Bellview Winery & John Rossi

About a week or so ago, my wife and I decided to take advantage of a nice sunny day, enjoy the great outdoors in the rural town of Landisville, home of Bellview Winery. We also picked this day because one of our favorite guitarists, John Rossi was going to be performing there. I also discovered that Bellview now makes and sells their own paninis-a nice bonus!

The Winery

Jim Quarella is the founder and president of Bellview Winery. The land and soil have been farmed by his family for a century. They opened their doors to the winery in 2000, celebrating their 25th anniversary of the winery last year. With their 50 acres of vineyards, they have lots of options and have chosen to offer a diverse choice of over a dozen, high quality varietals. They even offer a prized dandelion wine, which is made from an old family recipe dating back across generations. My first taste of that wine was a revelation. They also make fruit wine, ice wine, and a Port-style wine. In addition they have several wines on tap.

The Food

As I mentioned above, they now make their own paninis, though they currently only offer them on Fridays. We chose the Italian-style panini to share. It was quite good. We often just get one of their charcuterie boards. They are quite good, fairly large, and very reasonable. But it was nice to have another option.

The Wine

It’s always a tough choice with so many wines to choose from. In the end, I chose a red and a white (no surprise there).

Bellview 2022 Blaufrankisch-An especially good version from an especially good vintage year, this wine was delicious, with notes of cherry and fig. It took a Double Gold Medal at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition.

Bellview 2024 Chardonnay-A very good medium-bodied, lightly oaked version with notes of apple and vanilla (and at $21 it is very reasonable).

Since we did not finish our wine at the winery, we enjoyed the remaining wine the next day and were pleased that they were every bit as good!

The Music (John Rossi)

If you follow my posts you know I am a fan of John’s. I play a little acoustic guitar (I call myself a “closet guitarist”-not ready for prime time). But I have been playing and listening to music for a lont time and I really appreciate listening to and watching someone who can really play. John can really play. He is by far my favorite guitarist, among those who play at winery and brewery venues. Accompanied on bass by his friend, Jerry Mayall, they play a mix of acoustical versions of blues, folk, rock, and pop. But the blues and folk tunes are where they really shine. John’s incredible fingerpicking and vocal styling are the perfect mix for some of my favorites like Hesitation Blues (Hot Tuna), as well as the finger picking in Paul Simon’s The Boxer.

It is always great to see John and hear John in person!

Coming Attractions

• Grill Night at Cape May Winery ’26
• Cedar Rose Vineyards September ’26
• Recent Winery Visits, Allocations, & Take Aways

Tried a New Jersey wine lately? Visited a NJ winery recently? Please share your experience here. Just scroll down, press the “Comment” button, and add your comment(s). Like what you read and see on these pages? It couldn’t be easier to scroll down, hit the “Subscribe” button, and get your weekly pour of NJ wine right in your inbox. No spills. No mess. Subscriptions are FREE and I will not share your email info with anyone.