Remembering Robert Mondavi

Legendary California wine pioneer Robert Mondavi passed away yesterday at age 94. The Minnesota-born Stanford grad got started early in the wine business and made it a family affair when his parents purchased the Charles Krug winery in St. Helena. After an infamous feud with his brother Peter in 1965, Mondavi struck out on his own at age 52 to build the first post-Prohibition winery in the Napa Valley.

The new start paid off and Mondavi has been credited with putting Napa on the global wine map. From branding Fumé Blanc to creating international partnerships bringing together Old and New World styles to touring the world as a wine ambassador in the 1990s—Mondavi dedicated his life to his work. His legacy lives on through his children Michael, Marcia and Tim who all work in the wine biz today.

If you have a bottle of Mondavi on hand, now’s the time to open it up and raise a glass to this larger-than-life man in the history of California wine. To Mr. Mondavi!