On Robert Mondavi Day, Prize Winners and Legacies

Sunday, May 16th marked the unofficially official Robert Mondavi Day, the 2nd anniversary of his passing.

In observance of and memorial to Mondavi’s leadership to the California wine industry, I ran a prize giveaway in conjunction with wine accessory company True Fabrications in order to maintain an annual pebble size ripple of awareness, particularly for wine enthusiasts both new and old for whom a historical benchmark is critical, akin to understanding that Dr. J pioneered the slam dunks that Michael Jordan perfected.

Based on random number selection, I’m pleased to announce that Good Grape reader Ranndy (yes, two n’s) Kellogg from the greater Chicagoland area is the winner of the $150 prize package, with a very generous late addition of a one year subscription to Wine BlueBook (WBB)  from friend of Good Grape and WBB publisher Neil Monnens ($25 value).

Ranndy, already a wine enthusiast, now has a number of accessories to add to his wine fandom arsenal.  Thanks to all who entered the contest by leaving a comment.

For my own observance of Robert Mondavi Day, I wanted to drink a California wine that, if not quintessential (a Reserve To Kalon, perhaps), at least typified all that is great about Robert Mondavi’s contributions to the domestic wine world as we know it. 

I selected the 2007 Continuum red blend from Mondavi’s son, Tim Mondavi – a wine project also supported by Mondavi’s widow, Margrit Biever Mondavi.

Provided by the winery, the 2007 blend from Oakville and mountain fruit is a precursor to entirely estate grown mountain fruit for Continuum in the ‘08’s and beyond—though if the 2007 is any indication, there isn’t much sense messing with a good thing.  The wine is a 60% Cabernet / 22% Cabernet Franc / 18% Petite Verdot blend and the best review by score I’ve ever given a wine.  To call it stunning is to suggest that Audrey Hepburn might have lacked refinement, as in “stunning” isn’t an adequate enough descriptor.

The Mondavi legacy certainly lives on, a modern day manifestation befitting the name of a legend. In Tim’s words, “For four generations our family has created a continuum of wine excellence, enhancing the celebration of life.”

Indeed.