von Strasser Winery
It takes effort and luck to discover what your life’s true calling is, and winery founder Rudy von Strasser had a little of both pushing him toward the grape. As a pomology (apple farming) graduate from the northeast, Rudy figured he could increase profits by making apple cider, so he journeyed to Napa Valley and Robert Mondavi Winery to learn the secrets of fermentation. Wine grapes quickly replaced apples for Rudy. In 1990 after positions at Trefethen and Newton wineries, Rudy, with his wife Rita, purchased the old Roddis Cellars estate on Diamond Mountain just south of Calistoga and founded their namesake winery.
The fabulous wines we featured:
2008 Estate Diamond Mountain District, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauv
- 94 points, "Cellar Selection", Wine Enthusiast
- Smoked and roasted meats, roasted veggies and large cuts of pork are the perfect match for this rich Napa Cabernet.
Tasting Notes: This wine has aged gracefully and shows notes of crème de cassis, dried black cherries and subtle earth. Soft, lush tannins and a hint of cedar highlight the classic Old World style of this Estate bottling.
2006 Diamond Mountain District, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
- 94 points, Wine Enthusiast
- Just 462 cases made.
- Pair with beef stew and red sauce pastas.
Tasting Notes: Dried cranberries, pomegranate and dark cherry flavors are followed with a very dry finish. This wine has an unmistakable minerality that lingers on the palate.
Winemaker's Notes
Rudy has been an enthusiastic pioneer of this region, purchasing fruit from several growers as well as sourcing from his own estate. In 1998, Rudy added another hillside vineyard for a total of 12 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, two acres of Petit Verdot and one acre of Merlot. The von Strasser Winery produces wines full of mountain Cabernet intensity with the finesse of the finest Bordeaux.
Napa Valley
Rudy and Rita von Strasser
Rudy von Strasser