About the Participating Wineries

Alpha Omega

Alpha Omega, located in Rutherford in the heart of Napa Valley, is one of Napa’s newest boutique wineries. Surrounded by vineyards and mountains, the beauty of this rustic, farm-style winery is as captivating as its wine. Alpha Omega’s winemaker, Jean Hoefliger, has teamed up with one of the world’s finest palates, Michel Rolland. Our winemakers are master blenders, blending the best of award winning vineyards ranging from valley floor, hillsides and mountains of Napa Valley. Using natural techniques, these handcrafted, balanced and approachable wines express the best of Old World and New World wine styles.

Celebrate spring with Alpha Omega’s Chef Natalie Niksa who prides her culinary expertise with seasonal farm to table ingredients. Chef Natalie and our winemaker Jean Hoefliger have put together a sensory explosion of the palate with an over the top wine and food pairing.
You will experience an amazing pairings of our Sauvignon Blanc 1555 Reserve 2008 with Olive Oil Roasted Potatoes, Green Garlic Whipped Chevre and Melted Spring Onions and our Bordeaux Blend 2006 with slow roasted Pork Empanadas with Pimenton dipping sauce.  Our staff will also be pouring two additional signature wines for you to round off this epicurean experience.
In the spirit and joy of spring, Alpha Omega will offer an additional 10% off of your wine purchases during Passport Weekend.

BEAULIEU VINEYARD

For more than a century, Beaulieu Vineyard has been Napa Valley’s benchmark winery.  BV is a rich part of the history and heritage of Napa Valley’s winemaking industry and continues to produce high-quality, award-winning wines -- particularly Cabernet Sauvignon.  BV’s tasting experiences includes 3 different tasting rooms and premium tasting options; we offer something for everyone whether you are a first-time visitor or a wine connoisseur.
 
For over 100 years, our philosophy has always been to honor the exceptional fruit of our estate vineyards with the kind of meticulous, hands-on winemaking that brings out their finest expression.  During the May 2010 Passport Weekend, BV will be sampling wines from our Reserve Collection & winery only Maestro Collection wines, paired up with some delicious tapas!  A stop at Beaulieu Vineyard is a must for true Cabernet Sauvignon lovers!

Frog's Leap

Frog's Leap was founded by the Williams Family in 1981 on a spot along Mill Creek known
as the Frog Farm. An old ledger revealed that around the turn of the century, frogs were raised
on the property then sold for $.33 a dozen, destined no doubt, for the tables of Victorian San
Francisco gourmets.

Frog's Leap makes its home amongst 130 acres of vineyards in Rutherford at the historic Red
Barn. This grand and welcoming building was built in 1884 as the Adamson Winery and renovated
in 1994 as Frog's Leap's permanent home. Winemakers John Williams and Paula
Moschetti hand-craft an annual production of 60,000 cases comprised of Sauvignon Blanc,
Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Rutherford.

Using the best of Napa Valley's organically grown grapes and the most traditional winemaking
techniques, Frog's Leap strives to produce wines that deeply reflect the soils and climate from
which they emanate. Frog's Leap produces some of Napa Valley's finest wines and, undoubtedly,
has one of the wine world's best mottos: "Time's fun when you're having flies."

Frog's Leap will be pouring three Rutherford appellation wines for the Passport weekend: the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, the 2007 Merlot & the 2006 Rutherford (our best reflection of the Rutherford terroir, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Cabernet Franc blend).

We will be pairing our wines with hoisin glazed pulled pork sliders garnished with a pineapple and almond slaw.

On Sunday, May 2nd we will be featuring live, the bluegrass sounds of "Slow Motion Cowboys" between 12:00 and 3:00 pm.

All Passport holders are eligible to purchase wines at a 10% discount both Saturday and Sunday (excluding the Rutherford). We hope to see you at the Red Barn! Cheers!

Hall Winery

HALL Rutherford is Craig and Kathryn Hall’s stunning winery amid the legendary Sacrashe vineyard. State-of-the-art vision, timeless artisanship and gracious hospitality are showcased in every luxurious detail. This spectacular winery has been carefully designed for the production of small-lot Cabernet Sauvignon.   The winery’s underground caves are finished with handmade Austrian brick and showcases select works from the Halls’ art collection. Deep inside the caves resides a dazzling reception area for private tastings.

