Visit Robert Mondavi winery

last updated 15 June 2016

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Robert Mondavi established his namesake winery in 1966 with a vision to create Napa Valley wines that would stand in the company of the world’s finest. He chose To Kalon Vineyard in the heart of the Napa Valley as the home for Robert Mondavi Winery. This first-growth vineyard is renowned for producing some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon wines in the world, as well as for its Sauvignon Blanc grapes, from which Mr. Mondavi crafted his signature wine, Fumé Blanc.

At the age of 53, with little money but full of energy and vision, Robert Mondavi changed the course of the US wine industry. Realizing a long-held dream—to create excellent Napa Valley wines that would stand in the company of the great wines of the world—he founded the iconic Robert Mondavi Winery in 1966, opening the door to the future of American fine wine.

Robert knew that the first place to begin was in the vineyard. For the home of his fledgling winery, he chose a 12-acre site in the To Kalon Vineyard, a historic property long regarded as one of Napa Valley’s finest. The vineyard’s optimum sun exposure and annual rainfall combined with low-fertility, well-drained, gravelly clay loam soils were first appreciated by Hamilton Walker Crabb, one of Napa Valley’s winegrowing pioneers, who purchased the land and planted it to vineyard in the late 1800s. The outstanding quality of his grapes inspired Crabb to name the vineyard ‘To Kalon,’ Greek for ‘the beautiful.’

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Over the years, more parcels of the historic To Kalon property have been acquired; the vineyard now stands at 550 acres, of which 435 belong to Robert Mondavi Winery. Portions of which were planted as early as 1945, and several wines come from blocks between 25 and 35 years old, which were protected from phylloxera by their St. George rootstock. The 10-acre To Kalon I block, planted in 1945, is believed to be the oldest Sauvignon Blanc vineyard in North America.

As the current torchbearer of Robert Mondavi’s vision, carrying on the legacy of Robert Mondavi is both a joy and an honor for Genevieve Janssens, who has been at the helm of winemaking since 1997. ‘With our To Kalon Fermentation Cellar finished and the new vineyard projects underway, this is an exciting time for the winery, and for me,’ she says. ‘We continue to follow Robert Mondavi’s inspiration, with a holistic philosophy of growing our grapes naturally and making wines naturally—fine, balanced wines that harmonize with food.’

In 2016, Robert Mondavi Winery celebrates its 50th Anniversary, a milestone in the annals of California wine. On July 16, Robert Mondavi Winery will host its 50th Anniversary Celebration Day at the winery.

VISITOR INFORMATION

Robert Mondavi Winery

7801 St. Helena Highway

Oakville, CA 94562

USA

phone: +1 (707) 226 1395, fax: +1 (707) 968 2174

e-mail: info@robertmondaviwinery.com

website: www.robertmondavi.com

Winery Hours: Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day