How It All Began

Wine caves have a long history, extending back to the days of the Roman Empire, perhaps even longer. They are found throughout Europe, New Zealand and of course Napa. California Wine caves date back to the 1800's. By tunneling into the hillsides, wineries had a place to store their wine at wine-friendly temperatures throughout the heat of summer and the near-freezing winters. In 1873, the Beringer brothers hired 100 Chinese laborers to dig three parallel tunnels in the mountain. The project took nearly six years to complete. It wasn't until nearly 100 years later when Alf Burtleson Construction renovated the original Beringer caves. The old caves were timber-lined and in need of major repair. Burtleson Construction used modern shotcrete applications (concrete pumped and sprayed) on the cave walls and arch support. New concrete floors were also poured over a gravel bed to allow for drainage. The tunnels were extended as well using mining equipment. After Far Niente saw the success of the Beringer caves, Burtleson Construction was asked to tunnel and construct a 60 foot cave. That would be the first new wine cave in California in over 100 years. Since then, wine cave construction has increased dramatically, with caves being constructed in many of California's winemaking regions as well as in other states.

Burtleson has on board quality personnel, some of whom have been with the Company for over twenty years. This knowledge base of experience allows adept problem solving, sound decision-making and attention to detail, when creating a cave.