Rutherford Grove Winery and Vineyards
1673 Saint Helena Hwy S, Saint Helena, CA 94574
Website: http://rutherfordgrove.com/
This winery was the first winery I ever visited back in 2005. There was no particular reason why I chose this winery as my first. I was with my friend Denise and we hadn’t really talked about where we were going to stop when we arrived in wine country. We each purchased a wine country guide book prior to our trip and highlighted a couple of places, but this was not one of them. As we were driving down Highway 29, we saw the sign for Rutherford Grove and said “let’s try this one out”. I’m glad we stopped here because it is a small, quiet winery whose true focus is on making wine, and it wasn’t crowded with tourists like many of the larger wineries in the valley.
Rutherford Grove Tasting Room
Rutherford Grove is a nice little winery with a rustic feel. It is tucked away from the road. We walked by rows of vines and stopped to snap our first pictures of grapes hanging from the vines as we followed the pathway to the tasting room. All of the outside walls of the tasting room and winery are covered in vines. The tasting room opened its doors to the public in 1994. Although it hasn’t been around in Napa Valley for a long time, the Pestoni family who owns it has been making wines in Napa Valley for 4 generations. The inside of the tasting room is not extravagant. The way it is set up felt to me like we were in a large, refurbished barn. When the Pestoni family bought the winery from its previous owners, they renovated the facility by recycling objects and tools from the old family ranch where they had grown up. The lights are made from old chicken brooders, and the oak bar was recycled from a 5,000 gallon upright tank.
The selection of wines includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, and Zinfandel. Visitors who would like to spend some time relaxing at the winery can purchase a bottle to enjoy in the outdoor garden and picnic area surrounded by vineyards. There is a beautiful view from the relaxing picnic area behind the winery.
I recently revisited this winery, 11 years later. I’ll admit, the first time I was there I was not a wine drinker and couldn’t appreciate the wines. My memory of my first wine experience was taking a sip and saying “that’s not for me”, then passing the glass to my friend. As I listened to the guy behind the counter explain the aromas and flavors I was supposed to get out of the wine (for example “leather and tobacco”), I thought “why would anyone want to drink that?”. Over the past 11 years I have gone from extreme wine novice to a wine enthusiast. It was exciting for me to return to where I had my very first tasting experience and see how my palate has changed. I’m so glad that I did stop in because not only did I love the wines this time around – the Pestoni Family Merlot and Pestoni Family Cabernet Sauvignon in particular – our server, Roger Asbill, is a farmer who sources grapes to the winery. Two of the Cabernet Sauvignons that we tried were made from grapes from Mr. Asbill’s vineyard. Probably to some people meeting a farmer would not be a big deal, but my husband and I were thrilled to meet someone who worked hard to produce the grapes for the lovely wine we were drinking. It’s so easy to get caught up in the glamour of Napa Valley that we sometimes lose sight of people who are doing the hard work to create the wine. Thank you to Mr. Asbill for giving us a great tasting experience and for producing the grapes to make the wines we tried. Now I can truly say this is a winery worth visiting. The family’s dedication shows in their wines.
Rutherford Grove Picnic Area