Range: 1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Large tasting room with flooring recovered from used wine barrels. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
www.provenancevineyards.com
I first visited Provenance Winery back in August of 2005. The following November, I joined their wine club. I have been hooked on Provenance ever since. Even as I struggled with having too many bottles in my cellar and cutting back on my wine clubs, the Provenance wine club was just not one of the ones I could let go. Why? I enjoy the tasting room, the wines are delicious and elegant, and the quality of their top wines exceeds that of other wines that sell for much more. I will admit that I am biased toward this place. I tell folks it is my favorite winery in Napa Valley.
Traveling north on the main highway in Rutherford, just past the historic Beaulieu Vineyards, you will find a large red warehouse on the left that is Provenance Vineyards. The tasting room inside is an ample space with high ceilings. There is plenty of room to enjoy a tasting of their wines - there can be a crowd of 15 people in there but only the noise level would give that away. The tasting room floor is a fascinating work – it was constructed from the staves of old wine barrels, some bearing the marks of the winemaker Tom Rinaldi. A large, semi-circular tasting bar occupies the center of the space, while an intimate sitting area lies off in the corner looking out a window to the vineyards. Behind the tasting bar, large windows provide a view into the winery operations part of the warehouse.
Several times a year the winery will host special events on the weekends, pairing interesting foods with their wines or previewing their next releases directly from the barrel. And often, towards the end of the workday, the wine maker will hang out in the tasting room to gauge people’s opinion of the wines. It can be a great opportunity to learn a little something about winemaking, too.
Provenance always has a number of wines available on their tasting menu. Depending upon what interests you, you can choose from different flights of wines to taste. As a club member, I have access to the entire menu – picking just a few can be a challenge. I tasted the 2007 Carneros Merlot, the 2008 Barrel-Select Rutherford Cabernet, the 2008 St. Helena Cabernet, and the 2007 Hewitt Cabernet. The Hewitt is usually part of the winery’s more expensive flight, but is accessible to club members. The wines all feature an elegant, well-balanced style with ample complexity and delicious fruit. The Hewitt is by far my favorite wine of Napa Valley (when factoring in price).
Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 7 and the wines offered as a 7. This has been consistent as long as I have been visiting Provenance Vineyards.
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