Half the fun here is getting to Belden Barns--the road over Sonoma Mountain makes it a bit of a challenge and the entrance isn't super-clear, but once you get inside this sprawling property (and close the gate to keep the deer out) you'll get a chance to see a really cool vineyard/farm/winery taking shape. The tasting in an old barn is unpretentious and straightforward. After a nice Rose' to start, the unfiltered Sauvignon Blanc was an unexpectedly substantive and fruit-forward SB that deserves the plaudits it has received. Belden Barns is also the site of the only Gruner Veltliner planting in Sonoma County (and one of a tiny handful in the whole state) and the estate bottling of it is nicely-made, with a clean finish and solid acidity. The Serendipity Pinot Noir is outstanding--liked it much more than the Estate Pinot Noir, though it was nice to see the contrast in winemaking style between the two (go for the Estate if you like cherry cola). As for the Syrah, well, if you like Syrah, you'll likely like this Syrah. It's a good cool climate Syrah. The tasting consisted of 6 wines but they had plenty of other interesting bottles and we picked up their Blanc de Noirs and a Late Harvest Viognier. Surrounded by so many Chard/Pinot-only places, it's refreshing to find variety while still maintaining quality. While the Wishing Tree experience was a great way to cap off the visit, it was neat just to be able to walk around the vines and see some of the views off of Sonoma Mountain and into the valleys and hills around. There's a lot of interesting history about the property and some really cool farming ideas that they're working on. It's nice to see a winery that's taking a different direction from most others. We'll definitely be back to try the cider and some other wines and will look forward to seeing how the place and the wines develop.
George B.
A very fun tasting of some truly superlative wines. Award winners in both reds and whites, Nate Belden knows wine and how to bring out the best from his family run vineyard. The road to his place from Glen Ellen is a bit of a challenge, but well worth the effort.
Tom Novello
Beautiful vineyards!
Adam Nelms
Attended a group event here. Very nice host, whole place seemed very laid back. Great wines.
Christyna Belden
My husband found Belden Barns on a whim as it his goal to find all things Belden. Down home simplicity with exquisite wines that will delight your palette. My personal favorite was the Estate Grüner Veltliner, the hints of citrus fruit blended beautiful together and it is rare to find a great Grüner. Already 5 bottles deep, as soon as we return home we will be signing up for the wine club. I am also excited to open their hard cider as they age it Apx 6 months.
Rick W.
Belden Barns is a delightful experience. Not a stuff "wine experience" but a down to earth (OK bad pun) place to enjoy the owners and the wine. The Wishing Tree is a differentiator as is the excellent wine. Best Syrah around and the Gruner Vertliner is terrific. Go - you won't be disappointed!
Jia min C.
I had a wonderful and unique tasting experience at Belden Barns! My friend booked a tasting for a large group for her birthday and we rolled up in one of those Sonoma/Napa buses to the property. I think of the road options for how to get Belden Barns, our driver may have accidentally opted for the more bumpy way as the Belden Barns owner Nate expressed surprise about the way we came and noted that there was indeed a better, less bumpy way. The tasting took place in a barn, with bench or haystack with blanket seating pointed towards the counter. There was a cute and very friendly pup running around. Every wine we tasted was wonderful, which is a nice and rare surprise. Nate is a masterful storyteller and wove in the story of Belden Barns and each wine throughout the tasting. Joining the wine club was an easy decision, especially with the entry level Explorer option of a shipment of 6 per year. I'm really excited to see how they build out the property. Currently, it's super no frills with the bathrooms being those fancy bathroom trailers rather than permanently installed plumbing. But no frills plus excellent wine is exactly my jam! I'm a fan!
David Raub
Excellent wines, and a very nice tasting experience.
Lorenzo H!
This place is surprisingly chill and laid back. The wines are awesome. And i would definitely recommend the white sparkling. They are all really good. The owners are cool and down to earth. They really believe in their wish tree. It's a cool concept. I didn't make a wish sadly. Next time.
Michelle R.
I came here for the first time as the last stop on a wine tour for an organization I'm a part of (Spinsters of San Francisco). The owners are the nicest people, and I can't stress what charismatic and charming storytellers they are. Honestly, for me it was inspiring to see two people still so in love as partners in both life and business.They introduced their wine collection to us (a group of 20) interwoven with the story of how they grew up, met and started their winery together. What made the whole thing even sweeter was their awesome greeter dog, Penny, who captivated our group from the moment we got off the bus. She guided us to the barn and kept coming to the back of the group to make sure everyone was accounted for.The sauvignon blanc was my favorite wine. So excited to visit here again and see what Lauren and Nate will do with it - they have plans to add a tasting room and creamery. If you are planning a trip to wine country, add Belden Barns to your list.
