Rutherford Hill
by
K.L. Sullivan
March 2009 Update
Currently Rutherford Hill produces 90,000 cases. Wines include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Sangiovese. Wine selections also include four wines under the owner’s label, Terlato Family Vineyards. These wines are Angels’ Peak, Devils’ Peak, Cardinals’ Peak and Episode.
The tasting room, which was under renovation when we visited in 2007, is now complete. Visitors will enjoy a marble tasting countertop, enhanced lighting and flooring of travertine tile. The room includes giftware and paintings for browsing.
According to Kay Malaske, Coordinator of Trade Relations and Hospitality, “Rutherford Hill’s combination of fine wines, warm service and beautiful, hilltop setting makes us a memorable destination for all Napa Valley visitors.”
Rutherford Hill Winery is located on Rutherford Hill Road. We drove up the long and winding narrow road and at the end of it we found Rutherford Hill Winery. Parking is easy and slightly above the winery. At the current time, Rutherford Hill’s tasting room is being remodeled but using an outdoor covering with several large heaters, the experience is most satisfactory. In this outdoor area is a long, wood countertop for wine tasting. Several wine servers were available for wine tastings and questions. The renovation of the tasting room should be completed by the end of March 2007. Certainly our visit was a great experience and the newly renovated tasting room will further enhance your visit.
We were fortunate to speak with Kay Malaske who is one of the most encouraging wine enthusiasts we have come across in our winery visits. Kay took us on a tour of the facilities sharing her enthusiasm with us. She shares her passion of wine with every visitor we saw her greeting and helping. Kay is as passionate about Rutherford Hill as she is about wine. She frequently mentioned the quality of Rutherford Hill’s wine. Indeed one of the brochures from Rutherford Hill states, “...always place quality first.”
As we toured Rutherford Hill, the closest vineyard to the winery was pointed out to us located on a hillside above the caves. Emphasis was focused on the fact that tours bring visitors close to the work being done at the winery especially during harvest. Rutherford Hill is a working winery and welcomes visitors to sample wines and take tours. Rutherford Hill seeks to inform visitors about the winemaking process and sample the quality of wines produced.
We had the opportunity to taste several wines. On the day of our visit we tasted Merlot, Rosé of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, and a Zinfandel Port. We also had an opportunity to taste Devils’ Peak a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Devils’ Peak is bottled under the Terlato Family Vineyards label. Rutherford Hill is owned by the Terlato Wine Group and Devils' Peak is one of a group of wines made for the owning family. Many more wines are available in the tasting room.
Wine can be purchased at the winery tasting room and enjoyed while picnicking at one of the thirty-six picnic tables located on the Rutherford Hill property. You can also purchase wine to enjoy at home or present as a gift. Kay Malaske agreed with my comment that purchasing a bottle of wine at a winery gives one an added sense of enjoyment – remembering the experience of the visit.
Our fascination with caves continually increases as we visit more wineries that use caves for aging their wines. At Rutherford Hill, the elegant wood doors entering the caves are beautiful and inviting. Even though our visit was in February, we could easily imagine the beauty when flowers and vines surrounding the doors are in bloom.
The caves built during the 1980’s, are lit with subdued lights. Row upon row of barrels were filled with a variety of wines needing oak aging. Rutherford Hill was the only winery we visited which made a point to show us how data about each oak barrel is collected. A barcode is assigned to each barrel. By using a barcode and entering data, it is possible to analyze the data, for example the affect different brands and toasts of oak barrels have on the wine produced. Access to the data provided by a bar coding system will aid the winemaker in making decisions about what types of oak barrels to purchase. At Rutherford Hill, despite the expense of French and American oak wine barrels, oak barrels are ordered frequently.
We continued our stroll through the caves. Located within the caves is an event room that may be rented out for perhaps a rehearsal dinner. This would be an unforgettable experience. The room is also used by Rutherford Hill for events. A class on blending their own Merlot just finished prior to our observation. What a wonderful opportunity to have the chance to be a winemaker and create your own blend. Participants took home a 375 ml bottle of their created blend.
Rutherford Hill is a winery that concentrates on quality. When the Terlato family purchased the winery, they made the decision to eliminate thousands of gallons of what they considered inferior wine. This is a wonderful example of their focus on quality wines. The idea of quality goes beyond just aging wine in oak barrels. Rutherford Hill also ages some wine in stainless steel barrels roughly the same capacity as the oak barrels. Using the stainless steel barrels allows the wine to have more contact with the lees but not have the flavors that oak barrels impart.
We are sure you will enjoy your visit to Rutherford Hill Winery. We are looking forward to visiting their new tasting room in the future.
Rutherford Hill
200 Rutherford Hill Road
Rutherford, CA 94573
(707) 963-1871
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