Every day, for 125 years, our teams have honored the legacy of Fernande de Latour’s original observation, “quel beau lieu!,” to ensure the our land and our community continues to be a “beautiful place” to live and make wine.
125 year legacy of
Winemaking
Senior Winemaker & General Manager
Nate Weis
A wine country native, Nate Weis grew up in Napa Valley with a winemaker father and a collection of T-shirts emblazoned with winery logos. While he contemplated becoming a pilot or firefighter, and eventually earned a BS in biopsychology/neuroscience, he also felt a tug toward wine.
His first job after graduation was “cellar rat” at Groth Vineyards & Winery. “My dad suggested I make sure I actually liked winemaking before heading down that career path,” Nate says. “I loved that first harvest, so I packed my bags, dropped my application for grad school in the mail and went off to Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand.”
winemaker
Megan Twitchell
A native of Orange County, California, Megan dreamed of becoming a chef, but at her father’s encouragement, she applied to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to study food science. Through part-time jobs in a tasting room and on a winery production team, she discovered her future lay in winemaking. Post-graduation, Megan worked for several prestigious wineries in Paso Robles and Napa Valley, eventually becoming an enologist at BV and joining the winemaking team in 2019.
Of her mission at BV she says, “I feel a great sense of responsibility to ensure that the wines we’re producing today honor Beaulieu Vineyard’s storied past.” The most rewarding aspect of her work, however, comes when someone opens a bottle of our wine: “I love that our winemaking team helps create moments of significance for people. It’s extraordinary when people tell me about a bottle they had for an event and how that wine helped shape the occasion and make it memorable.”
Sustainability practices
In 2023, we were awarded the California Green Medal Leader Award for our leadership across the full spectrum of sustainability -- environmental protection, social equity, and economic viability.
BV maintains sustainability certifications across 100% of our owned and leased operations and actively encourages other grape growers we partner with to do the same.
CALIFORNIA GREEN MEDAL LEADER AWARD
Awarded in 2023 for our leadership across the full spectrum of sustainability—environmental protection, social equity, and economic viability.
CALIFORNIA SUSTAINABLE WINEGROWING
A third party certification program that promises the adoption of practices that are environmentally sound, socially equitable, and economically viable.
FISH FRIENDLY FARMING PROGRAM
A voluntary certification program for grape growers who implement land management practices that help restore and sustain fish habitat on new property and improve water quality.
NAPA GREEN CERTIFIED WINERY
This program requires the adoption of measures that conserve water resources, increase energy efficiency, prevent waste, and encourage employee engagement on the path to sustainability.
Soil health
We lead the way in research and development of soil health techniques. As a host to the North Coast Soil Hub at our BV 2 Ranch, we study how regenerative practices of compost application, low- and no-till farming, and biochar application increase nutrient and water retention, carbon sequestration, and mitigate soil erosion.
Biodiversity
We are proud to enhance and restore the ecosystems within and around the Napa River, contributing to the resiliency of the entire Napa Valley. Most recently, we’ve set back vineyard plantings around the Bale Slough to reinvigorate the natural flood bank. This work reduces impacts of flooding and invasive species while preserving habitats for native plants, insects, and animals that, in turn, naturally assist in controlling pests and disease in our vineyards.
Emissions
As a first step in our “Net Zero by 2030” journey, we have committed to powering our operations with 100% renewable electricity. We also implement industry-leading technology that reduces emissions in our winery.
Water
Efficient water usage is a top priority, with water use carefully tracked to find opportunities for efficiency and reduction. We employ a comprehensive suite of technologies in the vineyard to irrigate precisely and only when necessary.
