Bacigalupi

AVA

Russian River Valley

Decade

1950s

County

Sonoma

Description

From the Bacigalupi Website:

In 1956, Charles and Helen Bacigalupi purchased 121 acres on Westside Road, a few miles south of the town of Healdsburg. In a simple beginning, Charles began to care for the 16 acres of existing vineyards. Envisioning the demand for premium wine grapes, Paul Heck (of Korbel Winery) encouraged him to plant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

In 1964, Charles began his plantings with six acres of each varietal. Eventually he obtained Pinot Noir budwood from Karl Wente, the first well documented plantings of Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley. He remembers Wente telling him the stock had come from France via the family’s old vineyard in Livermore.

The family name (Bacigalupi) gained recognition during the 1976 Paris tasting when the 1973 Napa Valley Chardonnay from Château Montelena (made with 40% of our fruit) triumphed over many acclaimed French wines. This event was the turning point in America’s global wine image.

Bacigalupi Vineyards now consist of 125 acres of premium grapes, which have been planted and managed for the past 30 years by John Bacigalupi and his family.

Certified