HALL OF FAME PINOT NOIR
B ALLETTO VINEYARDS “Many of our employees have been with us for over 30 years and some overe 40.” —John Balletto
By Rosie Padilla T here are few business owners who can say they founded their company at age 17. However, John Balletto can. Upon his father’s untimely death, he pushed his needs aside and stepped up for his family. In 1977, he and his mother Hazel established Balletto Ranch, where they planted vegetables on their 5-acre farm. Over time, the Balletto family continued expanding the farm to plant more and more vegetables. According to the winery’s website, by 1994 the ranch had grown to be the largest vegetable farm in Northern California. Due to the growing water shortage at the time, the family decided to switch gears from vegetables to grapes, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise—as we now have the scenic estate and winery that is Balletto Vineyards.
Winemaker Anthony Beckman and founder John Balletto of Balletto Vineyards.
induction this year into our contest Hall of Fame in the Pinot Noir category. “We have more than 20 different vineyards on over 850 acres that we get fruit from, and we are able to pick the blocks that we want for our Balletto label,” says John. “We only use 10% for us and sell the balance to over 40 wineries.” Balletto Vineyards continues to expand and stay creative with each coming year to ensure quality wine and entertainment for locals and tourists alike. John says the winery will be adding a new varietal in 2026, a riesling. In addition to producing the new varietal, Balletto Vineyards is opening a hospitality center to facilitate more events and garner even more visitors to both the winery and, hopefully, Sonoma County as a whole. Beyond valuing their customers, John and Terri make sure their team is taken care of—after all, its employees have helped make Balletto what it is today. “We provide housing for over 75% of our employees and we have a 96% retention rate,” says John. “Many of our employees have been with us [for] over 30 years and some over 40.” Balletto Vineyards continues to strive for greatness, starting with team support and ending with a delicious glass of your favorite varietal. “Sonoma County is one of the top 10 areas in the world to grow world class grapes and make spectacular wine,” John says. “To be in the Hall of Fame is just a tremendous honor.” v
After the vegetable farming land was converted to vineyards, John and his wife Terri began selling their grapes to local wine producers. Eventually the Ballettos decided to utilize the fruits of their labor and began the journey into winemaking. Balletto Vineyards is now one of the few wineries in the Russian River Valley that is estate grown and bottled, according to John. Over the years, Balletto Vineyards has tallied more than 15 wins in NBb’s Best of the North Bay readers’ poll, earning
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Best of the North Bay 2025 Best of the North Bay 2025
14 Northbaybiz
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