Please join us in welcoming Bella Vineyards & Wine Caves. We’re thrilled to finally feature a wine from this much-beloved winery. Bella is the sweetheart of the wine press, with so many of their wines being consistently scored in the high 90s. Today’s 2012 Ru’s Farm Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel is a budget-friendly dream come true.

To the eye, it’s an inky purple at its core, spreading out to crimson near the edge. Smells like Dry Creek at its finest with big bramble, blackberry, rhubarb, barrel spice, and black currants. The palate is just lovely with extracted maraschino cherry, fragrant cloves, potpourri, vanilla, and cola. Bella is a landmark in Dry Creek Valley and we see why with terrific Zinfandel that checks all the boxes. Big fruit? Yep. Slightly boozy, enhancing flavor? Check. American oak spice? You bet. Goes down easy? Try for yourself. Enjoy this delicious wine with a nice tri-tip with some Santa Maria seasoning would be the perfect companion.

Winemaker Michael Dasche has been making wine since 1986 when he got his start with Napa’s Schramsberg Wine Cellars. In 1987 he went to work for Far Niente. From there, Michael took his wine career abroad to New Zealand, where he worked for New Zealand’s Cloudy Bay winery - before a stint at world-famous Château Lafite Rothschild. Today, Michal makes wines for a handful of wineries, including Bella and his own namesake winery.

The Dry Creek Valley AVA in northeastern Sonoma (north of Healdsburg) County is somewhat warmer and wetter than the neighboring Russian River Valley AVA region just to the south, and the Alexander Valley AVA just to the east. The warmer and wetter climate provides great versatility with regard to the types of grapes that can be effectively cultivated in the region.