Goin’ to Grgich.

Here’s a winery that’s easy to find and hard to leave – Grgich Hills Estate, located in Rutherford just off Hwy 29, parallel to the Silverado Trail (www.grgich.com). Founder Mike Grgich, though not mentioned in Bottle Shock, is the winemaker who crafted the 1973 Chateau Montelena Napa chardonnay that stunned the world by winning the1976 blind tasting in Paris. His wine beat out the fabled white Burgundies of France, and not only gave Mike instant stardom in the wine world but also secured Napa’s place forever on the map of world-class winemaking. There would be no looking back to hippie roots and laid back winemaking techniques, bong over-use and tasting from Mason jars. That’s what Bottle Shock would have you believe Napa was all about before 1976. I prefer to think it was mostly just a quieter place of fewer wineries and small-yield vintners doing their own thing - some perhaps waiting for that big break that did come. The tasting triumph took Napa from a sleepy hamlet to the huge business that it is today. (Though it would have been fun to experience it in the hippie era…)

When you visit the Grgich Hills tasting room, you might even see Mike Grgich in his trademark blue beret, though he’s in his mid-“80’s now and leaving the heavy lifting to daughter and winemaker, Violet, and his nephew Ivo. He’s earned the right to rest on his laurels, having been inducted into the Vintner’s Hall of Fame. He’s big on philanthropy too, supporting Napa causes via the annual wine auction, as well as in his leadership efforts to eradicate land mines in his native Croatia. (Referred to as “replacing mines with vines”!) And Grgich wines have been enjoyed at state dinners by U.S. presidents, Queen Elizabeth, and even the very French (!) François Mitterrand.

There’s nothing not to like at Grgich Hills Estate. All fruit used in their six wines is from their own vineyards. Innovation is key; so all 366 acres are certified organic and have been converted to biodynamic growing techniques. And, the winery is solar-powered.

While the signature wine at Grgich Hills Estates continues to be its inimitable chardonnay (one of my very top favorites to splurge on!) you will find the same supreme commitment to craft in their other wines. But on the subject of the chard, keep in mind that the Grgich is a sublime experience in the lighter, French winemaking tradition - not the BIG, firecracker fruit of (the also beloved) Rombauer chardonnay. These are two very different experiences. And make sure you try the richly powerful Grgich Zinfandel, the grape, Mike believes, originated in Croatia as the Crljenak. (Don’t ask me to pronounce it as it took me a year just to get Grgich right!) Another wine I love is their complex and airy Fumé Blanc – it’s easy to pair with food. Their Cabernet Sauvignon holds its own in a valley of masterful cabs. There’s a Merlot too, which I have not yet tried – sorry. And for dessert, Violetta, named for Mike’s daughter. It’s one of the most complex wines in the dessert category, and a very special treat. Serve this with some cheese biscuits and your guests will never want you to bake again.

Oh, you know how I said I am opposed to purchasing items for White Elephant parties? I had to break my own edict when I saw a Mike Grgich bobblehead for sale in the tasting room. But how will I be able to part with it?!