Joe DiMonte

BERKELEY, Calif. -- Robert Mondavi, the vintner who built his career and helped an iconic Northern California industry blossom by insisting that Napa Valley wines can compete with the best in the world, died in the valley today,Friday,May 16,2008. He was 94.

Mondavi died peacefully at his home in Yountville, Robert Mondavi Winery spokeswoman Mia Malm said.

"It is hard to imagine anyone having more of a lasting impact on California's $20 billion-a-year wine industry than Robert Mondavi," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement. Mondavi, said the governor, was "a tireless entrepreneur who transformed how the world felt about California wine, and an unforgettable personality to everyone who knew him."

Mondavi was 52 and a winemaking veteran in 1966, when he opened the winery that would help turn the Napa Valley into a world center of the industry. Clashes with a brother that included a fistfight led him to break from the family business to carry out his ambitious plans with borrowed money.

When Mondavi opened his winery, California was still primarily known for cheap jug wines.
But he set out to change that, championing use of cold fermentation, stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels, all commonplace in the industry today. He introduced blind tastings in Napa Valley, putting his wines up against French vintages, a bold move.

His confidence was rewarded in 1976 when California wines beat some well-known French vintages in the famous tasting known as the Judgment of Paris.

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"Clark Terry - C.T.,as his friends call him,is not only a master of the trumpet and flugelhorn,but a master musician and a leader to the manor born." - Dan Morgenstern.

mattdalton

He was not only a legendary vintner, but a friend of the performing arts too. The Mondavi Center at Univeristy of California Davis is a great hall for both the players and the audience, and wouldn't be there if not for Mr. Modavi. I'll have to get a bottle of Mondavi wine soon and raise a toast to his legacy.

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Matt Dalton

Joe DiMonte

Mr.Dalton,please save me a swig !
For those of us who started our wine tasting days with RIPPLE and COLD DUCK,
Mr.Mondavi took the fermented grapes,specifically Cabernet Sauvignon to the top shelf level.

Today,'Two Buck Chuck' is in the competition.

__________________
"Clark Terry - C.T.,as his friends call him,is not only a master of the trumpet and flugelhorn,but a master musician and a leader to the manor born." - Dan Morgenstern.