Tours of the winery offer guests a truly world-class winery experience to include a tasting of HALL’s most regaled wines along with an intimate tour through the property and caves.  Appointment Only.

Hall Rutherford will be proudly pouring:  2008 HALL Napa Sauvignon Blanc paired with Pickled Gulf shrimp with preserved lemon and fennel.  2005 HALL Napa Cabernet sauvignon paired with peppered beef and blue cheese roulade.  Additionally, we will be offering an “Artisan tasting” in the chandelier room of our cave for a nominal fee.

HONIG VINEYARD & WINERY

Our grandfather, Louis Honig, purchased our Rutherford vineyard in 1964, and we've been making award winning Sauvignon blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon since 1980. We farm sustainably, power our winery with solar energy, and were one of the first wineries to earn the California Sustainable Winegrowing Certification. We welcome Passport guests to our table - to share good wine, good food, and make good friends.

Enjoy our 2008 Honig Sauvignon Blanc Rutherford, paired with a bleu cheese Palmier of filo, filled with paremsan, bleu cheese, and crushed walnuts, topped with a dollop of fig compote. We will also pour our 2006 Honig Cabernet Sauvignon Campbell Vineyard, paired with a Rancho Gordo "Eye of the Goat" bean pate, with roasted garlic, sun dried tomatoes and arugula, on crostini. We will also have specialty chocolates from Truffle Gateau.  Honig is offering Passport holders a 15% discount off all purchases, and 20% off on large format bottles.

J Moss

J. Moss is a small family owned wine producer that creates high quality, hand crafted, small lots of Cabernet Sauvignon from the world renowned appellations of Napa Valley. We invite you to share our family's passion for fine wines and the Napa Valley lifestyle that inspires our creations.

For the Spring Passport, J. Moss will be pouring our 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon and our 2005 Galleron Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Many thanks to the Rutherford Grange for hosting J. Moss Wines.

Lieff Auberge Road Winery

Lieff Auberge Road Vineyard is located on rocky, volcanic soil on the steep eastern slopes above Rutherford. The vineyard site is composed of 5 blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon on 5 acres directly across from Auberge du Soleil and was planted in 1999. Two upper blocks were planted in 2001. An additional two acres were planted in 2009 including 14 rows of Petit Verdot for blending.The vineyard is farmed by Barbour Vineyard Management Company. Our Cabernet grapes find their heritage from clones: 337 110R, 7 110R, 7 101-14 and 337 101-14.

Our 2009 harvest will constitute 600 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon. We also make 600 cases of Sauvignon Blanc to be released Spring 2010.
The Lieff Auberge Road Vineyard Cabernet and our Sauvignon Blanc are under the winemaking capabilities of Jeff Ames.

We will be offering our 2006 Lieff Auberge Road Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon and our 2008 Lieff Rutherford Crossroad Sauvignon Blanc.

Martin Estate

What do a Ferrari, a Renoir painting, a Chocolate Sundae and a bottle of MARTIN ESTATE Cabernet have in common? All are great classics, and  A Classic is forever!   MARTIN  ESTATE wines encapsulate their classic Rutherford heritage – Estate grown  Cabernet Sauvignon from eight acres in the heart of the appellation, produced exclusively at the Estate by winemaker Frederic Delivert, and bottled on site at the historic 1887 chateau.

During the May 2010 Passport Weekend, MARTIN  ESTATE will be pouring its current release as well as a special library selection.  Martin Estate is proud to be hosted by Rubicon Estate.

Meander Wines

Meander is the personal project of winemaker Amy Aiken, who has been crafting wines in Napa Valley since 1989.  Amy’s first Meander Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley was from the 2003 vintage.  Created in a bold yet balanced style, Meander wines are handcrafted to represent the nuances of each vintage whether you drink them now or years to come.    The Conspire label was created as a playground for Amy to “conspire” with different growers and varietals.  Both Meander and Conspire feature small lot, handcrafted wines sourced from boutique vineyards in Rutherford, St. Helena and Russian River Valley.

