Brvghelli

Of Swiss heritage, Michael Brughelli was raised in the Central Valley farming town of Riverdale, before attending Cal Poly to study mechanical engineering. It was on a whim that he decided to enrol in an upper-level viticulture class which would permanently alter his career ambitions from building motorcycle engines to tending to vines. After graduating he was hired as the director of operations at Ken Volk Vineyards & Winery in the Santa Maria Valley. He would then spend seven years heading grape sales at Bien Nacido, a position which not only taught him critical and diverse vineyard practices, but also allowed him to develop close relationships with many of the region’s top tier winemakers who held long term contracts with these highly sought after grapes. While with Bien Nacido, Michael also launched a highly successful wine and hard cider project with his business partner Mikey Giugni, called Scar of the Sea. He would eventually sell his portion of the business in order to launch his eponymous Brvghelli wines, which we introduce to you today.

The Brvghelli wines are single varietals blended across multiple vineyards within California’s Santa Maria Valley, designed as a way to showcase the region rather than highlight a single vineyard site. Both the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are produced from vineyard blocks, which Brughelli has had close ties to for years. He patrols these vineyards multiple times per week, monitoring the progression of the vines and the grapes carefully to decide when to thin the shoots or grape clusters, a practice he considers crucial in order to produce a world-class wine. The wines are vinified at the Au Bon Climat winery, with the Chardonnay undergoing barrel fermentation before 16 months of maturation in 40% new oak and the Pinot Noir vinified with 35% whole clusters before 18 months of maturation in 35% new oak. The distinctive Brvghelli labels feature a pelican, which is call-back to his family crest originating in the town of Lavertezzo, Switzerland, symbolising self-sacrifice and charity.