Wine Dinner: Rudd Estate

Fearrington is proud to welcome winemaker Natalie Bath from Rudd Estate in Napa Valley, California. Chef Paul Gagne will be preparing a memorable five-course dinner to pair with seven stellar wines from Rudd Estate.

RUDD ESTATE
Founded in 1996 by Leslie Rudd, Rudd Estate is a multigenerational winery handcrafting small production wines that reflect the ultimate expression of its world-class terroir by respecting the traditions of the past, challenging the present, and imagining future possibilities.

Over the course of nearly three decades, the team at Rudd Estate has become intimately familiar with the geologic nuances that make its terroir unique: iconic red volcanic soils, the alluvial fan, and subterranean stream beds. Vineyards located in Napa Valley’s most celebrated Oakville appellation produce the Estate Red and Samantha’s Cabernet Sauvignon, and vineyards located on Mt. Veeder at a 1500-foot elevation produce the Sauvignon Blanc, Susan’s Blanc, and Leslie’s Blend.

Samantha Rudd took the helm of Rudd Estate in 2018 and has championed organic and biodynamic farming practices with the support of the winegrowing and vineyard team. Committed to creating an environment where hard work, creativity, innovation, and craftsmanship are valued, she instituted an Unlikely Collaborators Residency Program in 2016.

NATALIE BATH
A native of California who grew up in St. Helena, Natalie Bath came back to Napa Valley after graduating from college, falling back in love with the area’s natural beauty. Moreover, she gained a deeper appreciation of wine while working at Angèle restaurant in Napa. Natalie’s exploration started when she participated in her first harvest through an internship at Napa’s Etude Winery in 2010, where she embraced the long hours, manual labor, and comradery that comes with harvest. She then completed two internships in 2011, first working harvest in the Spring at Villa Maria in the Hawke’s Bay region of New Zealand and then doing harvest in the Fall at Littorai Winery in Sebastopol. At Littorai, Natalie got her first experience with biodynamics while working under Ted Lemon.

Not knowing where to go next and determined to make winemaking her career, a conversation with Samantha Rudd, a longtime friend, turned into an opportunity to work harvest at Rudd Estate in 2012. As Natalie says about this, “It was like finally coming home—I grew up playing in the vineyards and running around the estate as a kid with Samantha. Being here just felt right.” In 2014, Natalie joined the winemaking team full time as a cellar hand and was promoted to oenologist in 2016. That same year, an opportunity of a lifetime presented itself in the form of Natalie traveling overseas to work harvest at Chateau Petrus. Returning from her travels, Natalie was named assistant winemaker at Rudd Estate in 2017 and as the lead winemaker for its Crossroads label the following year.

After nearly a decade of influencing the wines both in the cellar and in the vineyards by innovating the white wine program, helping the vineyard team integrate biodynamics into organic farming practices, launching the Crossroads label, blending 8 vintages of Rudd wines, and creating our first vintage of sparkling wine, Natalie became Winemaker of Rudd Estate in 2021, a plan that had been many years in the making.

The Fine Print:

This $325 wine dinner is non-refundable and totals $425 with tax and service. If your plans have changed, please feel free to send a lucky friend in your place!  Just send us an email with their name or have them bring your confirmation email.