Overview

• Mike Grgich, renowned winemaker and co-founder of Grgich Hills Estate, passed away at the age of 100.
• Grgich's 1973 Chateau Montelena chardonnay won first place in a blind tasting in Paris in 1976, putting Napa Valley on the world's wine map.
• After his success, Grgich opened his own winery, Grgich Hills Estate, in 1977.
• Grgich also played a significant role in rebuilding Croatia's wine industry after the fall of communism, opening Grgich Vina in 1996.
• He ran Grgich Hills Estate until 2018, when he handed over leadership to his daughter, Violet Grgich, and his grand-nephew, winemaker Ivo Jeramaz.