Charles and Helen Bacigalupi’s path of owning a vineyard began in the early 1950s. After graduating from UCSF medical school, they moved to Healdsburg, where Charles worked as a dentist and Helen as a pharmacist. In 1956, they settled on Westside Road and purchased 121 acres, starting by tending 16 acres of existing vineyards planted with Zinfandel, Mission, Golden Chaslis, and Muscat.

Through his dental practice, Charles became friends with Paul Heck, who encouraged him to plant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. In 1964, Charles planted six acres of each, later obtaining Pinot Noir bud wood from Karl Wente, with origins traced back to France. Their vineyards gained major acclaim in 1976 at the Paris tasting, when Château Montelena’s 1973 Napa Valley Chardonnay—made with Bacigalupi fruit—beat famous French wines. Today, four generations farm the estate, and Ashley Herzberg leads winemaking, producing Bacigalupi label wines from 10% of their own grapes and welcoming visitors at their Westside Road tasting room. A visit to Bacigalupi Vineyards is a welcoming, Healdsburg-style tasting focused on the family’s vineyards and the grapes they farm with care. Guests can explore a lineup that often highlights their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, along with small-lot selections that show how terroir shapes the glass. Tastings at their Westside Road tasting room offer a relaxed chance to learn the history behind the fruit—plus the excitement of tasting wines made from vines the family has tended for generations.