robert mondavi

The Best Of California Wine Country, 2010

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Don't call it a "gift guide" (although you can certainly use it as such). Instead, this is our wholly unscientific, criminally biased, fervently defended and lovingly curated paean to California's wine country. Despite all the doom-peddling and sky-falling tales that seemed to dominate this year's coverage of the industry, the Napa and Sonoma regions continue to startle and surprise, competing on equal footing with any of the world's traditional or au courant wine terroirs. Check out our celebration of the highlights, and then let us know what we missed in the comments.

Tags: best of 2010, california, napa, Quivira, robert mondavi, Sequoia Grove Vineyard, ShaferVineyards, wine

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Sunday Real Estate Round-Up, 05/09/10

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

From Homes of the Rich:
--The Glass Pavillion in Montecitio California, shown above, was designed by Steve Hermann Design. It is on the market for $35 million. The home has 15,000 square feet of living space and a lower level that can fit up to 32 cars. The listing is here.
--Versailles, the lavish home of real estate mogul David Siegel in Windemere, Florida has hit the market for $100 million. The listing is here.
--The former home of Jayson Williams, the ex-NBA player who later pled guilty to assault in the shooting death of a limousine driver is up for sale. The home was involved in the shooting and underwent an extensive renovation by the current owner. It's now listed at $12.5 million. The listing is here.

From the Real Estalker:
--Hockey player and former Vogue intern Sean Avery has listed his two-bedroom loft in the Chelsea Club building in New York City for $1.695 million. The listing is here.
--Paul and Sara Ruffin Costello, who worked for the magazine Domino have put their very well-decorated Federal style townhouse in New York City's West Village on the market for $12.95 million. The listing is here.
From the LA Times Hot Properties:
--Professional poker player Phil Ivey has listed his Las Vegas-area home at $1,995,000.

From the Wall Street Journal's Private Properties:
--The 56-acre Napa estate of the late Robert Mondavi and his widow, Margrit, has gone on the market for $25 million. The home includes a viewing tower with a circular staircase, an underground wine cellar but no vineyards.

From the NY Times Big Deal:
--Former 'N Sync band member, Lance Bass, has picked up a condo at the Chelsea Mercantile. The 1,300-square-foot one-bedroom was listed with David Lewandowski and Ronald Lense at Prudential Douglas Elliman for $1.495 million.
--A unit in the San Remo building at 145-146 Central Park West has hit the market for $17.5 million. The listing for the three-bedroom unit in the south tower is here.
--Producer Joe Roth has found a buyer for his One Beacon Court. The condo was listed at $21.7 million.

Tags: laetitia maklouf, lance bass, luciano pavrotti, margrit mondavi, phil ivey, robert mondavi, stephanie beacham, Terry Venables, vince clarke

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Woodbridge Creates An Inexpensive Sparkling Wine

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

You can't drink champagne everyday but with the new value priced sparkler from Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi you can enjoy bubbles without any guilt. The Woodbridge Brut Sparkling Wine marks the first time in brand history that a sparkling wine has been added to the extensive Woodbridge portfolio. Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Brut Sparkling Wine uses the Charmat method to create a Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine with Chardonnay grapes harvested early in the season to retain their liveliness. The wine goes through a secondary fermentation for 3-5 weeks in small pressurized tanks to produce its distinguishing sparkle by introducing specially selected yeast from the Champagne region of France to the base blend. The sparkling wine is then aged sur lie for 1-2 months and prior to bottling, a final dosage of sugar is added to balance the wine within the Brut level of sweetness (typically between 0 and 15 g/l of residual sugar).

The resulting wine has bright apple, pear and citrus notes. At under $10 a bottle it's a budget option for tossing into a mimosa or bringing along on picnics and other summer events. The Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Brut Sparkling Wine will be available nationally beginning June 1, 2010.

Tags: brut wine, california wine, robert mondavi, sparkling wine, woodbridge

Taste3 Conference Suspended For 2009

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Events

Sadly another of Robert Mondavi's legacies is in trouble. The Napa Valley food and wine center Copia went into liquidation recently and now Taste3, the annual conference celebrating food and wine, is on hold. Taste3 is sponsored by the Robert Mondavi Winery and brings food writers, chefs, winemakers and other artisans together each year for a weekend of talks and tastings. The conference depends on both sponsorships and having plenty of buyers for the tickets, which in 2008 cost $1950 for the weekend. The current economy has proved to be a challenge for many festivals and events and Taste3 would also have to find a new venue now that Copia is closed. The next Taste3 is planned for 2010.

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Tags: copia, food, mondavi, napa valley, NapaValley, robert mondavi, RobertMondavi, taste3, wine

Auction Napa Valley Brings in $10.4 Million

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Charity

The economic news may be dismal but Auction Napa Valley still managed to do quite well, coming in 5% over last year and raising $10.35 million for local charities. The weekend event in Napa Valley, California drew guests from around the world to bid on barrel futures, one-of-a-kind wines, winery vertical collections and rare bottlings of Napa Valley wines that were often partnered with vintner-hosted events, luxury items and travel. Jay Leno served as the host of the Live Auction and guests included Congressman Mike Thompson and first time attendee, Oprah Winfrey. Check out some of the fun in the gallery below.

Gallery: Auction Napa Valley

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Tags: auction napa valley, AuctionNapaValley, jay leno, oprah winfrey, robert mondavi

The Legacy of Robert Mondavi

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

One of the most famous figures in American winemaking, Robert Mondavi, died on Friday. Mondavi, who was 94, was considered "the Father of Napa" and is credited with bringing Napa Valley and California wine in general to worldwide attention and fame. When he started creating wine it was assumed that only Europe could make good wine. By studying with and partnering with some of the great wine families of Europe he created many great wines.

While the future of the Mondavi wines themselves may be in question, Mondavi's influence on modern winemaking cannot be overstated. His legacy is more than the wines that bear his name but is instead a whole new way of thinking about New World wine that has led to quality wines not just in Napa but all around the U.S. and other parts of the world. Mondavi also donated millions of dollars to the University of California at Davis, which offers many winemaking programs, and founded the the art and wine center, Copia and was committed to advancing wine education.

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Tags: expire-images2009-5-18, mondavi wine, robert mondavi, RobertMondavi

Robert Mondavi Waterford Glasses

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Robert Mondavi isn't just in the wine business, now they are in the wine glass business with a new Mondavi-branded wine collection. Like the Reidel glasses that I adore, these are varietal-specific shapes designed to enhance the nuances of each each wine. There is also a martini glass for those who aren't oenophiles. At $50 per pair, they aren't for casual gatherings.

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Tags: crystal, glasses, robert mondavi, RobertMondavi, wine