FATHER AND FOUNDER OF THE AMERICAN FINE WINE INDUSTRY OAKVILLE, Calif., May 16
OAKVILLE, Calif., May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Robert Mondavi of Napa Valley,
the founder of the modern US fine wine industry and a global symbol of
American wine and food, died today. He was 94. The Mondavi family stated
that the legendary vintner died peacefully at his home in Napa Valley.
Robert Mondavi changed the landscape of the US wine industry when he
founded his eponymous winery in 1966, inspired by his belief that he could
produce world-class wines in Napa Valley. Since that time, the Robert Mondavi
Winery has become known as one of the world's leading innovators, producers
and marketers of fine wine, firmly establishing America's rightful place on
the world wine stage.
Born in Virginia, Minnesota, to parents who emigrated from Sassoferrato in
the Marche region of Italy, Robert was greatly influenced by Old World
traditions of the pleasures of wine and food. The family moved to Lodi,
California, during Prohibition and he attended public schools there.
A 1936 graduate of Stanford with a degree in economics and business
administration, Robert understood that marketing was as critical as winemaking
expertise in achieving success in the wine industry. He joined his father at
Sunnyhill Winery in St. Helena, a bulk wine producer. After convincing his
father to purchase the Charles Krug Winery there, he upgraded the technology,
determined to raise quality -- a commitment which never faltered. He began to
offer public tours and tastings in the 1950s, something unheard of in Napa
Valley, and not even done in the established wineries of France.
In 1966, at age 53, he established the Robert Mondavi Winery, the first
major winery built in Napa Valley since the 1933 Repeal of Prohibition.
Robert hired architectural designer Cliff May for his fledgling winery, which
he intended as an enduring landmark to California history, reflecting this in
its iconic, mission-style architecture. Using an architect was already enough
to raise the eyebrows of locals, but to their amazement, Robert also included
public spaces for education and entertainment, which completely bewildered his
neighbors.
At his winery, Robert pioneered many fine winemaking techniques in
California, including cold fermentation, stainless steel tanks and the use of
French oak barrels. As a marketing leader, he initiated blind tastings of
Napa Valley wines with other world-class wines, allowing consumers and the
trade to evaluate wine quality and value. By the l970s, Robert Mondavi wines
were recognized for their quality internationally, and California's fine wine
industry benefited from Robert's pioneering work in the export market.
Dedicated to fostering a wine culture in America, Robert also expanded his
educational tours and wine tastings. Under his tutelage, and with his wife
Margrit, for four decades the winery has celebrated the pleasures of wine,
food and the arts; and provided creative settings for jazz and classical
concerts, art exhibits and comprehensive cultural and culinary programs
including the Great Chefs program, which has featured such luminaries as Julia
Child, Paul Bocuse, Alice Waters and Joel Robuchon.
Never one to rest on his laurels, in l979, Robert joined forces with Baron
Philippe de Rothschild, creating the Opus One Winery in Oakville. An immediate
international success, Opus One created a world sales record for California
with a $24,000 case price at the first Napa Valley Wine Auction. He and his
wife, Margrit, were among the founding members of that auction, which is now
recognized as the major wine auction in the U.S.
Firmly committed to the everyday enjoyment of wine and food, Robert wanted
to see a bottle of wine on every American table. To that end, in 1979 Robert
bought a winemaking cooperative that he named Woodbridge, after a nearby town.
Innovations at Woodbridge included the first value-priced US wines with barrel
aging; traditional cork finishing; a gentle, direct-to-press method for white
wines; the first US premium varietal wines with vintage dating; and the first
winery to operate Quality Enhancement Teams with a "small lot" program,
through which grapes are kept individual vineyard lots during fermentation.
Robert further expanded his horizons through international partnerships
with the Frescobaldi family in Italy and Eduardo Chadwick of Vina Errazuriz in
Chile.
During the late l980s, Robert launched the Mission Program to counteract
anti-alcohol campaigns that were gathering force around the world. The
Mission educated media, trade and consumers about the cultural and health
benefits of moderate wine consumption. This program was the stimulus for CBS'
"60 Minutes" program on wine and health, which changed America's view of wine.
In 1994, Robert introduced Robert Mondavi Private Selection, a line of
high quality, affordable fine wines that reflect the distinctive vineyards of
California's Central and North Coast appellations.
In recent years, Robert was a major benefactor of cultural and educational
institutions. Copia: The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts, a
world-class pioneering cultural center, opened in 2001. With a history of
extraordinary contributions to California's wine industry, Robert and his wife
made a substantial personal gift in 2001 to the University of California,
Davis to establish the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science and
to name the campus' new Center for the Performing Arts, which opened in 2002.
He also made significant gifts to the Oxbow School and the Cantor Center of
the Arts at Stanford University.
An uncompromising perfectionist, Robert believed that if you wish to
succeed, "... you must listen to yourself, to your own heart, and have the
courage to go your own way." These and other lessons from his life are the
subject of his autobiography, "Harvests of Joy," published in l998 by
Harcourt, Brace & Company. He was honored by countless national and
international institutions, including France's Legion of Honor (2005), the
government of Italy and many U.S. institutions including being the first
"Pioneer" inductee in the founding year of the Culinary Institute of America's
Vintners Hall of Fame in 2006. In August 2007, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
announced Robert Mondavi's induction into the California Hall of Fame at The
California Museum for History, Women and the Arts.
Robert remained an active ambassador for the winery until his death.
While services will be private, a remembrance book will be available in Le
Marche, the winery's visitor center, and at the visitor center of Woodbridge
winery in Lodi, CA for the next four weeks for anyone wishing to share a
message or condolence. The books will be given to the Mondavi family.
In addition to his wife, Margrit Biever Mondavi, Robert Mondavi leaves
three children, Michael, Marcia and Timothy; nine grandchildren; and his
brother, Peter. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Copia;
the University of California at Davis; The Oxbow School; and Stanford
University.
Richard Sands, chairman, Constellation Brands, Inc., remembers Robert
Mondavi's contributions. "Robert Mondavi was unique in a very special way.
He had a vision about the potential for developing great California wines.
Robert was a pioneer who acted on his vision and was both passionate and
relentless in his pursuit of ever-better wines, especially from the Napa
Valley. He championed the marriage of fine wine, excellent food, arts and
culture, and relationships that enrich lives. He was an inspiration and he
will be greatly missed. Robert's passing leaves a void in the world of wine
which can never be filled. Our hearts and our thoughts are with the Mondavi
family."
Rob Sands, president and chief executive officer, Constellation Brands,
Inc., adds, "Robert's longevity allowed him to influence generations of
winemakers and wine consumers around the world. We are proud and privileged
to have known the father of contemporary California wine, someone whose
influence spans the globe and is timeless. His contributions to viticulture,
viniculture and Constellation Brands are immeasurable. Robert's desire, and
his legacy, was to fill peoples' wine glasses while filling their hearts and
souls. I believe he succeeded on all counts. The Robert Mondavi Winery in
the Napa Valley will serve as a lasting reminder of all which he stood for,
and we will do our best to uphold Robert's quest for perfection in wine. He
served as chairman emeritus of The Robert Mondavi Corporation after it was
acquired by Constellation Brands in December 2004."
Contact: Mia Malm
707-967-6361
mia.malm@robertmondaviwinery.com
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