Rutherford Appellation Wineries Announce Spring Passport Weekend

April 2, 2009 - PRLog -- Rutherford, CA – The Rutherford Appellation Wineries invite the public to enjoy a wine tasting journey through Napa Valley’s famed Rutherford appellation during their Spring Passport Weekend on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Passport holders can experience the wineries of the Rutherford appellation with exclusive tastings of new releases, current and library vintages, wine and food pairings and special Passport Weekend discounts.

The event highlights and celebrates the wineries of Rutherford, the historic heart of Napa Valley. Each winery will feature its own unique tasting experience aimed to educate and enthuse visitors about the unique growing region. Fourteen wineries are slated to pour their wines for the event, including many that are not normally open for public tastings. Host winery sites are Alpha Omega, Beaulieu Vineyard, Elizabeth Spencer Wines, Franciscan Estates, Honig Vineyard and Winery, Peju Province Winery, Pina Napa Valley, Rubicon Estate, Rutherford Hill Winery, St. Supery and Tres Sabores Winery.  Guest wineries include Martin Estate, Provenance Vineyards and Slaughterhouse Cellars.

Weekend passports are available for $65 per person or $50 for a SUNDAY ONLY pass. Members of participating winery wine clubs will receive a 20% passport ticket discount applied with the use of a promotional code. Passports may be purchased online at www.rutherford-appellation-wineries.com and will be available for pick-up on May 2 and May 3 at the pre-selected winery.

Proceeds from the spring event will be donated to a Napa Valley community charity. Over the past year, Rutherford Appellation Wineries has donated more than $8,000 to local charities from Passport Weekend ticket sales, including the Rutherford River Restoration project, Queen of the Valley Community Outreach Service and the Rutherford Volunteer Fire Department.  

Rutherford Passport Weekends are semi-annual events held the first weekends of May and December. To learn more about the Rutherford Appellation Wineries please visit www.rutherford-appellation-wineries.com.

About Rutherford Appellation Wineries
Rutherford Appellation Wineries was established as the direct to consumer marketing arm of the Rutherford Dust Society (www.rutherforddust.org) to educate the public about the significance of the Rutherford appellation as Napa Valley's preeminent grape-growing area. This consumer-focused organization was created to promote the uniqueness of the area and encourage visitors to experience personally the quality of the wines produced in this special place.

MEDIA NOTE: For more information or to attend the event for editorial inclusion, please contact Katie Lewis at (707) 302-1162 or klewis@peju.com.

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Rutherford Appellation Wineries was established as the direct to consumer marketing arm of the Rutherford Dust Society (www.rutherforddust.org) to educate the public about the significance of the Rutherford appellation as Napa Valley's preeminent grape-growing area. This consumer-focused organization was created to promote the uniqueness of the area and encourage visitors to experience personally the quality of the wines produced in this special place.