2005 Meander Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley      $58 Special Direct Price (Regularly $65)
The 2005 Meander Cabernet is a powerful wine, exhibiting layers of sweet fruit, rich chocolate and hints of minerality with a fleshy, lingering finish.  The wine continues to increase in density and the black licorice character intensifies as it ages in the bottle.  (500 cases produced)
2008 Conspire Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley       $38 Special Direct Price (Regularly $42)
Rich fruit laced with aromas of violets, cream soda and forest floor identify this Pinot Noir as distinctly Russian River.  Aged in once filled French oak, this wine possesses a supple middle palette that delivers intense black cherries and finishes with notes of elegant spice and licorice character.
(237 cases produced)

2009 Conspire Sauvignon Blanc, Rutherford             $25 Special Direct Price (Regularly $28)
The floral nose, minerality and viscous mouth-feel come from the Sauvignon Musque clone, which makes up half of this wine. The refreshing acidity, truffle and classic citrus fruit flavors are attributable to a traditional Sauvignon Blanc clone. The concentration, balance and length suggest there might just be some aging potential here!  (325 cases produced)

Peju Province Winery

It was the love of farming and a passion for wine that brought Tony and Herta Peju to the Napa Valley more than 25 years ago. Their humble winemaking efforts began inside the garage, then a makeshift tasting room, and have since grown into one of Napa Valley’s most notable landmarks and a celebrated winery operation. Lisa and Ariana Peju have also joined the family business and have contributed to the greening of the winery. Farming organically and sustainably, Peju’s goal is to achieve organic certification for all of its vineyards in the next few years. In addition, Peju is one of only 18 wineries to earn certification as a Napa Green Winery and Bay Area Green Business. Still focused on its early commitment to produce high-quality wines for a wide range of palates, Peju prides itself on offering the majority of its wines directly to guests in its tasting room and through the Peju Wine Club.

Spring 2010 Passport holders, we welcome to you to our Rutherford tasting room for a sampling of our memorable Napa Valley white and red wines paired with food-friendly tapas.  Savor our Sauvignon Blanc, Provence, Merlot and the newly released 94-point 2006 Rutherford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon alongside Spiced lamb and feta meatballs with garden herb & caper coulis, Foccacia toast with teleme cheese, porcini mushroom, leek & thyme sauté, Duck confit on brioche and Medjool dates stuffed with sea salt roasted almonds. Passport holders will also receive a special weekend 15% discount on current release (Napa Valley tier) wine purchases and a 15% discount on the 2006 Rutherford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Piña Napa Valley

Piña Napa Valley is a small Family winery, owned by the four Piña Brothers, and known for taking Vineyard designated Cabernets.  The family has been making its home in the Napa Valley since 1856 when their great-great-grandfather Bluford Stice led a wagon train into the valley from Missouri.  
Our parents started Piña Vineyard Management almost 50 years ago, and the kitchen in our home was a meeting place for local growers and farm workers. Today, at our small family winery we
take pride in sharing with you the proud traditions of farming and winemaking passed down to us over many generations."

Pina Napa Valley is proud to offer the following for the upcoming Spring Passport Weekend:

• Sun-dried tomato pesto served on Bouchon French Baguette wedges

• Assorted sausage sliders topped with an onion aioli sauce

• Queso Manchego (Aged Spanish sheep’s milk cheese)

• Decadent chocolate brownies from the Piña’s family recipe

Wines
2007 Firehouse Vineyard (Rutherford)
2007 D’Adamo Vineyard (Napa)
2007 Buckeye Vineyard (Howell mtn)
Barrel sampling of the 2008 Firehouse (Rutherford)

Provenance Vineyards

Provenance focuses on Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as producing smaller amounts of Napa Valley Merlot and Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc. We also offer a limited production of vineyard-designated wines from some of Napa's most prestigious vineyards.

Provenance Vineyards creates hand crafted wines from some of the best fruit grown in the Rutherford appellation.   Guests of Passport weekend will enjoy a special tasting of our Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon and a sampling of our Tasting Room Only wines paired with Manchego and wilted greens atop a grilled bread tile, Spanish cheese polenta rounds topped with, shredded Spanish roast pork, Chorizo and apple sausage nestled in a rustic bun, Salt cod and potato cazuela

Rubicon Estate

We invite you to experience the legacy of the historic Inglenook Chateau, where generations of famous Rutherford wines have been made. Francis and Eleanor Coppola's 1995 reunification of the Estate provided insipiration to create a Cabernet Sauvignon that would pay tribute to the wines of John Daniel, Jr, who successfully ran Inglenook Winery from 1934 to 1964, creating wines judged by critics to be among the best Cabernets ever produced.

