A Life Full of Miracles: Remembering Mike Grgich, the King of Chardonnay
The man who made the Chardonnay that won the famous Paris Tasting dies at 100
His life was full of miracles, including living to 100. Miljenko “Mike” Grgich passed away in Napa Valley on December 13, 2013. He will always be remembered for making the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that beat the best French White Burgundies in the now legendary Paris Tasting of 1976. Commenting on that feat at the tasting’s 40th anniversary celebration held at Copia in Napa Valley in 2016, Grgich said, “It proves that you don’t need French soil to make great wine.”
That wine bottle is now in the Smithsonian.
Grgich went on to establish Grgich Hills Estate in Napa Valley, and he returned to his homeland of Croatia (where he learned to make wine when the country was under Yugoslavia’s communist rule) and established a modern winery there.
I had the opportunity to meet Grgich on many occasions, including at his 90th birthday celebration in April 2013. His story has always been inspiring, and I wrote about him for The Mercury News:
https://www.mercurynews.com/2016/04/20/five-awesome-things-about-winemaker-mike-grgich/
https://www.mercurynews.com/2016/05/23/40-years-later-celebrating-wines-judgment-of-paris-40th-anniversary/
I highly recommend his autobiography, A Glass Full of Miracles, a compelling read.
Cheers to a life well lived Mike.
 | A guest post by
|
 |
|