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BARGETTO WINERYLA VITA

Established 1933 Santa Cruz Mountains

Estate Grown Proprietary Italian Varietal Blend

Honey Mead and Premium Dessert-style Wines Since 1964

Questions or to Order Wine:
General: (800) 422-7438 / E-Mail
Wine Club: (888) 400-9463 / E-Mail
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Our History

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The Bargetto winemaking heritage began with brothers Phillip and John Bargetto who emigrated from Castelnuovo Don Bosco, a small town in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. They brought with them years of winegrowing experience when they established BARGETTO WINERY on the banks of Soquel Creek in California.

Phillip was the first to depart Italy in 1891 at the age of seventeen. In 1909 John joined his brother in San Francisco.

The original Bargetto family winery was located in San Francisco from 1910-1917. The name of this winery was South Montebello Vineyard and Wine Company. With Prohibition on the horizon the winery was closed and the brothers moved to Soquel in 1917.

Phillip and John purchased the present site of BARGETTO WINERY in 1918 and began making wine out of an old barn on the property. During Prohibition (1919-1933), the brothers continued to make wine for family and friends, while they continued to sell produce to local customers. They also grew apples at the family ranch in Soquel. When Prohibition ended in 1933, the brothers devoted more time to the wine business. They began a wine wholesale business, while they continued to sell produce wholesale.

Phillip Bargetto passed away in 1936 and John was left the sole owner of the business throughout the 1940s and 1950s. He continued to produce wine and sell wholesale and retail. He was joined by his sons Ralph and Lawrence during these years.

The Next Generation

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The Bargetto Family winemaking heritage continued with John’s son Lawrence during the 1960s and 1970s. He introduced modern technology such as stainless steel fermentation, barrel aging, and added new Santa Cruz Mountains varietals such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. He also created the CHAUCER’S line of meads and dessert-style wines.

Today

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The third generation of Bargettos now direct the operation of the winery. BARGETTO WINERY represents the oldest continuous-operation winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Their pioneering spirit continued with the establishment of Bargetto Regan Estate Vineyards, near Corralitos, California in 1992. Here, cool-climate varietals like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Grigio are carefully nurtured to produce BARGETTO WINERY’s estate wines. In keeping with the family heritage, the winery also incorporates northern Italian varietals from its Estate Vineyard into its flagship LA VITA wine.

Look at Our History


Early 1900s Bargetto Family Portrait

Bargetto's Montebello San Francisco Winery Group Shot 1910-2

Bargetto's Montebello San Francisco Winery 1910

December 1933 Newspaper Clip, Repeal of Prohibition

BARGETTO WINERY 1933

Zinfandel wine label 1930s


Zinfandel wine label 1940s, currently known as our Retro Label

Bargetto's Water Street Store 1943

BARGETTO WINERY Delivery Truck with Norma and Emily cr 1944

Larry Bargetto testing wine in lab at BARGETTO WINERY February 21, 1950

Ralph Bargetto bottling zin February 21, 1950 at BARGETTO WINERY

John Bargetto in cellar at BARGETTO WINERY with thief February 21, 1950

Sylvia at the Bargetto Water Street Store 1953

Larry Bargetto in the lab at BARGETTO WINERY  1950s

Riesling wine label 1950s

Larry Bargetto and Gary Hada 1960's crush

John Bargetto getting barrel samples 1960s

Cleo Benti on the bottling line at BARGETTO WINERY 1960s

Ansel Adams portrait of Larry Bargetto 1960s

Ansel Adams portrait of redwood tanks at BARGETTO WINERY 1960s

Bargetto Mead label 1960s

Wine rack at BARGETTO WINERY Tasting Room 1970s

Chaucers Mead label 1970s

Zinfandel Rose wine label 1970s

Larry Bargetto pruning vines 1979

Larry and son, John Bargetto 1979

Harvest September 19 1979 at BARGETTO WINERY

Cabernet Sauvignon wine label 1980s

Bargetto Family 1985

Bargetto Family after harvest at Regan Vineyards 1996

  • Our Story
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    • Meet the Bargettos
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Locations

Santa Cruz Tasting Room
3535 North Main Street
Soquel, CA 95073
(831) 475-2258 ext. 14
Hours:
Open Daily
12:00 - 5:00

Monterey Tasting Room
700-G Cannery Row
Monterey, CA 93940
(831) 373-4053
Hours:
Open Daily
11:00 - 6:00

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