My grandfather at Korbel
This March my grandfather, Paul Heck would have turned 91 years old. Even though I never met him there are things about his life and the way that he did business in the wine industry that I try in emulate in my own actions as I learn “the ropes.” I think that what most people […]
Thanksgiving yams
What is Thanksgiving without your traditional yam recipe? In the Bacigalupi household we use Grandma Helen’s recipe that is a loved favorite by all the family members. Directions: Cook until done 3 and 1/2 lb yams, peel and mash. Then add: 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 lb butter 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp almond […]
The Bacigalupi family’s third generation
As the family’s third generation my twin sister Nicole and I have just started to make our mark in the wine industry. Both of us have jumped in head first, co-marketing our family’s first wine label. On the same ranch that our grandparents farmed, we grew up chasing lizards, climbing trees, and following our father […]
Bacigalupi family legacy
In 1956 my grandparents–Charles and Helen Bacigalupi–purchased 121 acres on Westside Road, a few miles south of town. In a simple beginning, Grandpa began to care for the 16 acres of existing vineyards. Envisioning the demand for premium wine grapes, Paul Heck encouraged Charles to plant chardonnay and Pinot Noir. In 1964, Grandpa began his […]
The vineyard sites
Goddard Ranch Purchased by my grandparents; Charles and Helen Bacigalupi in 1956 this ranch is the homestead of our family and the oldest ranch that we farm. With stewardship of this site for over a half a century this vineyard includes the Paris tasting block of Chardonnay. This Chardonnay which is planted to an old Wente […]
An upset in the world of wine ~ The 1976 Paris Tasting
The 1960s was the first time Charles Bacigalupi had ever heard of Chardonnay. Bob Sisson, the University of California farm adviser for Sonoma County at that time began advising Russian River Valley growers to try planting Chardonnay. Charles obtained the budwood for the Chardonnay from Karl Wente and planted 14 acres of it in 1964. […]
