is and wanted to do his part to make sure other people could understand it, too.

This story is just one of the many waiting for you to explore in our digital archive. What wines did political powerbroker William Randolf Hearst order? We have the receipt. What was it like being a woman running a global business in the ’40s? Check out the magazine profiles. Why did Georges and Fernande de Latour include so many ceramic roosters in their décor? That we may never know, but you can get a peek inside their glamorous home.

Letters, articles, board meeting minutes, labels, marketing materials, and tons of photos from every era – whether you scroll or search, the BV archive is the ultimate insider’s guide to not only Beaulieu Vineyard, an American Icon, but the history of the entire American wine industry.

The BV Collection at UC Davis

When the Original Cult Cab, our iconic Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon debuted in 1941, you’d think there would have been a marketing splash. But our records show the wine that changed the Cab world forever was released with just one small ad, placed by a liquor store in the Oakland Tribune.

For dozens of decades, BV’s vast assemblage of historical documents and objects piled up in a storeroom at the winery. As we started planning for our 125th anniversary, we engaged archivist Lynn Downey to finally unlock the treasure trove preserved inside. Over 200 boxes later, we’ve clarified myths, proved theories, learned so much more about our heritage than we ever expected – and are beyond inspired for our future.

And now we’re sharing it all with the world. The Beaulieu Vineyard Collection at UC Davis makes high-resolution scans available to everyone, anytime. (The in-real-life items are available upon request.) Researchers, wine writers, historians, and everyday enthusiasts can better understand the impact our founders, winemakers like André Tchelistcheff, and our remarkable wines had on Napa Valley and beyond. And, of course, it’s just plain fun. Beauzeaux Red Blend? Yes, there really were clowns and elephants at the ’90s launch parties. Dive in!