Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook
Guy Buys $123 Safe on eBay, Finds $26,000 Inside Seller tries to get half the cash back, fails »

Wine Whiz Mondavi Dead at 94

Dapper vintner proved California grapes could rival Europe's

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted May 16, 2008 7:54 PM CDT

(Newser) – California wine master Robert Mondavi died peacefully today in his Napa Valley home at age 94, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Disciples and critics alike have praised the vintner for elevating West Coast wine from jug juice to world-class vino. "His legacy and his vision for what California could do remains with us as guidepost and a source of aspiration," one winemaker said.

The dapper grape-grower broke away from the family business in 1965, intent on proving that California grapes, steel fermentation tanks, and French oak barrels could produce wine on par with Europe's. His family sold the winery for more than $1 billion 4 years ago, but Mondavi stayed active in Napa's wine community until last year.

The Robert Mondavi Winery.
The Robert Mondavi Winery.   (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Workers sift through Cabernet Sauvignon grapes on a sorting table.
Workers sift through Cabernet Sauvignon grapes on a sorting table.   (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
A grape picker dumps a load of Cabernet Franc grapes into a bin in California.
A grape picker dumps a load of Cabernet Franc grapes into a bin in California.   (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Robert Mondavi, who built the first new winery in California's Napa Valley since prohibition, is dead at 94.
Robert Mondavi, who built the first new winery in California's Napa Valley since prohibition, is dead at 94.   (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Arnold Schwarzenegger, left, talks with Margrit Mondavi and inductee Robert Mondavi before the California Hall of Fame ceremony at the California Museum of History, Women and Arts in Sacramento.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, left, talks with Margrit Mondavi and inductee Robert Mondavi before the California Hall of Fame ceremony at the California Museum of History, Women and Arts in Sacramento.   (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)
Peter Mondavi, left, and his brother Robert Mondavi, right, sit together during the festival event of the Napa Valley wine auction in St. Helena, Calif.
Peter Mondavi, left, and his brother Robert Mondavi, right, sit together during the festival event of the Napa Valley wine auction in St. Helena, Calif.   (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

More Newser Stories

Rising Temperatures Threaten Vineyards in California

Seaver Trades Curve Balls for Cabernets

Sonoma-Napa Rivalry Escalates

This Guy's Getting $60K to Tweet About Wine

Vineyard Offers $10K/Month to Drink, Tweet About Wine


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne