Our Vision

To be the leading artisanal, family-owned and operated winery/winegrower in Russian River Valley, bolstering healthy relationships in our community, and producing the most sought-after wines and wine grapes for generations to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Mission

We strive to preserve our legacy and the nuances of each vintage and vineyard by growing grapes in an adaptable manner; fostering relationships that are honest, respectful, and collaborative; making rich, refined, and layered wines with minimal intervention; and by welcoming guests into our family with tranquil, unpretentious hospitality.

Helen & Charles Bacigalupi
Founders

Charles and Helen moved to the small town of Healdsburg after graduating from school in San Francisco. Charles worked as the local dentist and Helen as a pharmacist. Always possessing a love of the land the couple decided to move onto Westside Rd in 1956, and purchased 121 acres in 1956. In a simple beginning, Charles began to care for the 16 acres of existing vineyards which included Zinfandel, Mission, Golden Chaslis and Muscat. Charles became friends with Paul Heck (of Korbel) through his dentist practice when Paul would bring the family in for regular check ups.

The two would occasionally chat about grapes and wine, sharing insight and advice. Envisioning the demand for premium wine grapes, Paul encouraged Charles to plant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. In 1964, Charles began his plantings with six acres of each varietal. Eventually he obtained Pinot Noir bud wood from Karl Wente, the first well documented plantings of Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley. Charles remembers Wente telling him the stock had come from France via the family’s old vineyard in Livermore. Charles and his son, John worked alongside each other, perfecting their viticulture techniques and expanding the vineyards. The Bacigalupi’s gained recognition as growers during the 1976 Paris tasting when the 1973 Napa Valley Chardonnay from Château Montelena with Bacigalupi fruit triumphed over many acclaimed French wines to be declared the undisputed winner.

 John Bacigalupi
Owner and Vineyard Manager

John Bacigalupi’s unwavering love for the outdoors and the land was instilled in him from birth. His upbringing, working alongside his late father, Charles Bacigalupi, in the vineyards, is a testament to his lifelong dedication to vineyard farming. Today, he continues to nurture the vineyards that his family has cherished for over 65 years.

John, the only child of founders Charles and Helen Bacigalupi, would help his father in the vineyards during the long summers and school breaks. He did everything from tying vines to suckering, pruning, and fixing irrigation pipes. He took classes in Chemistry and Biology at Santa Rosa Junior College after graduating high school. Still, most of John’s knowledge of viticulture is self-taught, gleaned from his eagerness to read, trial and error, and persistence. He believes farming is less about bowing to nature and more about working with nature while reaping technology’s benefits.

“As a farmer, I know that Mother Nature is unpredictable. For example, we can’t control the weather. We must be flexible. Sometimes, it’s not always just about the numbers and readings. Farming requires adaptation to deal with the elements, which can be tough.”

This pragmatic approach, as well as a lifetime spent developing an intimate knowledge of the micro-climates and soil structures on the Goddard, Bloom, and Frost Ranches, have allowed John to match the most appropriate varietals, clones, and rootstocks to each vineyard site.

John Bacigalupi’s pursuit of perfection is unparalleled. His strong desire to cultivate the highest quality fruit, and now the finest wines, is a testament to his expertise and commitment. For John, farming is not just a profession; it is a way of life, a testament to his unwavering dedication to his craft.

Pam Bacigalupi
Owner

Born and raised in Santa Rosa, California, Pam fondly remembers her childhood and growing up at Korbel. She enjoyed spending time at the winery at a young age, whether wiping bottles and gluing cases at the bottling line or going with her father to check on the various vineyard activities. When she was old enough for an official job, she was employed on the automated champagne corking machine, ensuring it was inserting the corks correctly and occasionally working in the winery gift shop. Pam had a genuine interest in enology and thought of pursuing a winemaking career; however, it was not popular for women to be involved in this career during that time. Despite these challenges, Pam’s aptitude for science eventually led her into the field of nursing.

