Andy Beckstoffer. To Kalon and beyond.
When wine lovers hear the Beckstoffer name, they most likely associate it with Napa’s iconic Beckstoffer To Kalon vineyard in Oakville. And rightly so. However, since 1970 Andy Beckstoffer has pioneered vineyards across the Napa Valley (1,000 acres) as well as Lake (1,800 acres) and Mendocino (1,200 acres) Counties.
I became familiar with the Beckstoffer designation many years ago as I launched my vinous journey and began to identify vineyard sources of various wines that caught my attention. Since those days long ago, Beckstoffer Vineyards has been a very active and growing presence in Napa Valley and beyond. Intrigued by this passionate and committed wine grower, I was delighted to meet with Andy Beckstoffer a couple weeks ago to learn more about the business and driving force behind the company’s history and success.
In all, Beckstoffer Vineyards (founded in 1970) farms a total of 4,000 acres across the three counties mentioned above. It is the North Coast’s largest family-run vineyard owner involved only in farming and not winemaking. Their fruit is sold to about 160 wineries representing many of the state’s (and especially Napa Valley’s) most elite names. Some purchase only a few tons of designated vineyard rows while others purchase in far greater quantities for varietally labeled wines as well as proprietary blends.
Among the most renowned vineyards in the Beckstoffer portfolio are the six “Heritage Vineyards” in Napa Valley. In the earlier days of Napa Cabernet Sauvignons, wineries followed a more Bordelais model by blending from across a large vineyard or growing area. They then chose to label their premier releases as a “Reserve” such as Robert Mondavi, Beaulieu and Beringer.
But as the 1980s dawned, Andy had another idea that would give “terroir” a more specific meaning and define the specific property. With this goal in mind, he became one of the early and most important leaders in the evolution of the Napa Valley to a world-class wine growing region.
In Andy’s words, “I preferred to follow a Burgundian model where the grower and specific vineyard site were acknowledged and whose names should appear on the label.” To realize his dream, Andy began looking for “historic vineyards that produce wines of exceptional quality with vinous credentials dating back 100 years and more.”
As you will see below, each of the Heritage Vineyard sites now carries the name of its historic owner except one. Las Piedras was the first Beckstoffer Heritage Vineyard and named to honor the descriptive term used by the original vineyard workers when referring to the property by its unique soils comprised of “little pebbles.”
Beckstoffer began his exploration in 1983 with the Las Piedras Vineyard in St. Helena. This was followed by Rutherford’s George III in 1988, Oakville’s To Kalon in 1993, Missouri Hopper (also in Oakville) in 1996, St. Helena’s Dr. Crane in 1997 and after a little pause in 2010 Andy added another St. Helena gem with Bourn.
Beckstoffer Las Piedras in St. Helena (25 acres) traces its history back to the original Mexican land grants and was first planted to Mission grapes by Edward Bale in the 1840s with upgrades to the vineyard in the 1860s by Henry Amstutz.
Beckstoffer George III in Rutherford (300 acres) was originally planted in 1895 by Mrs. Thomas Rutherford and purchased by Georges de Latour of Beaulieu Vineyards in 1928. It then became known as Beaulieu #3 where legendary winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff relied on it for years as a principal component of Beaulieu Vineyards (BV) Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve.
Beckstoffer To Kalon in Oakville (89 acres) is perhaps the most famous entry in the Heritage Vineyard collection. It was originally planted and named To Kalon by Hamilton Crabb in 1868. The Beckstoffer portion was replanted by Andy in 1994 with modern trellising and tighter vine spacing. It is responsible for some of Napa Valley most revered Cabernet Sauvignons such as TOR, B Cellars, Morlet, Cliff Lede, Realm and others. To Kalon was named by Decanter Magazine in their October 15, 2024 issue as one of “The World’s Greatest Vineyards” alongside of such notable names as Romanée Conti, Quinta do Noval, Masseto and Tignanello.
Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper (46 acres) is just north of Yountville in the Oakville AVA and was originally on land owned by George Yount (the namesake of Yountville). It was purchased by Charles Hopper as a gift to his daughter Missouri in 1877 when its first wine grapes were planted. Bruce Kelham purchased the property in 1960 as part of the highly respected Vine Hill Ranch.
Beckstoffer Dr. Crane (25 acres) in St. Helena was originally planted to wine grapes in 1858 by Dr. George Belden Crane and replanted on its gravelly loam soils in 1998 by Beckstoffer. Realm, TOR, Paul Hobbs, Arrow & Branch and other prominent wineries source and produce vineyard designated wines from this highly acclaimed property.
Rounding out the Heritage Vineyard collection is the relatively small but highly esteemed Bourn Vineyard (13 acres) in St. Helena. William Bourn II owned one of the largest mines in the gold rush days. He purchased this property and planted its first grapes in 1872. Later, the youngest of the Bourn children married William Alston Hayne. It then became known as Hayne Vineyard and is home to old vine Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. When a specific portion of this historic vineyard was purchased by Beckstoffer in 2010, a section was replanted to Cabernet Sauvignon while maintaining other original blocks of head-trained Petite Sirah.