Rutherford Hill Winery

Rutherford Hill Winery has produced critically acclaimed Napa Valley wines since our founding in 1976.  Guests to our winery revel in our dramatic hilltop setting, relax in our picnicking groves and enjoy our extensive wine collection which includes our flagship merlot along with cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, malbec, sangiovese, petit verdot, sauvignon blanc and zinfandel port.  An extensive cave system carefully houses hundreds of barrels of our future wines.  We provide daily tours of the winery and cave system. Visit us and you will see “Life looks better from Rutherford Hill!”

Passport guest will check in and taste in our red wine cellar. For our tasting we will be serving our 2007 Chardonnay, 2006 Merlot and a barrel tasting of our 2008 Reserve Merlot. Along with this we will be pairing Rozen Lamb and Spanish Chorizo Strudel and Tomato Relleno-Cherry Tomatoes stuffed with Oregon Pink Shrimp and Lemon Alliade.  Passport guest will receive a 20% discount on wine and 40% discount on selected 1.5ml bottles. 

St. Supery Vineyards & Winery

St. Supéry is a family owned winery and one of a handful of Napa  Valley wineries to grow all its own grapes. Our vineyards are sustainably farmed and certified Napa Green ensuring our reputation for outstanding Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Discerning winemaker selections result in the creation of prestige blends Élu (red) and Virtú (white), and single vineyard Dollarhide and Rutherford Cabernets. St. Supery’s outstanding visitor program is a top Napa Valley draw. 

We will be serving with our Rutherford Merlot - Crostini of Serrano Ham and Quince Paste
We will be serving with our Rutherford Cabernet - Rosemary Skewer of Mushroom, Onion, Potato, Smoked Maldon Salt

Sullivan Vineyards

For 32 years the Sullivan family has been producing award winning wines from their estate on Galleron Rd in Rutherford.  This boutique luxury producer specializes in estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and other blends.  They have extensive rose gardens and lawn to relax and enjoy nestled around a small pond with wildlife ranging from ducks, geese, hawks, egrets and herons to name a few.  It is a unique experience!  Consistently voted “One of the top five wineries to visit” by the Wall Street Journal.  Please join us!

For food we will be offering Rib Eye Steak with Tasmanian Roaring 40’s Blue Cheese on toast points.
We will offer a 15% discount on all wines sold for the weekend and will be tasting our 2006 Red Ink, 2006 Estate Merlot and 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.  An extra fee of $15 will be charged for a reserve tasting including our 2006 Chardonnay, 2005 Coeur de Vigne (Heart of the Vineyard) Reserve blend and our 2005 Reserve Merlot.

Tres Sabores Winery

We welcome you to join us and explore the “Three Tastes” in  every wine:  the taste of the terroir, the vine, and the spirit of the people gathered ‘round the glass together.
Our small, family-owned ranch on the western Rutherford Benchland of California’s Napa Valley produces organically certified Zinfandel, Cabernet, Petite Sirah, and Petit Verdot grapes, olives, Meyer lemons, and exotic pomegranate cultivars.  We also make a vibrant Sauvignon blanc from Farina Vineyard on Sonoma Mountain.
At Tres Sabores, as stewards of the land, we’re devoted to exploring the character of the grapes we grow and producing wines that truly reflect the “voice” of the vineyard. Sheep, guinea hens, golden retrievers, bobcats, red-tailed hawks, bluebirds, and a host of other denizens contribute mightily to our efforts.

Tres Sabores will be offering several additional “tastes”  for your pleasure!  “Tres Colores” Scallops and Chicken Granada will be served as compliments to our new spring releases of Farina Vineyard Sauvignon blanc and Rutherford Estate Zinfandel.   Also, please be sure to  “taste”  our  special  discount of 10% for all wine purchases-- exclusive to the Rutherford Passport weekend.