Pam would meet her future husband through her father, Paul Heck, and his friendship with family dentist Charles Bacigalupi. Charles’s son John and Pam married and moved to the Healdsburg ranch in 1982. Today, Pam assists with managing Bacigalupi Vineyards, a role that requires constant adaptation to the ever-changing demands of the industry. She is the primary contact for grape sales and even helps deliver fruit during harvest. After 32 years as a nurse in the unpredictable ER, Pam’s knowledge, resilience, and adaptability are evident. She can adeptly pivot on a dime, a skill that has proven invaluable in farming, vineyard, and business management.

Katey Bacigalupi Row

Katey Bacigalupi Row, a dedicated co-manager of Bacigalupi Vineyards, is deeply involved in the daily operations of the family’s vineyard, wine brand, and retail tasting room. Working alongside her parents and company owners, John and Pamela Bacigalupi, and twin sister Nicole, Katey’s commitment is evident as she assists in the tasting room, manages the wine club, and handles finances with her mother, Pam.

From a young age, Katey and her sister were immersed in the vineyards, their childhood filled with the hum of the tractor and the scent of freshly picked grapes. At just 12 years old, they were already contributing to the family business, doing quality control during harvest and driving the tractors. Despite the occasional mishap, such as accidentally dumping an entire half-ton of grapes, Katey’s connection to the vineyards and her family’s farming legacy remained strong.

A California Polytechnic State University graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Agricultural Business, Katey began her wine career in 2006, working in events and hospitality at Seghesio Family Vineyards in Healdsburg. In 2011, she felt the vineyards’ call again and quickly landed on a plane to Margaret River, Australia. Katey joined the team at McHenry-Honen Winery as a harvest intern and spent the vintage counting clusters, sugar sampling, managing fermentations and inoculations, and working in the lab. Following harvest, she returned to Bacigalupi Vineyards to join the family business, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge and experience from her international stint.

Katey, a resident of Healdsburg, California, lives with her husband and two boys, Aiden and Owen. Her love for cooking and her self-professed passion for Pinot Noir, which she affectionately calls her ‘perfect wine ‘, are testament to her genuine enthusiasm and appreciation for the wine. She believes, ‘Pinot Noir is the one wine I could not live without. It’s light, fruity, and pairs with almost any dish you can imagine. It just speaks to me.’

Nicole Bacigalupi Dericco

Nicole Bacigalupi Dericco is the operations manager of Bacigalupi Vineyards. She works with her parents and company owners, John and Pamela Bacigalupi and twin sister Katey, in the family’s vineyard, wine brand, and retail tasting room daily activities. Growing up, Nicole was inspired by the hands-on efforts of her father and grandfather, the late Charles Bacigalupi, as they developed their Russian River Valley property from barren land with a few prune trees to the premium vineyard it is today.

A San Diego State University graduate with a business degree, Nicole also earned her Court of Master Sommelier certification in 2008. She began her wine career at a small family winery in the Dry Creek Valley. A year later, she was offered a job at Silver Oak Cellars, working in tasting room sales, compliance, packaging, and shipping, where she spent almost four years with the company. In 2011, upon completing the Bacigalupi Vineyards tasting room, Nicole joined the family business.

Today, she is a driving force behind the winery’s marketing efforts. Nicole lives in Healdsburg, California, with her husband and two children, Stella and Lucca. Keen to give back to the wine community that has supported her family for four generations, Nicole occasionally serves as a wine judge for several Sonoma County wine competitions. She also served as a director on the board of Russian River Valley Winegrowers from 2011 to 2013. In her free time, Nicole loves camping with her family, running and hiking, and playing with her adopted puppies.

Nicole also started her own business organizing and hosting small group and corporate wine tastings featuring Bacigalupi Vineyards wines. To inquire about availability and pricing, email her at nicole@bacigalupivineyards.com.