Wellington's Wine Bar in Sausalito, California for Biale Tasting of current releases

Attending a “Taste Every Biale” sommelier/media event at the Wellington’s Wine Bar in Sausalito gave us the opportunity to taste every wine that Robert Biale Vineyards was releasing for 2011. Proprietor Bob Biale, winemaker Steve Hall, marketing director Dave Pramuk, and Maggie Pramuk hosted the event with a few growers in attendance, as well as including their new rock star – Bill Moore of Moore Vineyard. Attendance was very limited, which meant that opportunities like this don’t come along every day, so who would miss it?

Clementina Biale, Aldo Biale's widow

The wines, of course, were amazing; however, something else came out of this that was even more delightful. Behind all great wine there are equally exceptional people. In this case it was the late Aldo Biale’s widow, Clementina Biale. Just as the event was drawing to a close, Clementina was sitting on a couch, and I asked if I could take her picture. She said, “Sure,” and then we began to talk.

When her husband Aldo Biale was alive (Aldo passed away in December of 2009), he would attend events as an honored guest. Everyone always made sure that he had wine to enjoy and something delicious to eat. It was simply honest respect for the man who saw his way to appreciate what the industry was doing to help his winery market itself. Sharing stories about our lives, it was very sweet to finally meet the matriarch of the Biale family.

The Biale family immigrated from Northern Italy, and began growing grapes in Napa in the 1930s. At that time, it was only Zinfandel, which was widely planted by immigrants throughout California, because it was, and still is, so well-suited to our climate. When Clementina first arrived, she didn’t know English and she couldn’t fathom Prohibition, having just come from Italy…

Imagine the culture shock of leaving her Mediterranean climate with its bounty and wine just being part of one’s everyday culture, to be placed in a new land where wine was then regarded as the enemy. It just made no sense to her.

Winemaker Steve Hall is discussing how his vineyard sources help make his wines.

And… she didn’t know her father-in-law Pietro’s “code” for his illegal wine… “Black Chicken.” At first, when the phone would ring ~ in those days it was a party line, so you never knew who else was listening ~ someone on the other end of the phone would ask for a dozen eggs and a Black Chicken. Not knowing what that meant, and not having any black chickens, Clementina would answer, “We don’t have any black chickens, but we have plenty of white ones.” Today, Biale produces a White Chicken wine. Right now it’s a Sauvignon Blanc, in memory of those moments, just as they also produce a Black Chicken Zinfandel in memory of Pietro.

From their own story:

Each harvest, the Biale’s fruit was routinely sold for bulk wine. For decades before the global demand for Napa Valley wine, one winery, the Napa Valley Co-Op winery, processed almost half of Napa’s grapes. Before big companies moved in, most of Napa’s fruit was grown by local farmers like the Biales. In fact, prunes and walnuts were as valuable as grapes in those days, and the Biale farm produced its share along with eggs and vegetables.

Committed to the tradition of farming grapes, the Biales decided in 1991 to form a partnership with the goal of producing a world-class wine from the oldest Zinfandel vines on the ranch. The team: Al Perry, winemaking; Dave Pramuk, Marketing; Aldo and Bob Biale farming. The wine, named after longtime farmer Aldo Biale, was called “Aldo’s Vineyard”.

The inaugural wine was a quantity of 400 cases produced from about 8 acres of 60-year-old vines. Now, twelve years later, Biale is recognized internationally as being among California’s very finest producers of Zinfandel [and Petite Sirah].

The Robert Biale Tasting

What we tasted:

Flight 1: St. Helena Zinfandels

1. 2009 Old Crane Ranch
2. 2009 Founding Farmers
3. 2009 Old Kraft Vineyard
4. 2009 Varozza Vineyard

Flight 2: Oak Knoll & South Napa Zinfandels

1. 2009 R.W. Moore Vineyard
2. 2009 Black Chicken
3. 2009 Aldo’s Vineyard
4. 2009 Grande Vineyard

Flight 3: Mountains, Sonoma, and Carneros Zinfandels

1. 2009 Stagecoach
2. 2009 Valsecchi
3. 2009 Monte Rosso
4. Rocky Ridge

Flight 4: Petite Sirah

1. 2009 Royal Punishers
2. 2008 Basic Black
3. 2008 Thomann Station
4. 2009 Biale Winery Vineyard

Flight 5: Syrah and Blends

1. 2008 Kiger Vineyard ~ Syrah
2. 2008 The Hill Climber ~ Rhone blend
3. 2008 Monte Rosso Syrah
4. 2008 Like Father Like Son ~ 50% Syrah, 50% Petite Sirah

Other New wines, like Barbera, Sangiovese, and their White Chicken were served with lunch at the Wellington. You can taste all of these the next time you’re in Napa, and you won’t be disappointed… There isn’t a dog in the group, but there is a Black Chicken!