The Bella Vista (“Beautiful View”) Vineyard is located on a steep hillside below the Greason family home in Lafayette, California.  Offering breathtaking views of Mt. Diablo, Las Trampas and the Lafayette Ridge, the vineyard was originally planted to walnuts in the 1930’s.  In 2003, Sam and Dana Greason removed the remaining walnuts and planted approximately 1,000 Zinfandel and Petite Sirah vines.  These varietals are well-suited for Lafayette’s Mediterranean climate of hot days and cool, sometimes foggy nights.  Soils are clayish, but because of the topography, well-drained. 


Due to the steep slope, all work in the vineyard must be conducted by hand.  Vineyard manager Roberto Corona, who formerly developed and managed vineyards for Quintessa Winery on the Silverado Trial in Napa Valley, has brought his vast knowledge and high standards to Happy Valley Cellars.  Roberto uses canopy control, fruit thinning and very limited drip irrigation to produce low-yield, high quality fruit.  At each of the multiple harvests, fruit is hand-picked only after tasting each section of the vineyard, to ensure maximum ripeness and flavors. 

Happy Valley Cellars is dedicated to using "sustainable" farming practices. We are also learning about biodynamic farming, and eventually hope to achieve full organic certification. Currently, we are utilizing cover crops to reduce erosion of our soil and sustain the strength and quality of our vines. We use very little water on our vines, typically waiting until late July or August before the first watering. We use absolutely NO synthetic fertilizers or pesticides and will not use them in the future. Our commitment is to utilize the most natural and sustainable approach to farming.