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Click Here for Video Interview with Growers
Charles & Helen Bacigalupi
Charles & Helen Bacigalupi grow both Zinfandel and Pinot Noir for Williams Selyem in three separate areas of their vineyards. The Zinfandel comes from a block known as Frost 3B while the Pinot Noir comes from the South Knoll and SE Block G#8. The Bacigalupis have been growing for Williams Selyem since 1999.
Vineyard Bio
When California wines resoundingly defeated the French in the 1976 taste challenge in Paris, the Chardonnay grapes that made California wine famous came from Helen and Charles Bacigalupi’s vineyard. Their farming practices were ahead of the sustainable agriculture movement by about 40 years. For decades the vineyards had been no-till, with very few chemicals used. The vines are trained high, as much as four feet from the ground to the fruit, because the Bacigalupis found this improves air circulation and makes for easier picking - getting the fruit in faster and minimizing bruising.
Personal Bio
Charles Bacigalupi’s family reached California from Italy in about 1872. While Charles was a dentist, his roots went deep into wine; both sets of grandparents had wineries. In 1950, Charles and wife Helen, a pharmacist, bought a small farm growing prunes, peaches, cherries and a few acres of grapes. They started planting Pinot Noir in 1964, and grapes now take up four vineyard parcels. Their son John and his family are also involved in the family business.
The Bacigalupi name goes on only the best of the best wine. The name cannot be used unless the wine is tasted first.
Varietal:
Pinot Noir
Zinfandel
Clones:
Pinot Noir: Old Wente
Zinfandel: DuPratt
Rootstock:
Pinot Noir: St. George
Zinfandel: St. George
# of acres:
Pinot Noir: 6.68
Zinfandel: 1.1
Positioning:
Pinot Noir: North to South
Zinfandel: East to West
Topography:
Pinot Noir: Knoll to Flat and Flat Bench
Zinfandel: Flat Bench
Elevation:
Pinot Noir: 200 ft.
Zinfandel: 130 ft.
Soil Type:
Pinot Noir: Red clay, rocky loam
Zinfandel: Cross-bedded quartzose sands and gravels
Trellising:
Pinot Noir: Bilateral cordon
Zinfandel: Head trained
Irrigated:
Pinot Noir: Yes
Zinfandel: No
Cover Crop: All vineyards have native grasses let go to seed and mowed. No tilling
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