Robert Mondavi Winery

Arguably the most famous name to ever come out of Napa, Robert Mondavi was a legend amongst producers, helping to put Napa Valley on the map. Mondavi's parents emigrated from the Marche region in Italy and they settled in Minnesota before moving to California when he was a teenager. In 1943, he joined his father and brother after they acquired the Charles Krug, a long established winery in the Napa Valley. In 1965, following an argument with his brother about running the domain, he left to start his own winery. The 1966 vintage was his first at Robert Mondavi Winery. Over the years, he built up an empire, creating some of the most exciting bottles coming out of the Napa Valley. Modavi was also one of the co-founders of Opus One (with the Baron de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild). Much of their success has come from the fact that their wines were produced from one of the Valley's best vineyards, To Kalon. Originally planted in 1868, over the years it has become recognized as one of the 'first-growth' vineyards of the Napa Valley. Today, they produce 19 wines which fall under the various categories: reserve wines, district wines, winery exclusive wines and Napa Valley wines. Their Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve remains one of the Valley's best.