Amazing experience with some of the best wines I've tried in Sonoma / Napa.
Sagruilla P.
There are lots of wineries in Sonoma. This one distinguishes itself. There is a magic here that keeps you buzzing past the wine tasting. The wishing tree, the rows of grapes along rolling hills, the family friendly vibe, the truly excellent wine--it all adds to something special, where you think that you, too, can dream big and make your wishes happen.It's not a corporate estate with perfectly manicured landscape, but an actual working farm with the owners there to welcome you in an open barn tasting area.
Nicole T.
This place is amazing! They are family friendly, have wonderful wine, and beautiful grounds! We came here with four kids and six adults. The kids got a backpack with a scavenger hunt and had some independence exploring the grounds while the adults tasted wine! Every wine we tasted was really good, none were just ok, out of 7! The owners are wonderful! They are funny, relatable and open. People you'd like to be friends with. After the tasting we had a picnic under the wishing tree, which was beautiful! There's cornhole out and wishes from patrons hanging from the tree. I literally can't recommend this place enough! All three families (one family, but grandparents and the families of their two children) became wine club members! It's a hidden gem!
Dilara C.
Yes it's a winery, but it's about more than wine.Belden Barns is a family-owned establishment that recognizes and appreciates the agricultural aspect of being a winery. Beyond growing amazing grapes and making them into delicious, award-winning wines, they also have residencies for young farmers to have access to some of their land to so they can launch their farming careers. Come here for a tasting and you'll be captivated by the down-home farm-y feeling of the land. You can sense it's an intentional space as soon as you set foot on the property. They offer a variety of wines to taste and experience--from a bubbly to a white, to a variety of reds--you can't go wrong with a single sip. My favorite was Serendipity.The highlight of the visit isn't about grapes or farming or wine. It's about The Wishing Tree. After you walk through the vines, stop by the tree and make a wish for yourself, attach it to the tree, and let destiny take care of the rest. This is a super special spot in Sonoma County you won't want to miss.
Irina P.
This wine tasting experience was absolutely what we needed!A cute barn, awesome hosts and of course Greta wine! Their Pinot is really nice and I really loved tasting also some unusual Sauvignon blanc! I ended up signing up for a membership and looking forward to going back there soon
Half the fun here is getting to Belden Barns--the road over Sonoma Mountain makes it a bit of a challenge and the entrance isn't super-clear, but once you get inside this sprawling property (and close the gate to keep the deer out) you'll get a chance to see a really cool vineyard/farm/winery taking shape. The tasting in an old barn is unpretentious and straightforward. After a nice Rose' to start, the unfiltered Sauvignon Blanc was an unexpectedly substantive and fruit-forward SB that deserves the plaudits it has received. Belden Barns is also the site of the only Gruner Veltliner planting in Sonoma County (and one of a tiny handful in the whole state) and the estate bottling of it is nicely-made, with a clean finish and solid acidity. The Serendipity Pinot Noir is outstanding--liked it much more than the Estate Pinot Noir, though it was nice to see the contrast in winemaking style between the two (go for the Estate if you like cherry cola). As for the Syrah, well, if you like Syrah, you'll likely like this Syrah. It's a good cool climate Syrah. The tasting consisted of 6 wines but they had plenty of other interesting bottles and we picked up their Blanc de Noirs and a Late Harvest Viognier. Surrounded by so many Chard/Pinot-only places, it's refreshing to find variety while still maintaining quality. While the Wishing Tree experience was a great way to cap off the visit, it was neat just to be able to walk around the vines and see some of the views off of Sonoma Mountain and into the valleys and hills around. There's a lot of interesting history about the property and some really cool farming ideas that they're working on. It's nice to see a winery that's taking a different direction from most others. We'll definitely be back to try the cider and some other wines and will look forward to seeing how the place and the wines develop.
A very fun tasting of some truly superlative wines. Award winners in both reds and whites, Nate Belden knows wine and how to bring out the best from his family run vineyard. The road to his place from Glen Ellen is a bit of a challenge, but well worth the effort.
Beautiful vineyards!
Attended a group event here. Very nice host, whole place seemed very laid back. Great wines.
My husband found Belden Barns on a whim as it his goal to find all things Belden. Down home simplicity with exquisite wines that will delight your palette. My personal favorite was the Estate Grüner Veltliner, the hints of citrus fruit blended beautiful together and it is rare to find a great Grüner. Already 5 bottles deep, as soon as we return home we will be signing up for the wine club. I am also excited to open their hard cider as they age it Apx 6 months.
