Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves

Dry Creek Valley’s beauty is undeniably captivating. There’s something about the saturated colors that play upon each of its well-tended vineyards and homes. No wonder owners Scott and Lynn Adams named their winery Bella (a combination of their two daughters’ names: Julia Belle and Lilia Rose), which translates to “beautiful” in Italian. It sits at Dry Creek’s northern end, and its highest reaches overlook the valley.

The couple first found the property the day before they were married in 1994 (a bike tour began and ended there), but it was the following year before it went up for sale and they rediscovered it. From that point forward, they’ve made it their goal to produce outstanding Zinfandel, Syrah and Rhone-style reds made from vineyards on the property and from their Alexander Valley estate.

When you turn into Bella’s lavender-lined driveway and head up the hill, the first thing you’ll notice is its picnic grounds where you can enjoy some wine (and any food you bring along) and take in the view. If it’s the weekend, your tasting experience will begin in the barn adjacent to the picnic grounds, then move into the winery’s 7,000-square-foot caves, which were completed in 2003. The tasting room is in the entertainment side of the caves, where there’s also a private dining area, a music room and a retail shop featuring home accessories such as decanters, candles and holders, platters and the like.

Weekends during warmer months often feature local songwriters playing music on the lawn (regular performers include Jason Bodlovich, Steve Pile and Jeff Campbell); and four weekends per year (Fourth of July; Aug. 1-2; Labor Day; and Oct. 17-18) include live music and food pairings.

If you’re looking for a more in-depth experience, consider making an appointment for a 30-minute, hosted private tasting in either the caves or on a private patio; a one-hour cave tour and tasting where you’ll learn a bit about winemaking, sample wine from the barrels and then taste some finished wines; or a tour where you climb onto Bella’s newly acquired six-wheel 1973 Pinzgauer (a 12-passenger ex-army vehicle that’s not only cool to look at, but is equally fun to ride in), drive to the top of the Lily Hill vineyard (the cave is underneath it), learn about the vineyards, view the valley from high above and enjoy wine tasting in a secluded redwood grove. Each of these experiences requires advance notice (one to three weeks; depending on the tour and availability) but is worth the extra effort if you have the time.

Bella’s limited-production of 7,000 cases is mostly available only at the winery. When I visited, we began with the 2008 Grenache/Syrah Dry Rosé (crisp with a strawberry nose), then a 2007 Big River Ranch Grenache (from Bella’s Alexander Valley property; lush red fruit, spice, hint of anise). Next was the 2007 Two Patch Zinfandel (from Big River Ranch and Todd Brothers Ranch in Geyserville), which is a deep, dark and rich offering I noted as “double trouble good.”

In the barrel room, I sampled the 2008 Big River Ranch Zinfandel, which is Bella’s flagship wine. It comes from vines planted in 1906 and is already showing well. “I’m very happy about the 2008 vintage,” says winemaker Joe Healy (who works with consulting winemaker Michael Dashe and vineyard manager John Clendenen to craft Bella’s wines). “I was withholding my opinion for a long time because I loved 2007.”

We also sampled the 2008 Lily Hill Syrah (dark berries, feminine), some of which is being aged in an oak cask (the rest in barrels). Last came the 2008 Late Harvest Zinfandel—a ripe, dark dessert wine with chocolate on the nose—which was creatively paired with a chocolate peanut butter cup.

 

Members only

Bella is a popular spot—there’s a two- to four-month waiting period for its wine club, which has two tiers: Friends of Bella members get three-bottle shipments up to six times per year; and Inner Circle members get 12-bottle shipments on the same schedule. Club members also get first-in-line access to limited-release wines, a separate tasting area in the caves, invites to special events and the opportunity to book private picnic lunches catered by a private chef, or chef-prepared three- or four-course dinners in the wine cave.