Bella Grace Vineyards and Wine Cave
Plymouth CA Winery in Shenandoah Valley
Bella Grace Vineyards is a Plymouth CA winery unlike most. We grow our own grapes, press our own fruit, age our wines in a hillside cave carved into the Shenandoah Valley, and bottle everything ourselves. When you visit our Plymouth estate, you are standing in the place where these wines are actually made . not tasting them in a separate facility miles from the vineyard.
The estate at 22715 Upton Road sits on 20 acres in the heart of Amador County’s most celebrated wine-growing appellation. Twenty acres of sustainably farmed vineyard, over 100 organically grown olive trees, and a wine cave that stays at a steady 58 degrees year-round, regardless of what the Sierra Foothills are doing outside.
Wine Tasting at a Plymouth CA Winery
Most Plymouth CA wineries offer a tasting room pour. Bella Grace offers the full picture – the vineyard, the cave, the olive trees, the people who made everything you are about to taste, and a genuine sense of place that does not exist anywhere else like it does in Amador County.
The hillside wine cave
Our wine cave is one of the most distinctive tasting experiences at any Plymouth CA winery. Carved into the hillside, the cave stays at 58 degrees year round – cool, quiet, and atmospheric in a way that a conventional tasting room simply cannot replicate. The cave is open on weekends for cave tastings alongside our vineyard tastings. This is where we age our estate wines in French and American oak barrels before bottling.
Estate wine and olive oil tasting
Both tastings are included in your visit at no separate charge. Our estate wines include Zinfandel, Barbera, Syrah, Viognier, Grenache, and more are grown on our own land in Plymouth’s Shenandoah Valley appellation. Everything is grown organically and certified sustainable.
Alongside the wines, we pour our artisan olive oils, vinegars, and salts made from fruit grown on the estate. The olive oil tasting is a favorite for guests who come for the wine and leave with a bottle of something they did not expect to love.
Vineyard tours with Charlie Havill
If you want to go deeper, book one of our guided vineyard tours with Charlie Havill — the farmer behind every bottle of Bella Grace wine. Charlie leads small groups through the estate rows, gives hands-on pruning demonstrations, explains our regenerative and organic farming practices, and sends every guest home with a vine cutting from the estate. Tours run at 11am, 12:30pm, and 2pm. Club members are complimentary. General admission $25.
Learn more about vineyard tours at Bella Grace
The Shenandoah Valley — Why Plymouth CA Produces Great Wine
Plymouth sits at the northern end of the Shenandoah Valley appellation in Amador County, California. This is one of the oldest wine-growing regions in the state — Gold Rush-era miners planted the first vines here in the 1850s, and some of the oldest Zinfandel vines in California still grow in this valley today.
The soils are volcanic red clay — rocky, well-draining, and low in nutrients, which forces vines to dig deep and produce concentrated, flavorful fruit. Daytime temperatures in summer are warm and bright. Nights are cool. That diurnal shift is what gives Amador County wines their structure and freshness alongside the warmth and depth the region is known for.
Bella Grace dry-farms where possible, reducing irrigation to allow the vines to develop deep root systems and draw mineral character from the soil itself. Charlie Havill’s regenerative farming practices — cover crops, mechanical weed control, bird houses for natural pest management, composted vine cuttings returned to the soil — are reshaping how this part of Amador County thinks about sustainable viticulture.
Our Plymouth CA Winery Location and Hours
Bella Grace Vineyards Estate and Wine Cave
22715 Upton Road, Plymouth, CA 95669
Open Friday to Sunday, 11am to 4:30pm
Last tasting at 4:30pm. Reservations recommended on weekends.
We are part of the Start on Steiner wine trail — a collection of Amador County wineries along Steiner Road and Upton Road in Plymouth. If you are planning a day of wine tasting in Plymouth CA, pairing your Bella Grace visit with other Start on Steiner members makes for an exceptional afternoon in the Shenandoah Valley.
For a broader look at wine tasting across Amador County, the Amador Vintners Association has a full winery map and event calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Plymouth CA Winery
Is there a tasting fee?
No tasting fee. Wine tasting and olive oil tasting are both complimentary. Wine club members receive complimentary tastings as a membership benefit.
Do I need a reservation?
Reservations are strongly recommended on weekends especially when the wine cave is open. Walk-ins are welcome when space allows but booking in advance guarantees your spot and ensures the best experience.
Can I bring a picnic?
Yes — we encourage it. Pack food and spend the afternoon. The Shenandoah Valley views from the estate are exceptional and the outdoor tasting area is one of the most beautiful places in Amador County to sit with a glass of wine.
Is Bella Grace dog friendly?
Yes. Well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome at the Plymouth estate.
How far is Plymouth CA from Sacramento?
About 55 miles east of Sacramento — roughly one hour by car via Highway 16 or Highway 50 to Sutter Hill Road. Search Bella Grace Vineyards Plymouth CA in Google Maps for exact directions.
Does Bella Grace have a second location?
Yes — our Sutter Creek tasting room at 73 Main Street is open daily 11am to 5pm. Walk-ins always welcome. If you are visiting both locations, most guests do Plymouth in the morning and Sutter Creek in the afternoon on the same day.
Events at Our Plymouth CA Winery
The Plymouth estate hosts several of Bella Grace’s signature events throughout the year including our outdoor winery concert Sounds in the Vineyard, the Lobster Feed, Dave Stamey live on August 22nd, and our 20th Anniversary Party at Dusk on September 19th. Wine club members receive discounted or first-access tickets to most events. Some events are invite-only for members.
View the full events calendar | Wine club member events
About Bella Grace Vineyards — Plymouth CA
Bella Grace Vineyards is a family-owned Plymouth CA winery founded by husband and wife Charlie and Michael Havill and named after their grandmothers. Charlie farms the estate. Michael runs the winery. Together they produce estate Zinfandel, Barbera, Syrah, Viognier, Grenache, and sparkling wine alongside artisan olive oils, vinegars, and salts — all made from fruit grown on their own 20 acres in the Shenandoah Valley.
Award Winning Wines from Bella Grace Vineyards
Bella Grace was just voted Best Amador Tasting Room by the Ledger Dispact Readers – Best of Amador. And that isn’t all – take a look at just a few of our award-winning wines.
Estate Bella Rosé — Best of California, 99 Points, California State Fair. Best of Class, Double Gold, 97 Points, OC Fair. One of the highest-scoring rosé wines in California.
Estate Barbera and Amador Barbera — Double Gold, 96 Points, Sunset International Wine Competition. Two different expressions of Barbera, both earning the same elite recognition.
Estate Zinfandel — Gold, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Grown from four heritage clones on the Plymouth estate in the Shenandoah Valley.
Estate Primitivo — Gold, 2024 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Grown at the top of the estate and one of the first reds harvested each season.
Estate Vermentino, Estate Albariño, and 1646 Red Blend — 91 Points each, California State Fair.
Bella Grace wines are available for tasting at our Plymouth estate and our Sutter Creek tasting room on Main Street. Club members taste complimentary. Tasting fee is $15 per flight, waived with the purchase of one bottle.
We also have a second tasting room in Sutter Creek at 73 Main Street, part of the Wine on 49 collective on historic Main Street.
Plymouth estate and wine cave
22715 Upton Road, Plymouth, CA 95669
(209) 267-8053 |
info@bellagracevineyards.com
Reserve Your Tasting at the Vineyard
Please drink responsibly. Must be 21 or older to consume alcohol.