Napa Valley Region
Napa Valley
The fruit in Rutherford Hill's vineyards enjoy a natural balance of cool mornings and evenings tempered by warm sunny days.
With a commitment to sustainable farming practices, the Rutherford Hill winery farms 10 acres from the hillside estate vineyard on the winery property. We also recently purchased a vineyard in Pope Valley, further North in Napa Valley. In addition, the winery sources premium fruit from a network of meticulously selected Napa Valley grape growers.
Rutherford
One of Napa Valley's American Viticultural Area's (AVA), Rutherford produces rich and full-flavored wines, most notably merlots, that reflect the world class terrior of the Napa region.
People often refer to Rutherford Dust, or unique characteristics that wines from the area exhibit. Some describe it as a chocolate or coffee taste, while others claim it is more of a texture that creates a full mouthfeel with big and smooth tannins.
Not surprisingly, there is some dispute about the origin of the term Rutherford Dust. Many credit Andre Tchelistcheff with coining the term while winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyards, while others say Maynard Amerine used it first while a faculty member in Viticulture and Enology at UC-Davis. There is little dispute that Rutherford’s climate and terrior create characteristics unique to wine from this region. Being a part of The Rutherford Dust Society, our winery is committed to contribute to the society's mission of promoting the highest quality standards in grape growing and winemaking in the Rutherford Viticultural Area.
Pope Valley
The Pope Valley is in the northeastern corner of Napa Valley.
It has seen a rise in prominence in recent years, as growers have uncovered its potential to grow fruit at higher elevations, like Atlas Peak.
Pope Valley’s distance from the Pacific and San Pablo Bay and its higher elevation combine to create a balance in growing, similar to some of Napa’s most famous AVA’s.
