It’s re-opened as of today! Robert Mondavi Winery 2.0
I had the privilege of having an advance walk around the newly renovated Robert Mondavi Winery, the epicenter of wine activity in Napa Valley.
Robert Mondavi, whom I called a friend, opened his winery in Oakville, Napa Valley, in 1966; people compare it to his having tossed a pebble into a lake, causing great concentric ripples. The ripples in this case were wineries and an industry that ballooned outward and then upward.
There were a handful of wineries here in 1966 when Bob tossed that pebble. Today, there are more than 1,000. My friend Bob lifted all boats.
In 2004, Constellation came along and bought the winery.
In 2016, I had the good fortune to be one of very few journalists invited to attend the 3-day, 50th anniversary of the Mondavi winery. If you missed my review of that epic event, you will find it immediately below. That Mondavi weekend constitutes one of the most cherished wine experiences that I have ever had.
But That Was Then, and This is Now
Yesterday, I visited the new winery, which has just undergone a 3-year renovation, costing, according to insiders, who spoke to me when the reno began, more than $175 million.
I had a personal tour of the renovation from Zarmeena Khan, a delightful, knowledgable, breath of fresh air here. She is Sr. Manager of Hospitality and Events.
Zarmeena (above) showed me the new fermenting room with stainless steel and concrete fermenters. Gone are the large oak fermenters that were cherished for such a long time. The wood from those mammoth oak barrels has been used to make the ceiling of the new fermenting room (immediately below)….
And we talked about the famous To Kalon Vineyard, which anchors the winery’s fame as it is the oldest vineyard in Napa Valley.
Vines stretching out to the To Kalon Vineyard….
The new barrel-aging room…
I tasted four different recently released Mondavi wines; I thought the 2021 entry level Cabernet, which is a blend of different vineyards and which includes all five Bordeaux varietals, was filled with lush, ripe plum and ripe cherry notes. It retails for $50 and is worthy of this price.
There are numerous tours, tastings, and pairings with food — too many options to regurgitate here. Go to the website to learn more. robertmondaviwinery.com
Today is the official opening of the winery. It’s great to have the winery back, open, and to be able to communicate so closely with Bob’s spirit again.
I took a moment of reflection and got misty eyed looking at a wall of Bob & Margrit photos… they introduced me to Napa Valley in 1980 and I moved here largely because of them and their contagious love of great food and great wine.