I cannot rave enough about this winery. This vineyard, family run and quaint in size, hones their craft of making the most quality zinfandels. They say, “We focus on our own century old vineyards as well as those tended by other small, passionate growers who are extremely dedicated to the heritage and quality of these vines planted so many generations ago.” I think a good winery should always include their past and how they have learned and grown from what they were given. From the moment we entered, it felt like walking into a family gathering in someone’s backyard. Live music was playing on a little outdoor stage, the sun was beautiful and warm on top of the mountains, the staff was nothing but friendly- asking if you wanted food from the food truck or a seat to enjoy the outdoors. You can also bring your own picnic food to enjoy at Bella, since the food trucks are not there every day.

While Bella is over in Sonoma, the drive was beyond worth it. Sadly for me, I get a little car sick, but I would still make the drive to get there many times. I highly recommend this spot for quality time and fantastic wine. Speaking of wine, let’s chat:

We got to know our “wine educator” very well and had more than a standard tastings worth of glasses. Not one glass of red, white, dessert wine, etc. was bad. Each stood out as their own entity, with only deliciousness following. As always, I love a good red and every red wine we tried was outstanding. I even loved that they brought little chocolate peanut butter cups with sea salt to try after tasting one of the darkest red wines we got to enjoy. It changed the taste and gave it more layers which was really cool!

The cave entrance, picnic tables, and rows on rows of happy grape vines.

The Tasting Cave! This cave is located directly underneath their mountain of grapevines. You can hear the machines collecting grapes which makes you feel like a part of the process.

Miles, my mom, and my sister-in-law Kayleigh enjoying our sunny picnic on the lawn. We grabbed sandwiches and chips from a popular spot in Napa

The Oakville Grocery!

This cute grocery store, located on the main drag, carries every essential you might need. While compact, they invite everyone they can inside. The backyard space is also a great place to hang out or enjoy one of their special homemade pizza nights.

Classic sandwiches and a tasty Coke for the road has never felt better than here.