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A Love Story
One might say that wine-making has always been in the Battaglini family blood.
Giuseppe “Joe” Battaglini, our founder, remembered running through the vineyards in Tuscany as a child on his grandfather Giulio’s vineyard. Meanwhile, half a world away, his future wife, Lucia, was running through the vineyards in Mendoza, Argentina.
After meeting in 1961 in San Francisco, California, it was only a matter of time before Giuseppe and Lucia would look to recreate the beauty and tranquility of their youth spent in the vineyards. Their dream finally became a reality in 1988 when they purchased the old Lagomarsino Winery in Santa Rosa, California.
The Beginning
The Lagomarsino winery has its roots from 1885 when Italian immigrant Bartholomew Lagomarsino imported Zinfandel and Petite Sirah grapes from Tuscany, Italy, and planted them on the property in Santa Rosa. At its zenith, the winery was producing over 130,000 gallons of wine per year.
By the time Joe and Lucia purchased the property, it was no longer a functioning winery, even though those ancient vines were still producing full-bodied grapes. The grapes were being sold to Beringer on a grape contract that still had 6 years left to run.
It wasn't until 1996 that Joe and Lucia were able to make their first wine from a 1994 vintage of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. Focusing on making high quality wines, they only made 250 cases that year.
Battaglini Estate Winery
Today, Battaglini Estate Winery produces about 2,500 cases per year with that same focus on producing high quality wines. The long summer days, followed by cool nights, impart distinctive flavors, with deep, complex aromas. The result is superb wines with long, lingering finishes.
The 25 acres of ancient Zinfandel and Petite Sirah vines were supplemented in 1996 with a new planting of Chardonnay grapes to take advantage of the favorable Sonoma County climate.
The Battaglini family strongly believes in leaving the wine-making process to nature. We don't use any chemicals in the vineyards and allow all of the wines to go through natural fermentation. The vines are head-pruned, hand-picked, and non-irrigated. The traditional methods of viticulture and wine-making are how the exquisite quality in our wines is achieved.
Our Setting
Our tasting room, adorned with pictures from the old country, takes you on a journey to Italy. Various medals won in prestigious wine competitions hang on the walls. Italian music plays in the background.
A collection of antique wine-making tools, imported from Italy, is spread across the winery grounds—nothing less than a mini wine-making industry museum.
A bocce ball court beckons anybody who's brave enough to challenge their hosts to the traditional Italian sport.
We hope to see you soon in our little piece of Italy nestled in Santa Rosa, California.