Some wine families don’t just make great wine, they help write the history of an entire region.

Join me Wednesday, September 9, from 5:30-6:30 PM PT, live at the CIA at Copia in Napa (or streaming on YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn), as I sit down with Sonoma sommelier, educator, and journalist Christopher Sawyer to explore the leadership and legacy behind two of Sonoma County’s most important wine families: Hanzell Vineyards and Bacigalupi Vineyards.

Hanzell’s 1953 vines are believed to be the oldest continually producing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines in the Western Hemisphere (let that sink in), and Bacigalupi’s fruit helped make the Chardonnay that famously beat top white Burgundies at the 1976 Judgment of Paris. We’ll be joined by Hanzell’s Head Winemaker Michael McNeill and Bacigalupi’s Nicole Bacigalupi Dericco, third-generation winegrower and Operations Manager, for their own take on the families’ stories.

We’ll taste through six wines side by side, including Hanzell’s 2011 “Ambassador” Chardonnay (poured from magnums!), Bacigalupi’s 2023 “Renouveau” Chardonnay, and both wineries’ Pinot Noirs.

Two families, six wines, decades of Sonoma history in the glass. I can’t wait to taste through this lineup with Chris and our winery guests. I hope you’ll join us, whether in person at Copia or streaming from wherever you are!