The David and Judy Breitstein Collection

A History of California Wine: The David and Judy Breitstein Collection is the first, major educational exhibit to document the rich history of the California wine industry, told through actual unopened bottles.

This expansive collection of more than 200 bottles was meticulously amassed over decades by David and Judy Breitstein, avid and early collectors of California wine. As founders of the renowned Southern California wine shop, Duke of Bourbon, David and Judy have been California wine devotees for decades and their passion for the subject knows few bounds.

“I see wine as art, and each bottle in the collection tells a story of places, people, varieties, and moments in a continuum of the California wine industry,” notes David Breitstein. “I hope that visitors will come away with a new sense of the unique history of California wine as told through these treasured bottles so expertly displayed at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA).”

The Breitstein Collection is on permanent loan to CIA. The original installation is displayed in the historic Barrel Room at CIA Greystone in St Helena, CA. A distinct, expanded version, spanning 15 decades of California winemaking, is displayed at CIA at Copia, alongside the Wine Hall of Fame, which was created in 2007 to honor the men and women whose collective vision, determination and hard work have helped make California one of the most legendary places in the world for fine wine.