We were actually planning on visiting Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves back in 2017, but a fractured kneecap got in the way. Fortunately, we were finally able to rectify that and it was definitely worth the wait.
Bella Vineyards is in the far reaches of the Dry Creek Valley. The scenic drive is beautiful – you’re not going to find caves in downtown Healdsburg, after all. When you do get to the winery, the great scenery continues, with the vineyards on the hillsides and looming cave entrance.
As we entered the cave and walked towards the tasting area, we were greeted by Andrew McPherson, Bella’s Director of Sales. As Andrew poured us a taste of Sauvignon Blanc and then led us out of the cave for a tour of the property, he regaled us with some of the history of Bella.
Scott and Lynn Adams founded Bella Vineyards and Wines Caves in 1995 on the site of the historic Lily Hill Vineyard, which has been planted in 1915. They are currently joined in their wine-production endeavors by winemaker Ryan Schmaltz, consulting winemaker Joe Healy and Nicholas Cornejo of Clendenen Vineyard Management.
Bella is best known for its outstanding Zinfandels and Rhones from its home vineyard as well as a few other select locations such as the Maple Vineyard (also in Dry Creek Valley), the Rocky Ridge Vineyard in Rockpile and the DuPratt Vineyard in Mendocino Ridge.
We also learned that Bella has two other labels.
The Ru’s Farm label is connected to the owners’ Ru’s Farm property east of Healdsburg, which has cottages, vineyards, and beautiful grounds for weddings and other events. We might just have to check this property out next time we are in the area. These wines are bottled in very cool looking 750 ml growlers.
The Ten Acre label focuses on varietals other than Bella’s signature Zinfandels and Rhones, such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Andrew took us a little of the way up the Lily Hill Vineyard and then over to the crush pad for an explanation of the various wine making equipment and a barrel taste of “wine in process” – a Pinot Noir, before taking us back into the caves. The cave tour is quite extensive on its own, but don’t worry, Andrew did not allow us to get thirsty.
Finally, in the caves, we were ready for our sit-down tasting. Here are our notes on what we tasted during our trip:
2022 Ru Sauvignon Blanc – 100 % Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River AVA. Green apple and honeysuckle floral notes on the nose. Light and fruity. Brisk, lean and refreshing finish.
2023 Ten Acre Pinot Noir – Barrel tasting. Strawberry on the palate, creamy, good acidity.
2019 Ten Acre Jenkins Vineyard Pinot Noir – 100% Pinot Noir, Russian River AVA. Bing cherry nose with a light tinge of smoky mocha and a velvety finish.
2019 Bella Maple Vineyard Zinfandel – 99% Zinfandel, 1% Syrah, Dry Creek Valley AVA. Bay laurel and white mushroom aromatics, medium texture. Maple Vineyard is on benchland in the Dry Creek Valley and is dry farmed. Some of the vines in this vineyard go back to 1910. The ones sourced by Bella are from blocks planted in 1963.
2019 Bella Lily Hill Estate Zinfandel – 90% Zinfandel, 6% Syrah, 4% Petite Sirah, Dry Creek Valley AVA. Ripe pomegranate nose with touch of black pepper spice. Medium to long finish. Balanced tannins. It’s easy to see why this is a Bella club favorite.
2019 Bella Rocky Ridge Vineyard Zinfandel – 96% Zinfandel 4% Syrah, Rockpile AVA. Ahhh, Rockpile. Such a special place. Dark burgundy. Jammy blackberry fruit with a hint of cinnamon. Full mouthfeel with lengthy, sustained finish.
2013 Bella Lily Hill Estate Syrah – 91% Syrah, 9% Grenache, Dry Creek Valley AVA. Library tasting. Concentrated violet fruit notes interwoven with traces of cedar, leather and tobacco leaf. Smooth, even, elegant and intense. Finish lasting and prolonged. What a treat to taste this aged wine.
Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves offers a variety of immersive experiences to enjoy the caves and the vineyards, as well as tasting their excellent wines. They also have quite a few 250 old olive trees providing shade around the property if you wish to have your tasting outdoors. We’re not sure if all the wine experts on hand are as entertaining as Andrew was, but we expect you’ll enjoy yourself immensely while adding to your own cellar. We had a blast!
Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves
9711 W Dry Creek Rd, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Michael and Karen Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.
