Page 9 - GrapevineMarApr 2022

In The Winery

mecca,” McGorry said, “so they decided to bring
back Maria’s delicious cuisine. They wanted a place
where people could gather and enjoy life’s mile-
stones—not necessarily in the restaurant industry.”

In 2010 they broke ground on their current tast-
ing room and marketplace and planted two acres
of Montepulciano and Aglianico. In the summer
of 2012, VJB Cellars celebrated its grand opening,
introducing the public to a “taste of Italy” with
authentic Italian foods, a growing list of Italian
wines and true Italian hospitality. Their “little town
within a little town” quickly became a go-to desti-
nation in the Sonoma Valley.

In 2014 the Belmontes purchased nearby
Wellington Cellars from father and son John and
Peter Wellington, who had been operating the
vineyard for over 20 years. “This was a fantastic
transition from father to son to father to son,”
McGorry said. “The Wellingtons knew the vineyard
would be in good hands as a family operation.”

The sale came with a full production facility and
tasting room, plus 21 acres of vineyards plant-
ed with a focus on French varieties, including
Marsanne, Roussanne, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet
Franc, Viognier and Bordeaux blends, as well as
old-vine Zinfandel dating back to 1882. “The Old-
Vine Zinfandels also include one dating to 1912 and
another to 1924,” McGorry said. “These are a big
draw for a lot of guests, who really enjoy sampling
vineyards that are so old.”

When the Belmonte’s purchased Wellington
Cellars—minus the inventory—they rebranded the
wines, changed the style and limited production
to small-lot, hand-crafted wines produced almost
exclusively from the 24-acre estate. They now
make wines for both labels at the winery: Annual
production for VJB Cellars is 10,000 cases, and for
Wellington Cellars, it’s 3000 cases. Wines are sold
exclusively direct-to-consumer and from the wine
clubs.

In 2020, the family acquired Kenwood Farms and
Gardens, located across the street, which added 14
more acres to their vineyard holdings. The property
includes a cottage, a barn with a bar and pictur-

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