Our Biltmore Estate American Series wine labels have changed through the years to reflect our brand and align with our legacy of taste and style.

While George Vanderbilt was a well-known collector of wines, it was his grandson William A.V. Cecil who developed the idea of Biltmore wines to expand his grandfather’s vision of a working agricultural property that could sustain itself.

The first grape vines were planted at Biltmore in the early 1970s, and by 1983, Biltmore Estate Wine Company was firmly established. That same year, renovation began on an original estate dairy barn to convert it into a state-of-the-art winery that opened to the public in 1985.

Early wine labels

“In 1976, our first wine label featured a sketch of Biltmore House along with the Cecil family crest and a rampant lion. The labels were inspired by the very successful Biltmore Dairy logo that consumers already associated with quality and authenticity. Wines bearing this label were only available on the estate,” said Heather Jordan, Vice President of Beverages.

Chateau Biltmore wine label, 1976

The next iteration of our labels was created in an effort to simplify the process of choosing wines. Each varietal was numbered, beginning with red wines and moving to whites (dryer whites were even numbers and sweeter whites were odd).

“It was a heartfelt method for us,” Heather said, “but we quickly discovered that our customers wanted to know a little bit more about the wine than just its name and number!” 

These labels featuring the iconic clock tower from the original dairy barn appeared in local markets from 1984–1985 and helped kick off the opening of our new Winery.

New wine label designs for new markets

Created for us by the experts of Colonna Farrell Design in Napa Valley, these labels highlighted that our wines were neither “French traditional” nor “California modern,” but authentic to Biltmore and reflective of our own unique style and heritage of winemaking. The labels were a big hit with consumers on and off the estate.

 Five years later, we were ready for the launch of our current wine label. We chose the design experts at CF Napa to help us craft a stunning visual statement that celebrates our history and our passion for fine wines.

Biltmore wine labels: a distinctive look

Biltmore Estate American Series wine labels

For our Limited Release wines in the American Series, it was important to create similar-but-distinctive labels to highlight this special collection available only on the estate, online, or through the Vanderbilt Wine Club®.

Biltmore Estate® Limited Release wines, distinguished by a matte black capsule and black-and-gold label, are perfect for sipping by the glass or in craft cocktails.

“Handcrafted in smaller quantities, our Limited Release wines are unique,” said Heather. “Sharon Fenchak, our Executive Winemaker, offers creative varietal blends crafted with special techniques, and we invite you to taste them the next time you visit Biltmore.”