History
For three generations my family has been farming grapes and living in Yountville, California. My grandfather, John Bardessono, and his brother-in-law, Martin Zucco, purchased the property in Yountville with earnings from their work in a copper mine in Anyox, British Colombia. Eventually, my father and uncle purchased this property from my grandmother and continued to farm wine grapes, prunes and walnuts. My father, Pete, and my Uncle Steve farmed and sold grapes from this Yountville property to prestigious wine producers for over fifty years. In the early 1980’s, my father and uncle began to produce wine under the BARDESSONO label from Sauvignon Blanc grapes they farmed. Eventually, they sold this vineyard and thus ended their commercial wine endeavor. However, my father retained five of the original acres and he and I made a Cabernet Sauvignon for the next 12 years, which we shared with family and friends. As a child I loved the smell of the soil as it was first tilled and I loved the smell of the grape harvest. My memories of bees circling around the gondola, washing the grape juice and leaves out of the picking bins, and my uncle and father negotiating with the workers what food or drink would be provided at the end of the day are all infused into my passion for wine. After my father’s death in 2001, I decided to combine my professional winemaking experience with my personal knowledge of wine grape farming gleaned from years of working side by side with my father and uncle. I realized that I had the experience and knowledge to produce a style of Cabernet Sauvignon that is a reflection of my family’s long winemaking history. I have always wanted to start my own business. For fifteen years I made wine with my father while acquiring wine making and production experience working for Robert Mondavi Winery, Opus One, and Kendall-Jackson. To satisfy my curiosity I took wine making courses at UC Davis and read many wine technical books. By 2003 I had worked on my business plan for making wine for eighteen months and I finally decided to take the plunge. I knew many people with world renown vineyards and I knew that if I purchased the right grapes I could make a great wine. So in 2003 I bought grapes and began the journey that is driving me today. TB
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