George Christy
Beaulieu Vineyard, California

After serving in Uncle Sam’s army, I joined Town and Country magazine as a roving editor, which brought me to the West Coast. These frequent visits led to a meeting with the Marquise de Pins's wife, Helene (born Helene de Latour), whose father, Georges de Latour, founded the great Beaulieu Vineyard, in California’s Napa Valley. When we met, Helene had taken over the reins of Beaulieu after losing her pioneering parents and continued to produce the winery’s award-winning vintages.

Helene invited me to luncheon at Beaulieu, and her Rutherford estate was where one wanted to spend a lifetime. It was a beautifully appointed residence with antique treasures, elegant gardens, superb food that was accompanied by the finest Beaulieu wines, and, of course, those sweeping vistas of vineyards nearby.

George Christy is a columnist for The Hollywood Reporter.