Helen Bacigalupi | Pioneer

Bailarín Cellars celebrates those who do what they love. Their passion for life is unstoppable and their enthusiasm is infectious. We celebrate these heroes and learn from their words of wisdom as we chase our own pursuits.

This month we celebrate Helen Bacigalupi, a distinguished wine grower that has left an indelible mark on the viticultural landscape. Her enduring influence in the world of winemaking and viticulture begin with the land and carry through multiple generations following her giant footsteps. Helen and her husband Charles founded Bacigalupi Vineyards in 1956. Their vineyard gained international acclaim in the 1976 Judgment of Paris as California wine triumphed over the French in a blind tasting competition with Bacigalupi chardonnay fruit as significant composition of the winning Chateau Montelana. Helen personally trucked that winning fruit over to Chateau Montelana with six trips back and forth in their Volkswagon truck!

Bailarin Cellars first began working with Bacigalupi Vineyards in 2017 with just two tons of their pinot noir fruit. We were ecstatic to be able to secure chardonnay a few years later. We are proud to be able to share their story through our wines at Bailarin.

WHAT MAKES YOU DANCE?

"Growth”

I was born in 1925 and grew up very poor in the state of Wyoming - my father was always looking for work so we moved frequently. My granny mostly raised me and taught me how to bake, I still make her famous pie crusts for our family holidays. I always loved learning and knew that the only way I was going to make something of myself was to do well in school.

We moved so much that I never spent consecutive school years in one place - I ended up graduating high school by mail. They would send me my assignments, I would complete them and send them back. At that time penmanship was very important and I also graduated from the Zaner Bloser School of cursive handwriting.

I love to read - I read the Wall Street Journal everyday front cover to back. Reading and learning from others is important in developing your own education. Working hard and not giving up - preserving when things are tough is the only way you grow as a person and in your business.

Our business started in 1956 when Charles and I purchased the ranch [121 acres] which was mostly pasture with some fruit trees [prunes, apricots, figs, peaches, and cherries] plus 20 acres of grapes. Back then, there were only a handful of people to sell grapes to including Foppiano’s, Seghesio’s, and of course Gallo. I managed all the contracts which were often a verbal agreement and handshake. In the 1970’s Rod Strong was one of the first to give a written price before grapes were harvested. This was a major turning point for the grower side of the industry that has continued to evolve.

Seeing how far the agricultural community has come in Sonoma County and how much the wine industry has grown has been a joy for me to experience. I mean I grew up in the horse and buggy time period - so what I have seen in my lifetime is pretty extraordinary. When we started it was such a small industry we didn't know if we were going to make it. It was a big risk, but in the end it all paid off.

1956 First Harvest