08/06/2026
We’ve always believed that the best things in life are made over a long friendship, a couple of good laughs, and a shared obsession with what’s inside the glass. 🍇🍷
For those who have visited us out at The Shed, you know we’re a tight-knit family crew. Today, we want to highlight a huge part of our extended family who has been here since day one: our longtime consulting winemaker, master blender, and close friend, Tom DiBello.
Tom and Rob’s history goes back over 20 years, to when Tom was a winemaker down the lake buying our fruit. He saw what Rob’s Naramata Bench soils could do before anyone else, and his encouragement was the exact spark that pushed Rob to shift from grape grower to bottling his own labels back in 2005.
Now, 21 years later, that rhythm hasn’t changed. Rob handles the muddy boots and relentless farming in the dirt, while Tom brings his veteran palate to our blending tables as a trusted sounding board—a team effort that recently earned us the BC Winery of the Year title! 🏆
You can taste this history directly in our limited, co-branded Van Westen/DiBello Pinot Noir. The label plays around saying the “VD” stands for Very Delicious or Vineyard Delight, but to us, it’s just the taste of two longtime friends making good wine together.
📦 Ordering Update: The current vintage is available on our website right now! Because this is a very small-lot project, there is a strict 4-bottle allocation cap per order so everyone gets a fair shot.
(Reminder: we still require a minimum of 6 total bottles of any combination to ship a box!)
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Discover Naramata Van Westen Vineyards Team Tom DiBello |
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