Wineries purchasing fruit from these six Heritage Vineyards must agree to a couple requirements that are a focal point in Beckstoffer’s vision and acknowledgement of the farmer and land. The label for all wines produced from each Heritage Vineyard must carry the name of the vineyard preceded by the Beckstoffer name such as “Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard.”
And to further the bond between Beckstoffer and the purchasing winery, all grape pricing becomes a multiple of the retail bottle price. In this manner, Andy does not pre-set the price per ton, but rather leaves it to the vintner to set what he feels is a fair price for the finished wine. A policy that Andy says, “Puts the grower and vintner on the same page.”
When asked about the current state of the wine industry and the challenges faced by growers, producers and retailers, Andy was quick to comment on the “perfect storm we are facing.” By this, he was referring to, “The world scene with wars, post-pandemic purchasing habits, political division and several other factors carrying a negative influence in the market.” He then went on to say, “But, like other times, this won’t last forever. Wine has been part of the good life for thousands of years and a healthy market will [in time] return in its typical cyclical fashion.”
With more than 50 years of wine growing and farming history, Andy has seen many ups-and-downs in the industry and faced – along with his colleagues – many challenges. However, his motivation has always been spurred-on by, “The people and their passion for the grape.” Great words to live by in a challenging time.
Share your experiences with other readers by commenting on this article with an e-mail to me at allenbalik@savorlifethroughwine.com.
Allen Balik, a Napa resident, has been a wine collector, consultant, author, fundraiser and enthusiast for more than 40 years.
Hi Olivia,
Below you will find the text of my column in next Tuesday’s Napa Valley Register – “Andy Beckstoffer, To Kalon and beyond.” The Register now features the Food & Wine section in the Tuesday editions both online and in-print. But, to stay consistent with my personal email list, I am continuing to send my column on the Friday before publication for an advanced view.
There’s an old saying that, “Great wine is made in the vineyard” and most wine lovers would agree. But what is it that makes one vineyard stand above others? We can point to the soils, exposure, elevation, prevailing climatic conditions and a host of other conditions that we group under the all-encompassing French term “terroir,” that has no direct translation to English. There’s no disputing that terroir is a large contributing factor in determining greatness. But let us not forget the contribution of the grower and the expertise he brings to the table. Are the right varieties and clones planted? Is the row orientation situated to take optimal positioning in maximizing the existing exposure? What is the proper density of planting? Do they have the experienced and talented workers to care for the vineyard all 12 months of the year? Is the crop load being properly managed? And, perhaps most important of all, is the grower passionately and financially equipped to ensure that all these questions and others are answered and executed to let the vineyard speak for itself in the finished wine? Many growers in Napa and around the world check all the boxes, yet there are many others that don’t, and rely principally on financial returns. Andy Beckstoffer, and his Beckstoffer Vineyards, has placed himself in an enviable position of farming 4,000 acres of prime vineyards across California’s North Coast and excelling at so many levels. I thought a bit of his story would be interesting to convey to you and was pleased to sit with Andy a couple weeks ago to explore how his passion and expertise are exhibited in his business and vineyard philosophies. l hope you enjoy today’s column and I’m always interested in hearing your thoughts.
Hopefully, you'll have a minute to post a comment or question on the subject. Due to space, the Register is limited in the number of comments and questions they are able to include, but I'll do my best to incorporate yours. The easiest way to forward a comment or question is to just reply to this email. Or perhaps you would like to suggest a topic for a future column. Please forward those thoughts on this to me as well.
Cheers!!!
Allen
The Wine Exchange
Allen R. Balik
Andy Beckstoffer. To Kalon and beyond.
When wine lovers hear the Beckstoffer name, they most likely associate it with Napa’s iconic Beckstoffer To Kalon vineyard in Oakville. And rightly so. However, since 1970 Andy Beckstoffer has pioneered vineyards across the Napa Valley (1,000 acres) as well as Lake (1,800 acres) and Mendocino (1,200 acres) Counties.
I became familiar with the Beckstoffer designation many years ago as I launched my vinous journey and began to identify vineyard sources of various wines that caught my attention. Since those days long ago, Beckstoffer Vineyards has been a very active and growing presence in Napa Valley and beyond. Intrigued by this passionate and committed wine grower, I was delighted to meet with Andy Beckstoffer a couple weeks ago to learn more about the business and driving force behind the company’s history and success.
In all, Beckstoffer Vineyards (founded in 1970) farms a total of 4,000 acres across the three counties mentioned above. It is the North Coast’s largest family-run vineyard owner involved only in farming and not winemaking. Their fruit is sold to about 160 wineries representing many of the state’s (and especially Napa Valley’s) most elite names. Some purchase only a few tons of designated vineyard rows while others purchase in far greater quantities for varietally labeled wines as well as proprietary blends.
