Napa Valley Weekend: Rutherford Grove Winery & Salvestrin Winery

Napa Valley Weekend: Rutherford Grove Winery and Salvestrin Winery

With time to spare before our first appointment, we make a brief stop at Rutherford Grove Winery. Their crisp Sauvignon Blanc with refreshing notes of grapefruit and melon is a steal. We savored the brightly concentrated Sangiovese, rustically robust Petite Sirah and a cellar worthy Merlot. They also produce grapeseed oil, which is lower in saturated fats than olive oil, but has a higher smoke point making it ideal for sautés.

Rutherford Grove Winery
1673 Highway 29, Rutherford
(707) 963-0544
Tasting daily 10am – 4:30pm
http://www.rutherfordgrove.com/

Getting there: From Turnbull, turn right onto Highway 29 and proceed north. Rutherford Grove is located about 1 mile north of Rutherford, on the left.

Our first appointment of the day is at Salvestrin Winery, a small St. Helena winery owned by a longtime Napa Valley family. The Sauvignon Blanc shows a lovely nose of floral & tropical notes. Their Sangiovese, which is made in small quantities that sell out in record time, offers bright medium-bodied texture brimming with red fruit character. One of my favorite Salvestrin wines is Retaggio, a Super Tuscan-style proprietary blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. We finish our tasting with an award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon that is silky and plush on the palate.

Salvestrin Estate Vineyard & Winery
397 Main Street, St. Helena
(707) 963-5105
Tours & tastings daily by appointment only
http://www.salvestrinwinery.com/

Getting there: From Rutherford Grove, turn right onto Highway 29 and head north for approximately 3 miles. Highway 29 becomes Main Street at the St. Helena city limits. Salvestrin is located on the left, with a tall white arbor over the driveway.