Yountville is in the center of the Napa valley, the area George C. Yount first settled after receiving the entire valley as a grant from Mariano Vallejo, who owned thousands of acres under the Mexican government. Yount built a blockhouse and mill three miles north of here. He also planted the valley’s first grapes in 1838. Thirty-two years later, Groezinger’s enormous brick winery (now Vintage 1870, a honeycomb of small specialty shops), stood beside the train station in the center of town. Further up the valley, construction of the Christian Brothers and Charles Krug wineries indicates that the region was already recognized nationally as a prime location for growing spectacular grapes, producing glorious wines.

Situated off the beaten path, just south of Yountville, is an exquisite pale stone winery, shrouded by oak, bordered to the south by Hopper Slough, surrounded by vineyard and cloaked in quiet. After looking for twenty years, winemaker Anthony Bell found the perfect place to produce the wines he had long dreamed of – limited production, hand crafted wines that showcase the concept of “terroir”. In 1998, Bell Wine Cellars opened its doors to the public to share the beauty of the place, and the wine.