Get ready for an unforgettable evening of wine, food, and culture as Ray Signorello, proprietor of Napa Valley’s renowned Signorello Estate, takes the spotlight as the Honorary Chair of the Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction. As part of the Vancouver International Wine Festival, this prestigious event pairs world-class wines, exquisite cuisine, and vibrant cultural experiences—all in support of Bard on the Beach.
In our Q&A with Ray, we dive into his journey as a visionary winemaker, his connection to Vancouver’s wine scene, and what makes this year’s Gala an event not to miss. From his resilience following the 2017 Atlas Wildfire to his passion for crafting exceptional wines like Hope’s Cuvée Chardonnay and Padrone, Ray’s story is as compelling as the vintages he creates. —Noa Nichol
What inspired you and your father to transition Signorello Estate from a grower to producing your own estate-grown wines in 1985?
It all came down to the quality of the grapes. Before 1985, we were selling our fruit to other wineries and they all remarked on the quality of the grapes we provided. Their feedback got us thinking and excited about the possibility of taking the leap and trying our own hand at winemaking.
As someone deeply involved in both the production and business sides of the winery, how do you balance creativity with financial strategy?
As someone deeply involved in both the production and business aspects of the winery, I always start by focusing on the quality of the wine. For me, creativity is what sparks the initial excitement and sets the tone for everything that follows. Once I’ve established that foundation of quality, I then build a financial strategy around it. At the high end of the wine industry, quality is really important, it’s what defines success and guides the direction of my estate.
After the 2017 Atlas Wildfire destroyed the Signorello Estate winery, what motivated your decision to rebuild with a state-of-the-art underground, fireproof facility?
Given the nature of the new climate we’re facing, fires have become more frequent than in the past. In 2017, I nearly lost my entire winery to the fires, but the 2020 fires were arguably even worse. I didn’t want to go through that again, so we designed what we believe is the most fireproof winery possible, using concrete, steel and even building most of it underground. We also installed an extensive fire suppression system, including water pumps and our own firefighting team on the estate.
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your other wine ventures like Edge, Trim, and “S”? How do they differ from Signorello Estate?
The idea behind these wines was to offer exceptional quality at a range of different price points, making them more affordable than Signorello Estate wines. While Signorello represents the pinnacle of what we do, I wanted to explore other areas of California to create distinct, high-quality wines.
Edge, which I launched in 2001, is a Cabernet from Alexander Valley in Sonoma. It offers great quality, it’s just not Napa Valley fruit. Then we have Trim, which I started in 2009, that is our Chardonnay and Cabernet project. The Cabernet comes from Lodi and the Chardonnay is sourced from the Russian River. Both deliver a really good quality wine at an entry-level price point. Lastly, S is our newest project which is a Napa Valley Cabernet sourced from vineyards outside our single estate property on the Silverado Trail. For these three wines, we work with three specific vineyards.; one in Saint Helena, one in Rutherford Hill and one on Howell Mountain. What ties all of these wines together is their consistent quality, accessibility and affordability. Trim is our entry-level offering, Edge is the next step up and S is the premium selection outside the estate with Signorello Estate wines the highest tier. Regardless of the price points, all of these wines are made using the same handcrafted production techniques that we use at the estate. We’re also proud to say that we don’t add sugar, so these wines are all natural, which is not often found in wines at these price levels.
Both Hope’s Cuvée and Padrone hold personal significance, honouring your parents. What emotions or memories do you hope they evoke for those who enjoy them?
My parents are incredibly important to us, and creating two wines was a way for me to honour them. My mother, Hope Signorello, inspired Hope’s Cuvée Chardonnay. For my father, I wanted to craft a wine as a tribute to him, so I created Padrone which is an Italian word that means ‘head of the family’. It’s a Cabernet that keeps his memory alive for me.
I was deeply saddened to lose both of my parents at a young age, my mother was 54 and my father was 62, both to cancer. Creating these wines is my way of preserving their legacies, something I think others can relate to. We’re all shaped by our parents, and these wines are a way of keeping their memories alive.
What does being the Honorary Chair of the Bacchanalia Gala mean to you, and how do you view the connection between wine, culture, and the arts?
I am very excited to have been asked to serve as the Chair for this year’s Gala. The Festival has been part of my journey since the 1980s, when our first vintage was featured there, which is also around the time I started in the industry. So, in many ways, we’ve grown up together. To me, wine is not just a product; it’s an art form and a cultural experience. We create moments for people to enjoy, when you open a bottle of wine, it’s more than just the wine itself, it’s about the experience you share with the person you’re enjoying it with. Being the Chair this year is a combination of all my years in the industry and I am truly excited to be part of this incredible event.
How is Signorello Estate adapting to evolving trends in sustainability and climate resilience within the wine industry?
Given that my winery was destroyed by fire, we’re very aware of the climate challenges we face. As a result, we built our new winery to not only be fire-resistant but also sustainable. All of our power comes from solar panels, and we’ve incorporated the latest technology to minimize water usage. We also rely on our solar systems for energy, ensuring that everything we do is as environmentally conscious as possible. We have also taken these efforts to the vineyard side of the business as we focus on organic practices and owning our own property allows us to closely manage the land. We’re extremely mindful of every input that goes into our wine and our goal is to create a winery that is not only green and sustainable but also resilient to the changes of our climate.
You’ve participated in the Vancouver International Wine Festival since 1988. How has the Festival evolved, and what makes it special for you?
The Festival holds a very special place in my heart, I’ve had the privilege of meeting so many wonderful people over the years. It’s become an integral part of our business and brand, helping us establish a strong presence in the Canadian marketplace. The Festival has evolved quite a bit since those early days, with the addition of new wineries and more people developing an appreciation for wine. Now, it runs like a well-oiled machine, thanks to all the incredible effort and dedication from everyone involved over the years.
What lessons from your journey would you share with young or aspiring winemakers looking to enter the industry today?
The wine industry isn’t easy, it’s extremely competitive, with wineries not only in Napa but all over the world. Despite the challenges, it’s very rewarding, to me, it’s exciting to have been part of it for so long, almost 40 years now. Wine is such a special product because you’re involved in every step of the process, from the dirt to the bottle, all the way to the end consumer. The key is to stay open-minded. Every year, you get one chance to make great wine, it’s not like running a restaurant, where you can tweak things every day. In the wine business, you make wines once a year, and then you have 365 days to reflect, leave and come back the next year to make even better wine.
What’s next for Signorello Estate and your other ventures? Are there any new projects or innovations you’re excited to share?
We’re taking our new winery estate that we’ve built and using it as a foundation to craft even better and more profound wines. Our first vintage from this new estate was made in September/ October of 2024 and we’re thrilled to showcase the cutting-edge technology and capabilities we’ve integrated into our production process. We’ve also got a lot of new faces at the winery, the dream team making wine includes Celia Welch, Steve Matthiasson and Michael Costley, who are three of the top names in the wine and grape production industry in the US. The real innovation here is the winery itself and the incredible talent we’ve bought in following the 2017 fires. While we don’t have entirely new projects in the works at the moment, we do have the S Cabernet project outside the estate that I mentioned earlier, but also, there’s a new wine at the estate, the first vintage, which was 2021 and that’s Signori, which means gentlemen in Italian, so I have three wines from my estate now; Signori, Hope’s Cuvée and Padrone. Each wine has a personal connection to me and Signori, in particular, is a wine that comes straight from my heart and mind- an expression of elegance, complexity, and ageability. The same precision and depth found in the top wines of the old world of love, the complexity and the age ability and just the real precision of the top wines made from my heritage homeland, Italy, but also from France.
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