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Oakville & Rutherford Area, Napa Valley Wine Tours

Wineries &

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Niebaum-Coppola Winery panorama

Niebaum-Coppola Winery
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Robert Mondavi Vineyards panorama

Robert Mondavi Vineyards
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Napa Valley view from Cardinale Winery picture

Napa Valley from Cardinale
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Cardinale Winery, Yountville picture

Cardinale Estate, Oakville
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St. Suprey vineyard in Pope Valley
St. Suprey Vineyards
Dollarhide Ranch, Pope Valley
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St. Suprey Vineyards oak tree picture
St. Suprey Winery & Oak Tree
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Grgich Hills Cellars picture

Grgich Hills Cellars
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Peju Province gate picture

Peju Province gate
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Peju Province winery door picture

Peju Province winery door
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Map of Napa Valley
Napa Valley Map

Oakville and Rutherford in California's Napa Valley are known primarily for the nearby wineries and—among the Northern California vintners—for the high quality of the area's soil, sometimes referred to as 'Rutherford dust'.


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Terroir is the word for "soil" in French, but it means much more when used in reference to wine. Soil composition, drainage, exposure to the sun and other aspects of microclimate, geographic location — all contribute to what is meant by terroir. It's the unique environment of each vineyard.
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Any discussion of terrior in the Napa Valley inevitibly includes mention of the famous Rutherford Dust.
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Scroll down for a map of the Napa Valley, wine tours and Oakville/Rutherford history. Then use the blue column links, right side, to visit other areas in the wine country.

Wine Tours

Once you have finished your virtual tour on iNeTours.com — including viewing my pictures and panoramas in the left column shot at Niebaum-Coppola Winery, Robert Mondavi, Cardinale Estate, Grgich Hills Cellars and Peju Province Winery — you can enjoy real tour of the California Wine Country by following the links to the right.
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Dollarhide in Pope Valley pictureThe St. Suprey Winery on Highway 29 between Oakville and Rutherford features a house that has a wrap around porch and is sheltered by an enormous oak tree. Some of their grapes are grown in the beautiful Pope Valley to the east of the Napa Valley at Dollarhide Ranch.

A Brief History of Oakville & Rutherford in the Napa Valley

Oakville, an unincorporated community just four miles north of Yountville, got its name from the dense oak forests that covered the area in the 1800's.
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Henry W. Crabb, owner of one of the largest vineyards in the Napa Valley during the 1870's, founded Oakville at a time when Oakville boasted one community store, a steam train depot and a wine warehouse.
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Oakville Grocery picture The world famous Oakville Grocery, a delicatessen, a post office and local wineries along Highway 29 define Oakville today. The Oakville Grade is a narrow mountain road that can be a used as shortcut between the Sonoma and Napa Valleys.
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Rutherford also began around a train depot, which now houses an antique store and a plumbing shop. The man generally considered to be the founder of Rutherford, Judge S. C. Hastings, owned the original vineyards in the area.
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Chiles House picture If you visit the Niebaum-Coppola Winery you can also see The Chiles house, built in 1856, and one of the oldest in the Napa Valley. Joseph Ballinger Chiles, who first came to California in 1841 and led a party of settlers there in 1843, built a flour mill on Rancho Catacula 1845-56. Chiles was a participant in the 1846 Bear Flag Revolt.


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Rutherford has several antique shops, a small market with taqueria and several restaurants.
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While visiting Rutherford you can dine at La Toque Restaurant or the Rutherford Grill. You can find both lodging and dinning at Auberge Du Soleil in the hills on the east side of Napa Valley. Rancho Caymus Inn also provides lodging in the Rutherford area.
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Hot air balloons are a fun way to tour the area and several hot air balloon companies operate out of the Oakville/Rutherford area. Be sure to plan ahead as balloon flights usually launch hear sunrise. You may want to stay nearby.

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Complete site copyright © 2001–2009 Lee W. Nelson