Among the most renowned vineyards in the Beckstoffer portfolio are the six “Heritage Vineyards” in Napa Valley. In the earlier days of Napa Cabernet Sauvignons, wineries followed a more Bordelais model by blending from across a large vineyard or growing area. They then chose to label their premier releases as a “Reserve” such as Robert Mondavi, Beaulieu and Beringer.
But as the 1980s dawned, Andy had another idea that would give “terroir” a more specific meaning and define the specific property. With this goal in mind, he became one of the early and most important leaders in the evolution of the Napa Valley to a world-class wine growing region.
In Andy’s words, “I preferred to follow a Burgundian model where the grower and specific vineyard site were acknowledged and whose names should appear on the label.” To realize his dream, Andy began looking for “historic vineyards that produce wines of exceptional quality with vinous credentials dating back 100 years and more.”
As you will see below, each of the Heritage Vineyard sites now carries the name of its historic owner except one. Las Piedras was the first Beckstoffer Heritage Vineyard and named to honor the descriptive term used by the original vineyard workers when referring to the property by its unique soils comprised of “little pebbles.”
Beckstoffer began his exploration in 1983 with the Las Piedras Vineyard in St. Helena. This was followed by Rutherford’s George III in 1988, Oakville’s To Kalon in 1993, Missouri Hopper (also in Oakville) in 1996, St. Helena’s Dr. Crane in 1997 and after a little pause in 2010 Andy added another St. Helena gem with Bourn.
Beckstoffer Las Piedras in St. Helena (25 acres) traces its history back to the original Mexican land grants and was first planted to Mission grapes by Edward Bale in the 1840s with upgrades to the vineyard in the 1860s by Henry Amstutz.
Beckstoffer George III in Rutherford (300 acres) was originally planted in 1895 by Mrs. Thomas Rutherford and purchased by Georges de Latour of Beaulieu Vineyards in 1928. It then became known as Beaulieu #3 where legendary winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff relied on it for years as a principal component of Beaulieu Vineyards (BV) Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve.
Beckstoffer To Kalon in Oakville (89 acres) is perhaps the most famous entry in the Heritage Vineyard collection. It was originally planted and named To Kalon by Hamilton Crabb in 1868. The Beckstoffer portion was replanted by Andy in 1994 with modern trellising and tighter vine spacing. It is responsible for some of Napa Valley most revered Cabernet Sauvignons such as TOR, B Cellars, Morlet, Cliff Lede, Realm and others. To Kalon was named by Decanter Magazine in their October 15, 2024 issue as one of “The World’s Greatest Vineyards” alongside of such notable names as Romanée Conti, Quinta do Noval, Masseto and Tignanello.
Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper (46 acres) is just north of Yountville in the Oakville AVA and was originally on land owned by George Yount (the namesake of Yountville). It was purchased by Charles Hopper as a gift to his daughter Missouri in 1877 when its first wine grapes were planted. Bruce Kelham purchased the property in 1960 as part of the highly respected Vine Hill Ranch.
Beckstoffer Dr. Crane (25 acres) in St. Helena was originally planted to wine grapes in 1858 by Dr. George Belden Crane and replanted on its gravelly loam soils in 1998 by Beckstoffer. Realm, TOR, Paul Hobbs, Arrow & Branch and other prominent wineries source and produce vineyard designated wines from this highly acclaimed property.
Rounding out the Heritage Vineyard collection is the relatively small but highly esteemed Bourn Vineyard (13 acres) in St. Helena. William Bourn II owned one of the largest mines in the gold rush days. He purchased this property and planted its first grapes in 1872. Later, the youngest of the Bourn children married William Alston Hayne. It then became known as Hayne Vineyard and is home to old vine Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. When a specific portion of this historic vineyard was purchased by Beckstoffer in 2010, a section was replanted to Cabernet Sauvignon while maintaining other original blocks of head-trained Petite Sirah.
Wineries purchasing fruit from these six Heritage Vineyards must agree to a couple requirements that are a focal point in Beckstoffer’s vision and acknowledgement of the farmer and land. The label for all wines produced from each Heritage Vineyard must carry the name of the vineyard preceded by the Beckstoffer name such as “Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard.”
And to further the bond between Beckstoffer and the purchasing winery, all grape pricing becomes a multiple of the retail bottle price. In this manner, Andy does not pre-set the price per ton, but rather leaves it to the vintner to set what he feels is a fair price for the finished wine. A policy that Andy says, “Puts the grower and vintner on the same page.”
When asked about the current state of the wine industry and the challenges faced by growers, producers and retailers, Andy was quick to comment on the “perfect storm we are facing.” By this, he was referring to, “The world scene with wars, post-pandemic purchasing habits, political division and several other factors carrying a negative influence in the market.” He then went on to say, “But, like other times, this won’t last forever. Wine has been part of the good life for thousands of years and a healthy market will [in time] return in its typical cyclical fashion.”
With more than 50 years of wine growing and farming history, Andy has seen many ups-and-downs in the industry and faced – along with his colleagues – many challenges. However, his motivation has always been spurred-on by, “The people and their passion for the grape.” Great words to live by in a challenging time.