Growing up in this family means that you learn to work hard at a very early age. From my perspective, I worked pretty damn hard compared to all the other kids around me, but if you ask my dad, I had it easy. Though, I’m sure if you asked Aldo, my dad had it easy, too.
Since coming back to Biale, I’ve been asked to contribute to this blog with stories of my childhood as a way to lend perspective to the brand, the heritage, and our story. This blog will be a little different, as I’ve been tasked with sharing my dad’s impression of growing up under Aldo, and what impact that’s had on how he’s built Robert Biale Vineyards.
For those of you that don’t know the history, my great grandfather, Pietro Biale, migrated to Napa from northern Italy and purchased a little farm in what is now downtown Napa. In a sudden and tragic accident, Pietro died while working in a quarry. Here’s a little excerpt from our founders:
Napa’s booming wineries had basically collapsed during Prohibition, decimating the demand for wine grapes. And yet, in 1937, only 4 years after the repeal of Prohibition at the tail end of the Great Depression, Pietro Biale had the grit and the foresight to plant Zinfandel vines among all his other produce on his new ranch on the valley floor. Pietro and his family could not eke out a living from their ranch alone, so Pietro worked a second job at the local rock quarry.
Tragedy struck in 1942 when an explosion at the quarry took Pietro’s life, leaving behind a tenacious widow, Cristina, and their 13-year-old son, Aldo.
As my dad tells it, there was an Aldo before and an Aldo after Pietro died. Aldo didn’t grow up easy, there was a weathered tarp covering leaks in the roof where he grew up. He worked alongside Pietro as he scraped together every dime he had, working with horse and plough to secure a life for his family. Seeing Pietro’s perseverance left a very real impression on Aldo–imagine watching your father show, with his hands and sweat, how to provide for and take care of your family. I think it left an impression on all of us.
This is the part of the story that we don’t often talk about. We tend to skip straight to the Black Chicken story because it’s the charming punchline to an otherwise brutal reality. When Pietro died, Aldo was only 13 years old and he had a decision to make–give in to the fear, doubt, and overwhelming weight of the task ahead of him, or stand by his mother and get to work. He chose the latter.
This decision to honor his devotion to his mother and to do the right thing, the hard thing, had the biggest impact. It’s this decision to press on that defines not just Aldo, but Bob and the rest of the Biale family. It’s this decision that left a lasting impression on all of us. And I imagine it’s at least part of the reason you’ve all chosen to be a part of our little community. When Aldo made the decision to stand by his mother and protect the ranch, he set the standard for what it means to be a Biale.
Ian Hill, my closest friend and best man at my wedding, said this about the Biales in his best man speech:
Mallory (my wife), I think you should know that when you take the last name “Biale”, you aren’t just taking a noun, you’re taking a verb. Because in my decade plus of experience, I’ve learned that “Biale” is a lot more than a name–it’s an action.
To Biale is to build stronger roots when the wind is blowing hardest. It’s to show up when you have to, and to show up even more when you don’t.
It’s to struggle curling the 5lb weights. It’s to realize, when life gives you lemons, just make really fucking good wine. It’s to know that home is people as much as it is place. It’s to know the meaning of tradition, and to know the meaning of starting your own.
– Ian Hill, during his best man speech at my wedding
I’m not sure I’m capable of putting it any more beautifully than that. But if I could add my one, little perspective to Ian’s words–I’d say that to Biale is to take on a load. To Biale is to take on responsibility, and to provide a better life for your family and those around you.
Now maybe my dad was right, maybe I did have it easy growing up. But I know what it means to Biale.