Our Timeline
- • 1926 Charles Barra born in Calpella, California to first generation Italian immigrants Antonio Barra and Marie Rovera
- • 1946 Senior year in high school, Charlie farmed wine grapes which earned him $10,000.00 (3 x as much as the principal!)
- • 1952 Charlie served in U. S. Army from 1952-1954
- • 1955 Charlie planted 175 acres of prime wine grape vineyards in Redwood Valley (Redwood Valley Vineyards)
- • 1960 Charlie was one of first wine grape growers to use sprinkler system water for frost protection in vineyards. Constructed five water reservoirs for storing winter water runoff to use for frost protection and irrigation. Pioneered the use of grape gondolas for in-field harvesting of grapes, making the use of wooden boxes in the field obsolete.
- • 1963 Charlie was founder and past president of California North Coast Grape Growers Association and board member for 41 years. Lobbied for a variety of grower causes, including varietal percentage change in wines from 51% to 75%, the first appellation designation in the U.S, and for pricing regulations that said a grower and winery had to agree on prices before grapes were crushed
- • 1965 Charlie appointed to Mendocino County Planning Commission
- • 1968 Charlie appointed by then Governor Reagan to the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors
- • 1974 Planted 300 acres of vineyard in Potter Valley and Ukiah Valley
- • 1975 Again appointed to Mendocino County Planning Commission
- • 1976 Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Limited Partnership which owned Souverain Winery through 1985
- • 1980 Acted as advisor to Bank of America on agricultural lending. Married Martha Barra.
- • 1988 Founded St. Mary’s School Foundation, serving as its president for 21 years
- • 1989 Officially converted all vineyards to organic farming, following the practice of using no pesticides, insecticides or herbicides. Certified and inspected each year by California Certified Organic Farmers.
- • 1992 Invented radio-controlled fishing bobber, patented by U. S. Patent Office
- • 1996 Barra family purchases 50% interest in Redwood Valley Cellars, a 2.8 million gallon custom crush and storage facility located in Redwood Valley, California
- • 1997 Begin producing premium wines and marketing under the label of BARRA of Mendocino
- • 2000 Planted 20 acres of Petite Sirah and Zinfandel vineyards on eastern hills near Lake Mendocino (Bella Collina)
- • 2003 Developed two new brands (Girasole Vineyards and 59th Harvest) and developed national as well as international wine sales channels
- • 2006 Charlie Barra turns 80 and completes his 61st harvest!
- • 2007 Purchased remaining 50% interest in Redwood Valley Cellars to become sole owner of 2.8 million gallon crushing and storage facility servicing the North Coast
- • 2009 Girasole Vineyards Pinot Noir wins Wine & Spirits “100 Best Buys of the Year” award
- • 2011 Charlie honored by Slow Foods San Francisco as a pioneer for organic grape farming in the United States
- • 2012 Launched redesign of Girasole Vineyards label and released first Rosé under BARRA of Mendocino brand
- • 2013 Charlie Barra celebrates his 68th Harvest in Mendocino County and is honored in story by Tim Fish of Wine Spectator
- • 2014 Barra family purchases 50 acres of certified organic vineyard adjacent to home ranch in Redwood Valley
- • 2016 Planted 5,900 vines of Pinot Blanc and 14,000 vines of Cabernet Sauvignon
- • 2017 Girasole Vineyards named a Wine Enthusiast “Value Brand Of The Year”
- • 2018 Mendocino County Fair Wine Competition establishes the “Charlie Barra Best of Show White Wine” designation
- • 2019 Randy Meyer joins Barra family as Director of Winemaking. Charlie Barra passes away, June 29, 2019 at the age of 93.
- • 2020 Barra family celebrates 65th anniversary of being family-owned and farmed
- • 2021 Martha Barra entered into the Congressional Record by House of Representatives in recognition of her lifetime work of building the Barra family wine business
- • 2023 Launched redesigned branding for Barra line of reserve wines. Click here to learn more
- • 2024 New Barra Reserve label wins "Best of Class: Packaging & Design" from the San Francisco Chronicle
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• 2024 Martha Barra honored by Redwood Empire Fair as "Agriculturalist Of The Year"