May 22nd, 2021 … Summer of Fun continues!

The gang raved about the slushies at an unassuming winery, Shutter Homestead Winery. They described it as an “old barn” that most people would drive by … but not our gang! Rhonda Shutter hosted us at the Shutter Homestead. Her small family business located in Tioga that offers wine tasting, sales and events. 

You can walk a trail on the 100 acre property, socialize in the historic 200 year old barn, sit by the lake and relax, splash in the creek and play lawn games all while drinking wine! Rhonda Shutter is a people person. She loves meeting new people and learning from them. She said her business is an outlet for a New Jersey winery, Bellview, which was founded in 1903. Her business is located in the family barn that was built in 1827. She and her family are trying to keep the barn standing. It is important to Shutter because the property has been in the family since 1910. “The barn is part of our family heritage. As a Shutter myself, to know that my great-grandfather and all our relatives have worked, played, and lived on the property is comforting,” said Shutter, “This is our fifth season and we are blessed to be on 100 acres with plenty of room to social distance and be open for our customers to sit outside with wine. They are pet friendly and encourage everyone to pack a snack, come sit and enjoy the property. When you are here, you are family.”

Let me tell you about the Bellview Winery, the wine was excellent! Located on soil that the Quarella family has been farming for a century sits one of New Jersey’s premier wineries. The story of Bellview Farms begins with Angelo and Maria Quarella who emigrated from Italy and purchased a small farm in Landisville, NJ in 1914. The family planted strawberries and watermelons between the stumps of trees that they cleared from the land. The 20 acre homestead produced sweet potatoes, onions, peppers, cucumbers, garlic, lettuce and almost any other vegetable that the Quarella family could make a living from. In 1946, Joseph and Lettizia Quarella purchased more acreage and a second house was built on the far side of the property to accommodate an ever expanding family followed by a modern packing house, workshop, and eventually a labor camp that would house the farm’s workers. Crop production changed as new markets developed and the third generation of the Quarella family took charge. Eggplant, spring broccoli, squash and other new crops were planted post WWII. When the fourth generation, Jim Quarella, took the reins from his father in the 1980’s Bellview shifted to direct retailing as pick your own strawberries and Christmas tree sales thrived. In the 1990s a new opportunity arose in the form of Asian vegetables for the New York Chinatown market. The farm grew to its present size of 150 acres. In 2000 Bellview Farms took another turn and started an enterprise called, “Bellview Winery”.

Jim Quarella has always had a love for growing things. At the age of 16 Jim and some of his friends had an acre of vineyard that they tended for fun. However, as they got older the responsibilities of adulthood prevailed and the vineyard fell by the wayside as they pursued their careers. Twenty five years later Jim found himself dissatisfied with the vegetable market and was looking for a new direction. Vegetable farming just wasn’t what it used to be. After some reflection, it seemed that turning his family’s farm into a thriving vineyard and pursuing his dream of opening a winery was the natural direction for Bellview to take. 

The evolution of Bellview began in 1999 with the planting three acres of grapevines and the conversion of an old barn on the original 20 acre homestead into a tasting room and winery. The renovated building that is today’s winery houses Angelo’s original wine cellar where, for decades, Quarellas have made their wines. The new, “Bellview Winery” opened to the public in 2001 and quickly became a landmark in its hometown, Landisville. Jim and Nancy faced many challenges as they steered Bellview Winery through its infancy, but also enjoyed major successes. As the winery grew, a larger production area was added, the vineyard was expanded and the tasting room was renovated. Currently, Bellview has 40 acres of vineyards made up of 21 varieties of wine grapes and produces over 8000 cases of wine per year. Jim’s youngest son, Scott Quarella, who will be the fifth generation of the Quarella family to tend to their estate is the future of Bellview Winery. If only Angelo and Maria could see what Bellview has become!

Stay tuned as our #TwoLaneAdventures continue!