“Bally” is derived from the Gaelic phrase “baile na” meaning “place of”. The surname “Keal” means “villages” or “farmsteads”. Together they speak to the heritage vines that provide grapes for our limited production wines, the curated selection of beers and spirits that we craft on site, and the welcoming gathering places we have created throughout the estate.
The Estate
Situated on eighty acres in the picturesque Suisun Valley, Bally Keal Estate is a vibrant wine country destination designed to create dynamic social hubs where hundreds of guests and extended family can gather and celebrate. The event center, winery, brewery, and distillery offer the finest libations, all hand-crafted on the estate to be enjoyed.
Our Wines
All of our wines are handcrafted from Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay grapes grown on the Bally Keal Estate. Warm summer days are answered by cooling winds at night, creating a perfect balance of ripeness and acidity in the berries. The results are luxurious and immensely enjoyable wines that you’ll want to revisit time and again.
Pioneer Taproom is an old local gem; a fruit market repurposed to a beer and wine bar/restaurant that serves food, daily! Comfort foods made with local fresh fruits and vegetables served daily! We are the kind of place that will remember your name. We offer local craft beers on tap and aim to switch it up with new beers, often. We carry local wines, for sale by the glass or bottle; we are not Wine tasting. We have a small-town feel and very eclectic decor and offer live music whenever possible. At Pioneer Taproom, you’ll find a lot of good laughs and conversation. We are a restaurant; kids are allowed at parents’ discretion and, unfortunately, pets are not allowed, unless a certifiable service animal.
The Filling Station hosts a vintage, gas station inspired tasting room providing locals and visitors with a friendly, hometown venue to sip artisan wine and craft beer made in our valley and beyond. We invite you to join us for a classic wine or beer tasting, purchase a glass or a bottle to enjoy in the tasting room or to take home and enjoy later. Wine will also be available by the case.
Local Artisan wine sold exclusively by the Filling Station:
And more to come!
Local craft beer from Bruehol Brewing from Benicia and many bottled favorites.
Our Vineyards
Our vineyard and winery are located in the heart of Suisun Valley, California. We currently grow and maintain 7 different varietals of grapes, including: Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdellho, Charbono, and Cabernet Sauvignon. All of which are managed and cared for by our winemaker, Brian Babcock, and his team of vineyard workers.
Our ranch has been in the family for over 40 years. When we first purchased the property, it was planted with cherry, prune and pear trees. These orchards were cared for by our family. Brian, his sister, and parents harvested the fruit and sold it at our family’s fruit stand. Years later, the orchards were replanted with vineyards. All of which we still work today.
Our wines are all estate grown; we grow our own grapes, harvest and process all on site. Managing the vineyard allows us full control of the grapes (along with Mother Nature) to produce the best possible wines. Our family continues to take part in all aspects of the wine making, vineyard managing, and winery relations. We look forward to seeing you soon in the valley and our tasting room.
About
The name Tolenas was selected as we dug into the history of our vineyards on Williams Road. This “upper valley” area was once part of the original Rancho Tolenas, the Mexican Land Grant spanning Napa and Solano Counties. The name Tolenas is a tribute to the pioneers of Suisun Valley and places a marker in the area around Williams Road where our vineyards are located.
Our story is really just beginning. For the past 10 years, we have been a part of the winemaking process with Lisa’s parents Steve and Linda Tenbrink. It was not until 2015 that we dove in head (feet?) first, making our own wine side by side with Lisa’s dad. Steve continues to provide wisdom, support, and amazing fruit to help us develop Tolenas wines.
Vineyards
Our goal is to allow the vineyards and the fruit to be the focus of our wines. We do not manipulate our wine with chemicals and additives and consider our wines very “Natural”. There is high risk in making wine this way, but the rewards are well worth it.
Wines
We make our wines in a style that is very hands on. Lisa’s mom says its like “tweezer wine making”, similar to the chefs that use little tweezers when plating meals. We pride ourselves on complete dedication to quality.
We hope you have had a chance to experience a glass of the fruits of our labor, if not, please reach out to us, we would love to pour you some wine and share more about who we are.
We look forward to enjoying a glass of our signature Tolenas Red Blend with you and sharing more stories. See you soon in Suisun!
The Thor family has always been casual wine enthusiasts, and started making our own wine in late 2010. What started as a hobby has quickly transformed into a passion in both growing wine grapes, and making the wines that we love. Rich, bold cabs accentuate our wine selection. And while making bold cabs is our passion, there is nothing better than enjoying good company and good wine.
Peter and Karen Thor built a house and moved to the vineyard property in 2011, planting the French Cabernet vineyard that same year. Their love of the land and vineyards developed into a passion to cultivate premium Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. All of the vineyard work is done by hand, vine by vine. The reward is being able to enjoy these phenomenal wines with our family and friends.
