The Rutherford Appellation Wineries invite the public to take a wine tasting journey through the Rutherford appellation during their winter "Roll Out the Barrels" Passport Weekend on Dec 5 and 6, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event includes barrel tastings, wine and food pairings, sales of future wines and special Passport Weekend discounts.

Each winery will feature its own barrel tasting experience to teach visitors about Rutherford varietals, Napa Valley terroir and diverse barrel types and toasts. 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, Franciscan Estates, Honig Vineyard and Winery, Peju Province Winery, Pina Napa Valley, Provenance Vineyards, Rubicon Estate, Rutherford Hill Winery, St. Supery and Tres Sabores Winery. Guest wineries include Elizabeth Spencer Wines, Martin Estate and Round Pond Estate.

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 percent passport ticket discount applied with the use of a promotional code. A limited number of passports are available for purchase online at www.rutherford-appellation-wineries.com and will be available for pick-up Dec 5 and 6 at the pre-selected winery.

Proceeds from the barrel tasting weekend will be donated to the Rutherford Grange Restoration Project. Located in the heart of Rutherford on Highway 29, the Rutherford Grange houses and coordinates programs to serve everyone in Napa County. Over the past year, Rutherford Appellation Wineries have 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, visit www.rutherford-appellation-wineries.com