Preservation and Cultural Heritage Advocate Purchases Neighboring Jewel-Box Property, Winery and Tasting Room
(Rutherford, Calif. – May 5, 2021) – Bella Oaks Proprietor Suzanne Deal Booth today announced she has acquired a neighboring winery and tasting room located at 1271 Manley Lane in Rutherford, adjacent to the Bella Oaks estate at 1350 Bella Oaks Lane. Deal Booth has acquired the property from the Rudd family. The purchase includes 1.4 acres of land comprising production and hospitality facilities built by the W. Clarke and Elizabeth Swanson family in the late 1980s.
Deal Booth will be renaming the property Bella Oaks, which will serve as an extension of the iconic vineyard she acquired in 2010 from heirs of Belle and Barney Rhodes. In 2015, Deal Booth purchased a portion of Fahrig Ranch, a property contiguous with Bella Oaks, which has been incorporated into the Bella Oaks estate. Today, with this latest acquisition, the Bella Oaks estate comprises a total of 32.6 acres, with 12.5 acres currently planted and a ten-acre vineyard expansion underway and scheduled for completion by the end of 2021.
Napa vintner and preservation and cultural heritage advocate Deal Booth had been looking for a nearby legacy winery property to serve as the winemaking and hospitality home for Bella Oaks and approached the Rudd family in early 2021, knowing they share her commitment for the preservation of the unique cultural and agrarian traditions of the Napa Valley. What further attracted Deal Booth to the Manley Lane property was the ability to apply principles of adaptive reuse rather than further impacting the agricultural character of Rutherford by removing productive vineyards to build a de-novo production facility. Deal Booth plans to reimagine and renovate the onsite winery production and hospitality facility consistent with her focus on excellence and sustainability evident in the launch of the Bella Oaks brand.
The first release of Bella Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon will be in September 2021 with the 2018 vintage ($275/bottle).
ABOUT BELLA OAKS
Bella Oaks is a new wine estate almost five decades in the making, a project that combines one of Napa Valley’s most historic and revered vineyards with the dedication to cultural heritage projects that characterizes the vision of proprietor and cultural preservation advocate Suzanne Deal Booth. The Bella Oaks vineyard is legendary, with a legacy for producing some of Napa Valley’s earliest single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons. Recognizing both its history and untapped potential, Deal Booth, who acquired Bella Oaks in 2010, has at last given this storied vineyard a voice of its own with a team that includes Vineyard Manager David Abreu, Winemaker Nigel Kinsman, and Master Blender Michel Rolland. Deal Booth oversaw the conversion of the vineyard to organic farming, and Bella Oaks was certified by the CCOF in 2019. With a vision of creating a vibrant and holistic ecosystem on the estate, she also hired consultant Jeff Lawson to implement biodynamic principles and practices throughout the property.
Today, with the Manley Lane acquisition, the Bella Oaks estate comprises a total of 32.6 acres, with 12.5 acres currently planted and a ten-acre vineyard expansion underway and scheduled for completion by the end of 2021. Booth’s holistic vision for Bella Oaks is to bring the land to its highest potential by giving voice to the estate through its own wine as well as the seamless integration of art, community, and culture. The first release of Bella Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon will be in September 2021 with the 2018 vintage ($275/bottle). For more information, please visit www.bellaoaks.com.
