If a mom and pop style vineyard operation with the personal touch is your groove, then a day trip visit to Charlie and Michael Havill’s Bella Grace in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley gold country will make for a sweet memory – and probably end up filling in a lot of holes in your wine racks! These are the kind of small production hand made wines that you need to take home.

Michael Havill and her husband Charlie took the big plunge to bail out of their corporate jobs, pursue their love of wines, and go all in on their estate vineyard winery in historic Amador County. In the short time since, they have won all sorts of praise for their wines that are grown sustainably on their 20 acre ranch that comprises not only Zinfandel but about a dozen other red and white varietals. Between Charlie’s vineyard work and Michael’s touch in the cellar, these are wines that are grown and crafted with personal care.

The Havills have two venues where you can taste and purchase their limited production estate wines: The estate vineyard and wine cave is located in Plymouth and their 1860’s Victorian era tasting room is located about a 20 minutes drive away in the historic old west town of Sutter Creek.