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RIP - Robert Mondavi

From the Associated Press:

Calif. winemaking patriarch Robert Mondavi dies
Robert Mondavi, the pioneering vintner who helped put California wine country on the map, died at his Napa Valley home Friday. He was 94. Mondavi died peacefully at his home in Yountville, Robert Mondavi Winery spokeswoman Mia Malm said.

He 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.

At the time, 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.

Always convinced that California wines could compete with the European greats, Mondavi engaged in the first French-American wine venture when he formed a limited partnership with the legendary French vintner Baron Philippe de Rothschild to grow and make the ultra-premium Opus One at Oakville. The venture's first vintage was in 1979.

A Titan. You may joke about the cheap jug wines but his vintage stuff was heads above what anyone else was doing at that time and he helped raise the bar for everyone. I am enjoying a glass of Bandit Merlot from Three Thieves Winery -- it cost me $5.99 for a full litre and it is way better than any of the jug wines from ten years ago. Comes in a TetraPak as the three most expensive things in an average bottle of wine are the bottle, the cork and the label. Posted by DaveH at May 16, 2008 9:43 PM