Rutherford Dust

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Joe Becerra

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Rutherford Dust
Rutherford Dust
Photo shot from the second floor room at the Inglenook Chateau in Rutherford

About Rutherford Dust

The photo above shows a portion of the Rutherford AVA. The immediate vineyards in the photo are Cabernet Sauvignon, the signature varietal of the Napa Valley and the Rutherford AVA. Rutherford Dust refers to legendary winemaker André Tchelistcheff who said, “It takes Rutherford dust to grow great Cabernet.” Vineyard and winery owners in the Rutherford AVA have formed the Rutherford Dust Society. Their mission is to promote the highest standards in vineyard cultivation, winemaking, and land preservation. This is a group of committed viticulturists who collaborate with each other to promote the wines of this appellation. The AVA is two miles wide, stretching from Mount St. John on the west to the Vaca Mountains on the east. The AVA begins just to the south of Beaulieu Vineyards and stretches to the north at Zinfandel Lane. If you travel along Highway 29 or the Silverado Trail, the AVA signs are clearly visible. The Rutherford Dust Society members introduced their 2011 Cabernet wines at a special tasting held last Wednesday at the Inglenook Chateau. 2011 was a difficult year for growers with the unusual climate conditions. It was a cooler growing year, and in the first week of October there was heavy rainfall. These Cabernet wines are medium bodied with good acidity. While this vintage is more restrained in style, the wines will age gracefully.

Some of our favorite wineries to visit in the Rutherford AVA are Inglenook, Beaulieu Vineyards, Round Pond, Honig, Conn Creek and Provenance.

  • Joe Becerra

    Joe Becerra has been traveling to wine country and enjoying wine since 1965. He is a retired educator, and now have the time the opportunity to share his wine travel experiences through this Website.

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