Founder Ben Pon appreciated wine as an art- a form of art that transcends the ordinary. His dream with Bernardus was to make a red wine equal to the finest from Bordeaux. To achieve this, Ben, a Dutchman who could have planted vineyards anywhere in the world, has chosen the Carmel Valley for his estate vineyards and winery. Since the early 1970’s, there has been a growing awareness of the outstanding potential for Bordeaux varieties from this new viticultural appellation.