Bella Oaks at Wheeler Farms

Bella Oaks combines one of Napa Valley’s most historic and renowned vineyards with the dedication to cultural preservation that characterizes arts advocate Suzanne Deal Booth and hervision. The land is legendary, with a wine-growing history dating back to the 1800s and a legacy as the source of some of Napa Valley’s earliest single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons.

A trained art conservator and Founder of The Friends of Heritage Preservation (FOHP), Deal Booth is breathing new life into this storied property. She brings a holistic focus on stewardship that includes organic and biodynamic farming practices, a thoughtful emphasis on biodiversity, and a preservation advocate’s approach to sustainable land use.

The wines of Bella Oaks, crafted by winemaker Nigel Kinsman and consultant Michel Rolland, embody a style that nods to the classic cabernets produced by the Heitz family in the 1970s and1980s, with a polish and elegance that represents the highest potential of the land. The wines are made at Wheeler Farms, the premier winemaking facility purchased by Deal Booth in 2024. Here, organically farmed culinary gardens, a fruit orchard, bee hives, and heritage chickens thrive alongside estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc vines. Wheeler Farms’ culinary program highlights the property’s bounty, offering guests farm-to-table food pairings, multi-course, wine-paired lunch and dinner events, and intimate tasting experiences.

More than a vineyard and its wines, however, Bella Oaks represents the seamless confluence of wine, art, community, and culture. Deal Booth’s profound role as a preservation and arts advocate, along with her spirit of hospitality underscore her commitment to continuing Bella Oaks’ culture of community in keeping with the legacy of previous owners Belle and Barney Rhodes. In Bella Oaks, Deal Booth seeks to preserve, restore and invigorate, shepherding the past carefully and with joy into the future.