VJB Cellars
VJB Cellars
60 Shaw Ave,
Kenwood, CA 95452
(707) 833-2300
VJB Cellars is a boutique family owned facility producing Cabernet, Syrah and Montepulciano vines. Their exclusive wines are only available through the tasting room and their wine club. We love to bring our guests to family owned, truly exceptional wine tasting experiences in Sonoma County, let us introduce you to VJB Cellars.
The seeds of owning a winery were sown in the late 1990s when the Belmonte family owned Caffe Portofino, a popular restaurant in downtown Santa Rosa. Brothers Henry and Victor made their first harvest of Cabernet grapes in 1999, but before that wine was ever bottled, Victor passed away unexpectedly. Henry, along with his parents, was determined to keep his younger brother’s memory and passion for making wine alive. VJB Vineyards and Cellars—named for Victor Joseph Belmonte— was born.
In 2002, the Belmonte’s sold their restaurant and began renovating an old home and garden store on Highway 12 in Kenwood. They opened this tasting room on Memorial Day weekend in 2003. There were five wines on the wine list including their flagship wine, Dante, a Cabernet Sauvignon-Sangiovese blend which they still produce.
Although welcoming guests to their storefront tasting room and introducing them to an ever growing list of Italian varietals, the Belmonte family had dreams of creating something more. They wanted a space where visitors could experience not only wine, but also food and an atmosphere that spoke to their Italian heritage and hospitality.
In late 2010 they broke ground on their current tasting room and marketplace, first planting more vines for their popular Montepulciano and Aglianico wines, then turning the existing ranch-style home on the property into a stunning Tuscan-style villa that houses their tasting room, marketplace and deli, as well as an outdoor pizza kitchen and a piazza that is the heart of the new property.
With a portfolio of more than 15 wines including several Italian varietals rarely produced in California, coupled with wood oven pizzas and the wonderful, home style Italian food Maria is so well known for, VJB quickly became a must visit destination in the Sonoma County.
Mama Maria Belmonte was born in Bonito, Italy where, as a young girl, she learned to cook at her mother’s and grandmother’s sides. Maria is the guiding force in La Cucina and the Red Rooster Kitchen. She also hosts cooking classes with her son, Henry, in the outdoor kitchen and caters numerous winery functions, both large and small. From her fresh baked focaccia to an outstanding array of freshly made antipasto salads to her homemade biscotti, Maria’s food is simple, delicious and heartfelt.
Their wine tasting menu filled with small production Italian varietals will prep you for a leisurely lunch of antipasti and pizza from the deli and wood-fired oven. On weekends at 1 p.m., enjoy a serenade by the Wine Country Tenors as you sip and savor on the piazza. Browse the marketplace filled with Maria’s homemade sauces, pastas that are made onsite, as well as a huge selection of Italian specialty goods. Finish your visit with a treat from the chocolate and gelato shop.
Tasting Options include everything from a standard, daily tasting of their current releases. To their elevated Piazza Tasting where you can enjoy samples of their current releases and limited production wines on the beautiful Italian-inspired piazza. Or perhaps you’d like to join one of their knowledgeable wine educators who will guide you through a tasting of their current release wines plus some of their limited production Estate wines in the art gallery or on the Italian inspired piazza.
Join us on an exciting Sonoma wine tasting tour through historic Sonoma Valley. We want our guests to truly enjoy a comfortable ride, taste delicious wines of the area, experience an amazing lunch from a local restaurant, and learn about the wineries and history of the area. Learn more here – reserve online here – or call to reserve now: (707) 938-2600.