Belden Barns is a delightful experience. Not a stuff "wine experience" but a down to earth (OK bad pun) place to enjoy the owners and the wine. The Wishing Tree is a differentiator as is the excellent wine. Best Syrah around and the Gruner Vertliner is terrific. Go - you won't be disappointed!
I had a wonderful and unique tasting experience at Belden Barns! My friend booked a tasting for a large group for her birthday and we rolled up in one of those Sonoma/Napa buses to the property. I think of the road options for how to get Belden Barns, our driver may have accidentally opted for the more bumpy way as the Belden Barns owner Nate expressed surprise about the way we came and noted that there was indeed a better, less bumpy way. The tasting took place in a barn, with bench or haystack with blanket seating pointed towards the counter. There was a cute and very friendly pup running around. Every wine we tasted was wonderful, which is a nice and rare surprise. Nate is a masterful storyteller and wove in the story of Belden Barns and each wine throughout the tasting. Joining the wine club was an easy decision, especially with the entry level Explorer option of a shipment of 6 per year. I'm really excited to see how they build out the property. Currently, it's super no frills with the bathrooms being those fancy bathroom trailers rather than permanently installed plumbing. But no frills plus excellent wine is exactly my jam! I'm a fan!
Excellent wines, and a very nice tasting experience.
This place is surprisingly chill and laid back. The wines are awesome. And i would definitely recommend the white sparkling. They are all really good. The owners are cool and down to earth. They really believe in their wish tree. It's a cool concept. I didn't make a wish sadly. Next time.
I came here for the first time as the last stop on a wine tour for an organization I'm a part of (Spinsters of San Francisco). The owners are the nicest people, and I can't stress what charismatic and charming storytellers they are. Honestly, for me it was inspiring to see two people still so in love as partners in both life and business.They introduced their wine collection to us (a group of 20) interwoven with the story of how they grew up, met and started their winery together. What made the whole thing even sweeter was their awesome greeter dog, Penny, who captivated our group from the moment we got off the bus. She guided us to the barn and kept coming to the back of the group to make sure everyone was accounted for.The sauvignon blanc was my favorite wine. So excited to visit here again and see what Lauren and Nate will do with it - they have plans to add a tasting room and creamery. If you are planning a trip to wine country, add Belden Barns to your list.
Restaurantji Recommends
Amazing experience with some of the best wines I've tried in Sonoma / Napa.
There are lots of wineries in Sonoma. This one distinguishes itself. There is a magic here that keeps you buzzing past the wine tasting. The wishing tree, the rows of grapes along rolling hills, the family friendly vibe, the truly excellent wine--it all adds to something special, where you think that you, too, can dream big and make your wishes happen.It's not a corporate estate with perfectly manicured landscape, but an actual working farm with the owners there to welcome you in an open barn tasting area.
This place is amazing! They are family friendly, have wonderful wine, and beautiful grounds! We came here with four kids and six adults. The kids got a backpack with a scavenger hunt and had some independence exploring the grounds while the adults tasted wine! Every wine we tasted was really good, none were just ok, out of 7! The owners are wonderful! They are funny, relatable and open. People you'd like to be friends with. After the tasting we had a picnic under the wishing tree, which was beautiful! There's cornhole out and wishes from patrons hanging from the tree. I literally can't recommend this place enough! All three families (one family, but grandparents and the families of their two children) became wine club members! It's a hidden gem!
Yes it's a winery, but it's about more than wine.Belden Barns is a family-owned establishment that recognizes and appreciates the agricultural aspect of being a winery. Beyond growing amazing grapes and making them into delicious, award-winning wines, they also have residencies for young farmers to have access to some of their land to so they can launch their farming careers. Come here for a tasting and you'll be captivated by the down-home farm-y feeling of the land. You can sense it's an intentional space as soon as you set foot on the property. They offer a variety of wines to taste and experience--from a bubbly to a white, to a variety of reds--you can't go wrong with a single sip. My favorite was Serendipity.The highlight of the visit isn't about grapes or farming or wine. It's about The Wishing Tree. After you walk through the vines, stop by the tree and make a wish for yourself, attach it to the tree, and let destiny take care of the rest. This is a super special spot in Sonoma County you won't want to miss.
This wine tasting experience was absolutely what we needed!A cute barn, awesome hosts and of course Greta wine! Their Pinot is really nice and I really loved tasting also some unusual Sauvignon blanc! I ended up signing up for a membership and looking forward to going back there soon