Napa Grower Aldo Biale Dies

Longtime vineyard owner helped raise the quality of California Zinfandel

Augustus Weed
Posted: December 17, 2009

Aldo Biale, a Napa native and longtime grapegrower who championed California Zinfandel, passed away at his home in Napa Saturday morning following a brief illness. He was 80.

Biale worked on his family's farm and Zinfandel vineyard located on El Centro Avenue near downtown Napa. For years he sold grapes to multiple wineries, including the Napa Valley Cooperative Winery in St. Helena, where Biale's fruit was used in bulk wines. That frustrated him because of the effort he put into growing.

So in 1991, Biale and his oldest son, Robert, helped form Robert Biale Vineyards, with the help of business partner Dave Pramuk and winemaker Al Perry. They started the winery with the intent of specializing in small-production, old-vine Zinfandel. The winery has since expanded and focuses on vineyard-specific Zinfandels and Petite Sirahs. The wines have regularly earned outstanding reviews.

"Aldo passing away is a sad loss for his family, the Napa community, the winery in particular, and the Zinfandel industry and Napa Valley in general," said Pramuk, in a statement released by the winery.

Born in Napa in 1929, Biale was the son of northern Italian immigrants. His early childhood was spent on Mount Veeder where his parents, Pietro and Cristina, worked the ranch and vineyards at Grier ranch. In 1937 his father established his own farm in Napa, which included a Zinfandel vineyard, chickens, and plum and walnut trees.

As a teenager, Biale realized that wine was more profitable than selling grapes and started making homemade Zinfandel. He sold the illegal wine around Napa over the family's telephone under the code name "black chicken."

Biale is survived by his wife, Clementina, his daughter, Sandra, and his two sons, Robert and Mark.