“It was all a dream…”
Christopher George Latore Wallace
our story
With 1 ton of fruit and a whole lot of gumption, we started Belong Wine Co. in 2017 to celebrate everything we hold dear: love, adventure, and a sense of exploration.
We grew up on opposite ends of the globe - Bertus in Cape Town, South Africa and Alli in the Bay Area sugar hamlet of Crockett.
Bertus knew he wanted to be a winemaker at the age of 15. He went on to study Viticulture and Enology at the University of Stellenbosch. He has worked in the cellar at Deetlefs Estate, Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons, Glen Carlou, Hess Collection, Chappellet, Regusci, and T-Vine and has been in his current position as the head winemaker for James Cole and Tank Garage wineries since 2012. His happy place has always been out in the vineyards, where he can be found in short shorts.
Alli still doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up. She has always found great joy in the creative process and is a Jill of many trades. She went to the Harvard of the west, Chico State, where she studied Sociology and learned the beauty of work/life balance. Alli moved to Napa in 2010, where began her career in the wine industry managing a wine bar in downtown for four years. She currently blends her talents in hospitality, marketing, and graphic design to uplift small, family-owned wine brands throughout the valley.
We met in 2010 during Bertus’ first harvest in Napa. It would be another year before we went on our first date to Bouchon in Yountville. Bertus swept Alli off her feet with his southern charm. A shared bottle of 2008 Domaine Tempier sparked our love of Mourvèdre. We were married in 2014 and live in Napa with our beautiful daughters Margo and Maddie.
our name
“I belong with you, you belong with me, you’re my sweetheart…”
Inspired by our wedding song by The Lumineers, we chose to call our project Belong Wine Co. We would not have been able to make our dream a reality without the help of our amazing friends in the wine world. Belong Wine Co. is a celebration of this, and we feel very fortunate we have found our sense of belonging in this incredible community.
With each bottle you open, we hope you draw closer to wherever it is you belong…
Belong Wine Co. is a proud member of 1% for the planet. We believe we have a responsibility to make a difference in this world through our actions and our business. We are passionate about being a company for good and are excited to continue our efforts to leave it better than we found it. With each bottle of Belong wine that you purchase, you will be giving back, with 1% of your purchase going to an environmental nonprofit!