Belloni Vineyard was planted around 1900 on Wood Road in Fulton, in the heart of the Russian River Valley. It is a classic California field blend — predominantly Zinfandel, interplanted with Petite Sirah, Carignane, Alicante Bouschet, Mataro, and other varieties that have shared the same rows for over a century. The original parcel was part of a larger property owned by Catabriga, who divided it among his daughters; the Belloni portion was purchased by Ricardo Belloni — who grew up near Parma, Italy — from Eugene and Inez Muzio in 1971. Ricardo passed away in 1997, and his widow Natalia has managed the 7.5-acre vineyard since, with the help of her children and grandchildren.
Old vine, dry-farmed, field blended — Belloni is exactly the kind of Zinfandel site that is harder to find with every passing decade. Vines this age don’t produce much, but what they give is concentrated and specific in a way that younger plantings simply cannot replicate.
