Description: We arrived at Rutherford Grove Winery just minutes before its 10 a.m. opening. The visitors center sits on the west side of Highway 29, and the short driveway is surrounded by the vineyard. Not wanting to look like lushes barging in at exactly 10 a.m. we took some cheesy photos is an old beat up Ford and took in the early morning sunshine.
The main building had a ski lodge feel to it and the tasting area consisted on one large room. To the right of the entrance was a sitting area facing a stone fireplace, to the left were a few shelves with local goodies for sale, and straight ahead was an L-shaped bar. We were greeted by an extremely friendly Shelly. She began by telling us about the winery and showing us on a map where the winery's vineyards were located.
The wines were absolutely wonderful and her explanations helped a wine novice really appreciate the subtle differences between the wines. Since we were the first guests of the day Shelly diligently smelled and sampled each bottle to make sure we had samples of the highest quality - which ended up with us having a couple more glasses.
One of my favorite wines was the 2006 Quackenbush Mountain Vineyards Zinfandel. It was a little sweet, so great consumed after a heavy meal. The bottle was $28, but the rest range from $18 for the 2008 Pestoni Estate Sauvignon Blanc to $70 for the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon.
If you want a more personal experience with quality wines, this is your place. Call ahead and see when Shelly is working - she was spectacular!
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