Luncheon At Robert Mondavi Winery, Friday June 28th, 1996

Back when I worked for Forman Brothers distributing company our wine sales team won a trip to California to visit certain wineries. The Robert Mondavi winery was one of them and it was my first visit there. I had not visited it with my father earlier while he was still alive so I was really pleased to finally see it as well as the Opus One winery. As much as I did enjoy visiting Opus One this was my favorite of the two. It may have been because we enjoyed such a wonderful afternoon there after our tour looking out at the vineyards and the hills in the back where we were feted with our own meal and menu : Forman Brothers clearly spelled at the top. I took the liberty to get it signed by both our chef, Sarah Scott and our personal guide Gilles de Chambue. Memory fades and I would not have remembered either name unfortunately. I also have a picture of both after the meal speaking with John Pollis and Emily Maische while the rest of us listened and I busily arranged pictures of glasses and bottles, flowers( pink Gerberas and yellow wild flowers ) and menu. It was magnificent summer's day and everyone was relaxed and smiling.
I had my camera this time and am pleased that I got four ambiance pictures at our table outside. The back of the menu states : " Our Vineyard Room reflects Robert Mondavi families hospitality and their belief that all the arts - fine arts, gastronomy and wine - should be enjoyed together. " It goes on to say that executive chef Annie Roberts designed the menu especially for us using ingredients grown in their garden or chosen from local growers. The wines were chosen to complement each course and it was a program started back in 1968 as a wine and food education program. I do remember really enjoying my meal but also the beautiful day and hospitality.
Robert Mondavi, his wife, his two sons - none of them were at this luncheon. That's too bad. I would have enjoyed meeting them there on their home turf. We started our meal with a salad of Romaine hearts and goat cheese with a fume blanc vinaigrette. The 1994 Robert Mondavi Napa Fume Blanc was served with with this tasty, vibrant salad. What a perfect pairing for that moment. We then moved to a tenderloin of beef with a Cabernet Sauvignon sauce, garlic mashed potato strudel and grilled asparagus. The 1993 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon reserve accompanied this rosy pink tenderloin.
I have pictures of us enjoying the salad and Fume Blanc. A rose was also served as I can clearly see glasses in the pictures I took. Was it one of the La Familia wines or was it something else? I cannot remember. Gilles must have wanted us to try it.
We then finished with a warm summer fruit compote with peach ice cream and almond shortbread cookies. This was matched beautifully with the 1994 Robert Mondavi Napa Moscato d'Oro that is delicate and light and very reminiscent of Muscat Beaumes de Venise wines. I tried to take pictures of the vines beyond us further back but I got lots of shadows.
Gilles asked us where we would be dining that evening. We told him and he had sent over a whole set of the different La Familia wines for us to enjoy with our Italian-style meal. Talk about a true host, a smart business man, someone that goes way beyond what would normally be expected. Thank you Gilles, thank you Susan. You all showed us the Robert Mondavi hospitality that day and we are grateful still twelve years later.
I collect these my Robert Mondavi stories to share and bring to life to share them with everyone two days after Robert Mondavi passed away at his home in the Napa Valley. We will miss you Robert. We will not forget what you have done for the whole wine world. Thank you for being such a generous ambassador to the wine world and sharing so much with everyone.
When I was visiting the Catena winery in Mendoza, Argentina I remember talking with Pedro the assistant wine maker there at the time. Pedro was responsible for showing us Mendoza and the Catena winery on our visit. On one of our bus rides he and I spoke. He told me his story and how he had learned about wine. He could not say enough in praise of the time he had visited the Napa Valley and the Robert Mondavi winery. I think this all came up when Pedro and I were discussing the different kinds of tannins and how to better know and manage them. Pedro had these same discussions there in Napa. He talked about how open and willing to share ideas and listen they were. He spoke with gratitude and strong conviction as if he had been really moved by this experience.
Even after our lunch there on just a half-day spent there I can now see a bit more of what he described. Our tour was quite informative and complete. I have a strong feeling that Pedro is just one of the many people in the wine business all over the world that echoes these sentiments : sentiments that will ring even louder and clearer now. Too bad I don't have a bottle to enjoy now. I will have to go buy one or two and toast you Robert, your wide Magrit and your two sons Tim and Michael - not to mention all your family. Cheers, to wine, life, art, hospitality. honesty and nobility and humbleness/gratitude of all human souls to/for one another. Live and let live. TONY