Greg Baiocchi’s first passion in life was music. As musicians do, he opened himself up to many styles and rhythms as he matured. His second passion is wine. Wine also has an appeal to his creative side, since making good wines involves both complexity and experimentation.
“It is a challenge to abandon your security blanket to follow your dreams. I’ve ended up working harder every day than I ever did, but with no regrets. I feel that this is truly what I was meant to do. The result: creating a brand and also a lifestyle that is founded in the earth and is real, kinesthetic and sustainable,” Baiocchi wrote in his blog.
That’s the origin story of Baiocchi Wines. From the first vintage in 2009 until today, it’s been a path of taking risk, correcting the course and forging ahead. The result is elegant wines in the Southern Rhone tradition. On the 12 planted acres of the 40 acres Baiocchi owns in the Fair Play AVA of El Dorado County, he coaxes his vines to produce the best fruit for his handcrafted wines.
“This vineyard mix allows me to make wine of defined character no matter what Mother Nature throws our way each year.”
–Greg Baiocchi
“The vineyard philosophy was to plant Mourvedre, Grenache Syrah and Tempranillo because of the excellence of terroir for these varieties,” Baiocchi explained. “These varietals all grow well together here. This vineyard mix allows me to make wine of defined character no matter what Mother Nature throws our way each year.”
Baiocchi took courses in viticulture and winemaking at the UC Davis Extension winemaking program. He also gained valuable practical experience with hands-on work at two Northern California wineries: Miraflores Winery and Big Basin Vineyards. Before he knew it, he was following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Maggio Baiocchi, who also made wine and enjoyed music.
At Baiocchi Wines, Baiocchi pays attention to tone and notes just as he did as a performing artist.
“My winemaking philosophy is to use indigenous yeast, balance some wines with oak, stick with my belief in unfined and unfiltered wines, and to create wine with a sense of place,” he said. Baiocchi also plays on the edge with his winemaking by doing some co-fermentation, including experimenting with field blends.
At Baiocchi Wines, Baiocchi can be a risk taker with his blends. He likes to experiment, and he blends with the goal in mind of delivering purity and freshness of fruit, imparting a sense of place, and ultimately creates an experience that emanates from the vineyard and finds its way to the glass.
The tasting room is open Friday to Sunday at 82 Main. St., Sutter Creek. | (209) 267-5523, baiocchiwines.com
Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from the second edition of the popular guidebook “Wineries of the Sierra Foothills: Risk-Takers & Rule-Breakers” available on Amazon. All sales support Tahoe Weekly.
