Sonoma Valley · Sonoma County
Visit VJB Cellars with a Private Chauffeur
Italian varieties, wood-fired pizza and gelato on a Tuscan-style piazza in Kenwood, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
VJB began in the late 1990s with a dream shared by brothers Henry and Victor Belmonte: to pour their own family wines at their Italian restaurant. After Victor's unexpected death, the winery was named in his honor, for Victor Joseph Belmonte. The family's wine roots go back to Bonito, Italy, where Vittorio Belmonte began picking grapes at the age of eight.
The Belmontes opened their Kenwood tasting room in 2003 with five wines, including their flagship Dante blend. Vittorio Belmonte guides the vineyard and winemaking, and VJB specializes in Italian varieties grown in California, many of them rarely found in the state.
The modest first tasting room has grown into a Tuscan-style villa around a piazza, with a deli, wood-fired pizza and gelato. Maria Belmonte, who ran Portofino's restaurant in Santa Rosa for 15 years, leads the kitchens with southern Italian recipes she learned as a girl. Tastings run from the bar and the piazza to a long-table lunch and an owner's tasting with Vittorio and Henry Belmonte.
Tasting Fees
$30 for the Bar Tasting of current releases, up to 6 guests. $40 for the Piazza Tasting of current releases and limited-production wines. $75 for the Long Table Tasting & Lunch, the piazza tasting with a family-style lunch of wood-fired pizzas and Caesar salad. $90 for the seated Dante Reserve Tasting with a cheese and salumi board. $130 for the Owner's Tasting with Vittorio and Henry Belmonte, on request.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
60 Shaw Avenue, Kenwood
AVA
Sonoma Valley
Visiting
Open daily from 10 a.m.; closed Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. The Piazza, Long Table, Dante Reserve and Owner's tastings are by appointment, and reservations are requested for groups of five or more.
Known For
Italian varieties, the Dante blend, and Italian food on the piazza
Founded
Late 1990s (Kenwood tasting room since 2003)
Good to Know
The Bar Tasting takes up to 6 guests, the Long Table lunch is best for 4 or more, and pricing differs for groups over 12. No outside food. For bookings within 24 hours, the winery asks guests to call.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Kenwood or Glen Ellen hotel such as Kenwood Inn & Spa or the Olea Hotel.
10:00 · Pickup at Kenwood Inn & Spa or Olea Hotel
Kenwood Inn & Spa, an Italian-inspired inn among the vineyards of Kenwood, is about 5 minutes from VJB Cellars, and the Olea Hotel, a boutique hotel on a Glen Ellen hillside, about 15. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · VJB Cellars
The Piazza Tasting of current releases and limited-production wines ($40), by appointment.
11:55 · Cline Family Cellars
About 40 minutes away. Fred and Nancy Cline's Carneros estate, a former horse farm where the family moved its winery in 1989; Fred was one of the original Rhône Rangers. The Classic Sonoma Bar Tasting of four wines is $25, and the Outdoor Seated Reserve Tasting of five wines $35. Walk-ins welcome at the bar, reservations recommended for seated tastings; open daily from 11 a.m., Saturday from 10.
1:15 · Lunch at the girl & the fig
About 20 minutes away. Sondra Bernstein's restaurant on the Sonoma Plaza, serving "country food with a French passion" from a seasonal menu. Open daily from 11:30 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:40 · Loxton Cellars
About 25 minutes away. Australian-born Chris Loxton's working winery in Glen Ellen, known for Syrah, with five acres of estate vineyard around the tasting room. Flights are $20, indoors or out. Walk-ins welcome, reservations encouraged; open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., last seating at 4.
3:40 · Back to your hotel
Back in Kenwood or Glen Ellen by 3:50 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. The day runs the length of Sonoma Valley, from Kenwood to Carneros and back.
About $85 to $95 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, paid directly to each winery.
Every tour is custom. This day is a starting point: your chauffeur will shape it around what matters to you, and we plan multi-day tours for guests who want to see more of wine country.
Your Vehicle & Six-Hour Tour Rates
Up to 6 guests
Elite Luxury SUV
Lincoln Navigator or Cadillac Escalade
From $750
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $125 each.
Up to 9 guests
Jet Sprinter or Executive Luxury Van
Captain's chairs and room to spread out
From $1,350
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $225 each.
Larger groups travel in more than one vehicle, and we plan the winery appointments around your group, since many wineries limit groups to 6 to 8 guests. Tasting fees are separate and paid directly to each winery. Every tour starts with six hours; add time by the hour when you book.
Questions
Do I need a reservation at VJB Cellars?
The Piazza, Long Table, Dante Reserve and Owner's tastings are by appointment, and reservations are requested for groups of five or more. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at VJB Cellars?
$30 per person for the Bar Tasting, $40 for the Piazza Tasting, $75 for the Long Table Tasting & Lunch and $90 for the Dante Reserve Tasting, as of September 2026.
Can we eat at VJB Cellars?
Yes. The winery's kitchens serve Italian food, including wood-fired pizza, along with a deli and Sonoma Gelato, and the Long Table Tasting & Lunch pairs the piazza tasting with a family-style lunch. Outside food is not allowed.
What does VJB stand for?
Victor Joseph Belmonte. The winery is named for Victor, who shared the dream of making the family's wine with his brother Henry and died before VJB was founded.
Who owns VJB Cellars?
The Belmonte family. Vittorio and Henry Belmonte lead the winery, and Maria Belmonte runs the kitchens.
How does booking a tour with Bien Chauffeured work?
Reserve a six-hour tour online, even if your plans are still taking shape. Your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Extra hours can be added.
Reserve Your Tour Now, Plan the Details Later
Your plans don't need to be final to book. Reserve your six-hour tour online, and your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Prefer to talk? Call our concierge at 888-291-2328.
Reserve Your Tour{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Winery","name":"VJB Vineyards & Cellars","url":"https://vjbcellars.com/","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"60 Shaw Avenue","addressLocality":"Kenwood","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95452","addressCountry":"US"}},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Do I need a reservation at VJB Cellars?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The Piazza, Long Table, Dante Reserve and Owner's tastings are by appointment, and reservations are requested for groups of five or more. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How much is a tasting at VJB Cellars?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"$30 per person for the Bar Tasting, $40 for the Piazza Tasting, $75 for the Long Table Tasting & Lunch and $90 for the Dante Reserve Tasting, as of September 2026."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Can we eat at VJB Cellars?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. The winery's kitchens serve Italian food, including wood-fired pizza, along with a deli and Sonoma Gelato, and the Long Table Tasting & Lunch pairs the piazza tasting with a family-style lunch. Outside food is not allowed."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What does VJB stand for?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Victor Joseph Belmonte. The winery is named for Victor, who shared the dream of making the family's wine with his brother Henry and died before VJB was founded."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who owns VJB Cellars?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The Belmonte family. Vittorio and Henry Belmonte lead the winery, and Maria Belmonte runs the kitchens."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How does booking a tour with Bien Chauffeured work?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Reserve a six-hour tour online, even if your plans are still taking shape. Your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Extra hours can be added."}}]}]}