Rutherford is a small town with just 160 residents calling it home. The town is a quaint community tucked between neighboring Oakville and St. Helena along Napa Valley’s main thoroughfare Route 29. Because of its size and location, Rutherford real estate is a perfect fit for the Napa lifestyle.

Don’t let the size of this town fool you—Rutherford is well-respected for its wineries and is home to many big names. Rutherford’s viticultural area includes Robert Mondavi (which it shares with neighboring Oakville), as well as smaller, yet notable wineries like Grgich Hills Estate, Peju Province Winery, and Beaulieu Vineyard. Rutherford’s viticultural area also produces superb Cabernets, which have a dedicated following.

Napa and Sonoma are synonymous with wine. The perfect climate and location has been producing world-class wine for many years and has made it a sought after travel destination. So when a visitor comes to California’s wine country, you can bet they’re looking to taste as much local wine as they can. Fortunately, with the hundreds of wineries in the region, there are plenty of options.

 

The majority of wineries will offer tasting of their products, in addition to tours of their facilities. However, because of the wide array of wineries in terms of size and scope, they operate differently from one another. Some manufacturers like Robert Mondavi are open daily, offer guided tours, and have rooms set aside for tasting top-notch wine. Smaller wineries, on the other hand, usually require appointments for tours to be made so that they are not overburdened by visitors, so it is suggested that if you are interested in visiting a particular winery to schedule a tour ahead of time if needed.