March is Women's History Month, and this year's theme: "Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future" couldn't be more fitting for our community. From vineyards to farms to food justice work, women are at the forefront of creating a more sustainable agricultural landscape. Today, we're thrilled to feature Katey Bacigalupi Row and Nicole Bacigalupi Dericco from Bacligalupe Vineyards, an artisanal, family-owned and operated winery/winegrower in Russian River Valley.
What is one sustainable practice you've implemented in your business that you're most proud of?
I'm most proud of the "human element" of sustainability that we implement. We prioritize building a seasonal crew that truly understands and embraces our farming ethos, rather than hiring workers who are simply looking to complete a job. Our team has maintained 100% consistency, the same crew members prune their own rows, suckering and thinning, ensuring accountability and care in every step of the process. People are a central pillar of our sustainability commitment, which is why we never bring crews in for unnecessary tasks. Unlike some labor contractors who may move equipment from ranch to ranch simply to bill additional hours, we are intentional and ethical in our practices, completing only the work that is genuinely needed.
What challenges have you faced in building a sustainable business, and how
have you overcome them?
Sustainable practices can be a catch all - one size fits all management practice so it's important to "weed" out the activities that don't work for you and focus on the ones that do. If you implement two or three sustainable practices really well and they produce results, that will be preferable to implementing all of them inefficiently.
What advice would you give to other women considering starting a sustainable
business in our industry?
Don't get caught up in trends! Especially in the vineyard, trends come and go, find what works for you and stick with it.
How does your product reflect your values around sustainability and
environmental stewardship?
We make wines for the vintage - paying attention to the different blocks, picking time and overall vine health. We don’t add any outside yeast, native is our chosen fermentation approach so a healthy, natural yeast population is vital to our winemaking. We also don’t fine or filter our wines so we remove any winemaking steps that aren't necessary.