Robert Mondavi Winery is a world-renowned California winery located in the heart of Napa Valley. Founded in 1966 by Robert Mondavi, the winery has played a significant role in shaping the modern American wine industry. Robert Mondavi was a visionary winemaker who believed that California had the potential to produce 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, located in Oakville, California, 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. 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.”
A steady pursuit of innovation and excellence ruled from the beginning, and by the late 1960s, the winery had introduced cold fermentation, stainless steel tanks and the use of small French oak barrels to the nascent California wine industry. Robert Mondavi was also one of the first to introduce farming practices that protect people and the environment, leading to fundamental changes in the industry’s approach to winegrowing. As a testament to this commitment, the upcoming 2023 harvest at To Kalon vineyard will mark the first certified organic harvest, continuing Mondavi’s legacy of innovation and leadership.
Through tireless innovation, an uncompromising eye for quality, and boundless enthusiasm, Robert Mondavi Winery has remained true to Mondavi’s vision, producing critically acclaimed, world-class wines that reflect the unique terroir of Napa Valley. The winery continues to innovate and experiment, with a focus on sustainability and organic farming.
