Bella Grace Vineyards is a winery established by husband and wife team Charlie and Michael Havill, who were drawn to the wine industry in the early 2000s. The name Bella Grace pays homage to the names of two grandparents on different sides of the family. The Havills purchased 50 acres of land in Amador County, California, in 2006, with 20 acres of wine grapes that were in poor condition. Charlie learned about biodynamic and sustainable farming and was able to cultivate a variety of grapes including Primitivo, Zinfandel, Grenache, Vermentino, Grenache Blanc, Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Mourvedre without the use of pesticides or inorganic substances. They sold their grapes to regional commercial wineries and home winemakers, but soon realized that wine production was the next step to capitalize on the quality output from the vineyard. The winery now has a fully-operation winemaking facility, with a custom-designed and engineered wine cave built in 2011, which serves as a focal point of the property. Bella Grace wines are aged in oak barrels and are made from grapes grown on the estate.
One of the things that sets Bella Grace apart from other wineries in the region is the diversity of wines they offer – including some white and rose varietals as well as sparkling wines they import from Italy. They have not one but two tasting rooms – their vineyard and wine cave in Plymouth and a tasting room in the town of Sutter Creek. Both locations offer indoor and outdoor tasting (although indoor space can be limited in Sutter Creek). At least several times each month there are food trucks at one or both of their locations, more frequently at the Plymouth vineyard and wine cave, and several times per year wine club members are able to enjoy a complimentary lunch.