Great wine can only come from great grapes. The Thor Family personally cares for each vine in the rich volcanic soils. The rich, deep color of our wines, aged 18 months in toasted French Oak, are a reflection of our dedication to the Thor Family Vineyards. The wine is smooth and fruit forward, yet complex. You may enjoy it now or put it aside and let it improve as time passes.
Discover what makes Thor Family Vineyards unique. At Thor Family Vineyards we offer big, bold red wines created from estate grown Cabernet, Merlot, French Cabernet, and Cab Franc grapes.
The heart on our label represents the stony soils from our small vineyard. Through these soils, our vines struggle to grow and mature. That struggle produces grapes with unique flavors of spice and brambleberries, especially in our Zinfandels. Our warmer days combine with cool evening breezes from San Francisco Bay, creating a perfect grape growing climate. We hand-tend all of our vines, carefully managing the size of our crop, leaf canopy, irrigation and pest control. Harvest is also done by hand, assuring the finest fruit is available for winemaking. The fruit for our wines is all estate grown, and we live right here on our property. Our winery is an old horse barn that we’ve converted into a place where Tom now makes our wines.
Our Wines
Winemaking is a family tradition that we’ve traced back to the early 1700s. Making excellent wine was so important to us that Tom went to UC Davis to study winemaking.
We only produce fine, hand-crafted red wines, because that’s what we enjoy drinking. We’ve created a style that has robust, mouth-filling flavors, yet the tannins are soft. We only produce 500 cases of wine each year. Some years we are so impressed with the quality of fruit we only make one barrel of a particular wine. It’s fun and rewarding to make wines so literally “from the ground up.”
Visit us
We’re open by appointment, so please call us to arrange your visit. We’re only 20 minutes east of Napa, and one hour from San Francisco. We’re just four miles north of the Cordelia junction of I-80 and I-680. Our goal is to provide a relaxed time at our winery. Come experience the charm that we’ve come to love.
Welcome To G V Cellars
Discover Green Valley’s Hidden Gem
Family winery since 2005
The Experience: Distinguished wines, engaging staff, and picturesque views, this is the G V Cellars Experience. We invite you to escape the busy commercial world and join us for a memorable and relaxed winery experience where noteworthy wines and hospitality are the main focus. Enjoy the beautiful view of our 30 acre vineyard and the famous Twin Sisters Hills while you taste from our Tasting Room or outdoor picnic tables.
The Wines: In our 30-acre vineyard we grow 6 distinct varietals. We produce these single varietals in house and enjoy crafting new style blends that incorporate either estate varietals or high quality fruit from around the region. We are also home to the rare Dolcetto grape.
Tasting & Services: Whether you are looking for a quiet picnic near the vineyard, or a memorable wine tasting with a priceless view, you’ve come to the right place. Treat your palate to 6 unique wines accompanied by our wine educator. In addition, our Tasting Menu changes weekly so that each week will be a new experience. Reservations are required for parties with 6 or more guests.
The Events: Our events focus on celebrating wine, food, and art. Private bookings are available. Join our mailing list to receive news and updates. Join the mailing List
Winemaking Philosophy: For better quality control, we use the traditional method of hand picking our estate grapes. Sure it takes more time, but the end result is worth it.
Social Media: Follow G V Cellars to keep up with all the fun. Our social media posts include upcoming events, wine releases, and special offers. Facebook. Instagram. Twitter.
Taste our family’s wines
Our tastings feature a range of wines produced by the Wagner family, including their renowned Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon. The family currently makes three wines exclusively from Suisun Valley fruit: Grand Durif, which is a Petite Sirah, the signature grape of Suisun Valley; The Walking Fool red blend; and Bay Rosé, produced in a fresh, crisp style.
In addition to a tasting, guests can also purchase wine by the glass to enjoy on their own, soaking in the views.
The retail room offers current releases as well as a unique selection of “one-off” small production and library wines that are not typically available elsewhere. On their way out, guests can pause for freshly brewed espresso while surveying the property and taking in the beauty of Suisun Valley.
Experience the beauty of Suisun Valley
Caymus-Suisun Winery invites guests to explore Suisun Valley and enjoy a multi-faceted experience.
In addition to their tasting, they have access to the site’s “walking vineyard” where they can spot crown-pruned vines with no modern trellis, a rarity in California. There are also acres of fruit trees and vegetables, along with a wide variety of flowers and plants on the property.
Caymus-Suisun Winery seeks to offer a respite from day-to-day life that celebrates Suisun Valley, with all the beauty and character of this agricultural gem.
Caymus-Suisun Winery Wines: Petite Sirah, Red Blend, Rosé