Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/333548
6 8 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | J u l y - A u g 2 014 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m chased properties, including the Bloom Ranch adjacent to the origi- nal Bacigalupi property in 1973; a 15-acre parcel on Lytton Station Road in Alexander Valley in 1983; and the Frost Ranch farther south on Westside Road in 1993. Over the past two decades, most of the chardonnay, pinot noir, zinfan- del and petite sirah grapes grown on the properties have been sold to boutique producers including Wil- liams Selyem, Fantesca Estate & Winery, Rudd Oakville Estate, Aris- ta Winery and many others. Today, a portion of the fruit is used by winemaker Ashley Herzberg, hired by the family in 2011 to create a new series of Bacigalupi Vineyards wines that is primarily sold to high- end restaurants and at the new tast- ing room at the base of the Goddard property on Westside Road. We caught up with Helen to dis- cuss the past, present and future of her family's legacy and the renais- sance of the Bacigalupi wine brand. Vineyard & Winery Manage- ment [ V&WM ] What inspired you to plant the first blocks of chardon- nay and pinot noir grapes at the Goddard Ranch in 1964? Helen Bacigalupi [ HB ] At the time, Charles' patient, Bob Sisson, was the county viticulture farm advisor, so we asked his advice on which grapes to plant. By this point the heat summation system had been developed, and he said Rus- sian River Valley would be an ideal place to plant pinot noir and char- donnay. I remember saying that I never heard of those grapes. So Sisson told us to talk to Karl Wente at Wente Vineyards. Then, after Charles secured budwood from the Wentes and the St. George rootstock from Bill Wallace's nurs- ery down the road, the original 14 acres of vines were budded by Joe