Bella Vineyards & Wine Caves — Attraction in Cloverdale

Beautiful property, fantastic zinfandels, and friendly staff that went above and beyond to ensure we had an incredible experience! We booked the 11am tour for 3 of us in January to celebrate my birthday. We arrived before they opened and were eating an early lunch on their picnic tables when a staff member came out to greet us. We were given a carafe of water, shown where the restrooms were, and told to take our time and come in when we were ready to start the tour as we'd be the only ones on it. FYI the outdoor seating is kid and dog friendly. They started us off with a sparkling wine to celebrate my birthday before the tour began. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the property and the wine making process, and we got to see some of the vineyard, crush pad, and wine cave. The tasting consisted of 6 wines: a Chardonnay, rose, Pinot noir, 2 zinfandels, and a dessert wine. We finished our tasting in a private room in the wine cave. Since we liked their zinfandels so much, they also poured an additional zin, the 2021 Maple Vineyards. The dessert wine was also a fun experience as they brought out a fancy peanut butter cup with salt on top to try with the dessert wine, which created a peanut butter and jelly mix when combined. We unfortunately couldn't stick around to enjoy their property more as we had another winery to visit, but will...

I loved this visit to Bella! I’ve been twice before; it’s a favorite spot due to the small, family nature of it. It’s Sonoma County winemaking the way it should be… local, connected, fun (I.e., not stuffy and corporate).

This time around we took the tour, which I recommend if you want an intro into the process, or if you just want to know more about Bella Vineyards’ winemaking. You taste wine on the go throughout the tour, which I thought was a nice touch. Garrett hosted our tour and was excellent - willing to answer questions, have fun, and go with the vibe of the group. He was also very knowledgeable of the local wineries, restaurants, history, etc.

One bit of advice… you likely need a reservation to get the most out of your time. Sure, you may get to taste the wine without one, but you won’t have the same experience or attention (especially if...

Beautiful location, super-friendly tasting staff. We had a great experience at Bella. They do their tastings in an underground cave so it's a great place to visit on a hot afternoon. The only reason I didn't give them a 5 star rating is that I didn't particularly care for their wines. The tasting hosts explained that they try to make their wines "differently" than other vineyards in the area. They're trying to set themselves apart. Specifically, theirs wines tend to have earthier notes, more tannins and are often a bit drier than other varietals from the Dry Creek region. I personally prefer jammier Zins and more fruit-forward wines, but I'm sure others with a taste for drier wine would find Bella's selection delicious. As a parting comment, I'll say again that the staff...