Bellview Winery - Still Thriving After 25 Years
How it All Started:
In 1999, Jim Quarella, the 4th generation in vegetable farming at Bellview Farms, wanted to take the farm in a whole new direction. He wanted to grow a new crop - wine grapes. He wanted to grow them with care, to produce top quality grapes, and with them, he wanted to make the best possible wine that they could become. After much research, he chose and planted the first varieties in his new vineyard.
In 2000, the winery license for Bellview Winery was granted. Together, Jim and his wife, Nancy, planned and built their winery and tasting room, renovating an older building (pictured below) located on his great-grandparents' old homestead. Jim crafted his first commercial wines, and then, with high hopes, Jim and Nancy opened their tasting room to the public.
This past summer, they celebrated the winery's 25th anniversary!
Learn About the Owners:
Jim and Nancy came from totally different backgrounds, with totally different skills, which they were happy to find blended surprisingly well to create a good winery-building team. After many years of working together and raising their family, they're still happily married. Today, with good friends Larry and Barb Coia now as partners in the winery, they all look forward to more years of the adventure.
Fun facts:
Jim at one point kept several mules and Belgian draft horses that he would use to plow fields, for fun!
Nancy has a love for foraging and making her ingredients from scratch. Recently she's made muffins from redbud flowers, raisins from grapes grown in our vineyards and chamomile tea from chamomile flowers she foraged on our farm.
Larry retired from his career in medicine and followed his passion of viticulture. He has been growing grapevines in Vineland for 50 years, since 1975!
Barbara is a key volunteer to her local library and is a woman of many talents, one of which is playing the harp.
Before and after photos of Bellview Winery:
