Bellante Family Winery

History of the Winery

Bellante Family Winery began around the 2000 vintage, when Chuck and Sheri Bellante started making small lots of Santa Barbara County wine under their own label. From the beginning, the emphasis has been on Viognier, Pinot Noir, and Rhone-inspired reds from cooler sites, rather than a wide mix of varieties.

As the winery grew, the focus stayed tight. Bellante still works with a handful of trusted vineyards in Santa Barbara County and keeps production small enough that most bottles move directly through the tasting room and wine club. The Mission Viejo tasting room opened in 2017, giving Orange County locals a regular place to taste without driving to wine country.

Winemaker

Chuck Bellante is both owner and winemaker. On the winery’s about page, he notes that his background is in chemical engineering, which shows up less as jargon and more as a careful, consistent approach in the cellar.

Over the years, he has settled into a clear house style: Santa Barbara County fruit that feels ripe but not heavy, with enough acidity to stay lively and enough

structure to handle time in the bottle. Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre form the core of the Rhone reds, alongside a steady stream of Pinot Noir and Viognier bottlings.

What stands out in the tasting room is how approachable Chuck and Sheri are. On many visits, they are the ones pouring, talking casually about vineyard sites, weather in a given vintage, and why a particular barrel made it into a reserve bottling. The tone is friendly and informative rather than technical, which makes it easy for both newer and experienced wine drinkers to ask questions.

Over multiple vintages, Bellante’s wines have collected strong scores and competition medals, but the focus in the room is on how each wine tastes that day, not on chasing numbers.

The Property

The winery operates from a compact urban space in a Mission Viejo business park:

The address and practical details are listed on the main Bellante Family Winery site and the dedicated tasting room page.

There are no vineyard views here. The outside looks like a typical light industrial park, but inside you find a comfortable room with a central bar, barrel-style tables, and leather seating. It feels more like a neighborhood wine bar than a formal tasting hall. Guests tend to settle in for a full flight, then stay for a glass or a bottle.

Wine Club

Bellante runs three club options, all of them straightforward and friendly to regular visitors. Full details live on the winery’s wine club page. All three clubs include a 20 percent discount on wine purchases and free tastings or glasses for two once per calendar month.

Account Club

The Account Club works like a running balance.

• Your card is charged 54.99 dollars each month.
  
• That amount goes into your Bellante account, which you can use to buy wine in the tasting room.
  
• Unused funds roll over to the next year.
  
• You can cancel any time after thirteen months with 30 days’ written notice, with a 100 dollar fee for early cancellation.
  

This setup suits locals who drop in often, prefer to choose their own bottles and appreciate having the tasting benefits baked in.

Traditional Club

The Traditional Club is a familiar quarterly shipment.

• You are billed 150 dollars plus tax and shipping every quarter.
  
• Each shipment includes three bottles, typically a Viognier, a Pinot Noir and a Rhone red.
  
• Shipments are delivered to your chosen address, with an adult signature required.
  
• You can cancel after four shipments with 30 days’ written notice; early cancellation carries a 100 dollar fee.
  

It is an easy way to keep a steady mix of Bellante wines on hand without having to think about what to order.

Case Club

The Case Club is aimed at members who know what they like and want more of it.

• Sign up happens in the tasting room and requires an upfront purchase.
  
• The minimum is one case per vintage for at least two vintages, divided evenly among the varietals you choose.
  
• There is one release per vintage per varietal, and you can either pick up your case and choose specific bottlings or have the winery select and ship at standard rates.
  
• You can cancel after two full vintages, with a 100 dollar fee for early cancellation.
  

Case Club members also receive complimentary admission for two to the release party for their chosen varietals, which are listed on the winery’s events calendar.

Tasting Options

The tasting room page lays out the current format clearly:

• Standard tasting fee: 30 dollars
  
• Flight: six Santa Barbara County wines from the current lineup
  
• Tasting fee is often waived with a qualifying bottle purchase
  

In our experience, flights usually include at least one Viognier, a Pinot Noir and several Rhone reds, with staff happy to adjust within what is open that day. The pacing is relaxed, and there is usually time to revisit a favorite wine or compare two vintages side by side.

Regular hours are typically focused on weekends, and the room is walk in friendly for standard tastings. For release parties, winemaker dinners and special events, reservations or tickets are handled through the events calendar.

Price Range for Tasting: 30 to 40 dollars per person, depending on whether you add a glass or share a bottle.

Conclusion

After dozens of visits, Bellante has proven to be a reliable Orange County stop for Santa Barbara County wine, with a friendly team, a clear sense of style and a club program that rewards regulars without feeling complicated.

If you are looking for vineyard views and outdoor lawns, this is not that kind of property. If you want a relaxed room, direct access to the people who make the wine and a focused lineup of Viognier, Pinot Noir and Rhone style reds, Bellante Family Winery is an easy recommendation.