Biography
Scope and Content
Arrangement of the Collection
Access
Processing Information
Acquisition
Preferred Citation
Publication Rights
Contributing Institution:
University of California, Davis Library, Dept. of Special Collections
Title: Robert G. Mondavi Papers
Creator:
Mondavi, Robert, 1913-2008
Identifier/Call Number: D-533
Identifier/Call Number: 763
Physical Description:
47.6 linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1925-2008
Date (bulk): 1970-2008
Abstract: The Robert G. Mondavi Papers document the life and work of California winemaker and innovator Robert Mondavi (1913-2008).
Mondavi was highly influential in redefining the place of wine in American food culture and promoting California wines throughout
the world. The collection includes extensive correspondence from winemakers, family members, employees of the
Robert
Mondavi
Winery
, and contacts worldwide. The collection also includes biographical material, his speeches and travel files, and information
on COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food, and the Arts.
Physical Location: This collection is stored off-site at the North Regional Library Facility. Researchers should contact Special Collections
to request collections in advance.
Language of Material:
English
.
Biography
Robert G. Mondavi (1913-2008) was a winemaker based in Napa Valley, California. He was one of the most influential figures
in the American wine world of the late twentieth century. Robert Mondavi was born in Minnesota to Cesare and Rosa Mondavi,
immigrants from the Marche region of Italy. He was one of four siblings: two older sisters, Mary and Helen, and a younger
brother, Peter. The family later moved to Lodi, California, where all four Mondavi children attended Lodi High School. After
high school, Robert Mondavi went on to Stanford University, where he graduated in 1936 with a degree in economics and business
administration. After graduation from Stanford, Robert worked for a time at Sunny St. Helena
Winery (now Merryvale Vineyards), which his father Cesare had bought in 1935. In 1940,
Robert
Mondavi
married Marjorie Declusin; their children Robert Michael, Marcia, and Timothy were born in 1943, 1947, and 1951.
When the Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena, California, came up for sale in 1943, Robert convinced his father to buy it. Robert
and his younger brother Peter worked there with Cesare, but after their father's death, disagreements on the running of the
winery became too great. Robert left Charles Krug and founded the
Robert
Mondavi
Winery
in 1966. In 1979, Robert and Marjorie Mondavi divorced.
With his sons Michael and Tim and his daughter Marcia, Robert Mondavi focused the work of his new vineyard on creating California
wines that reflected the winemaking traditions of Europe. In 1980 Robert married long-time friend and colleague Margrit Biever;
their shared love of art and music led to a flourishing of the cultural life of the winery and of the city of Napa. Robert
traveled to Europe extensively during this period and built strong personal ties with many of the winemakers he met during
his travels. Among these winemakers was Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild. In 1980, Robert and Baron
Philippe teamed up to create the Napa-Medoc joint venture, later known as Opus One. The goal of Opus One was, as described
in a photo caption, to create a wine that "brought together the best of France and California." The joint venture elevated
the international status of California wines: according to the Opus One website, "Opus One … became the first ultra-premium
California wine to be sold in France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland."
One of Robert Mondavi's largest contributions to the American food landscape came about as a result of the Mission Program.
Launched in 1988, the Mission campaign was intended to redefine the place of wine in daily life. Robert Mondavi noted:
"At Robert Mondavi, we view wine as an integral part of our culture, heritage and the gracious way of life. We believe wine
is the temperate, civilized, sacred, romantic mealtime beverage. Wine has been praised for centuries by statesmen, philosophers,
poets, and scholars. Wine has been with us since civilization began and will be with us indefinitely. Now it is up to us to
educate ourselves about what wine really is."
Robert Mondavi was concerned about what he referred to as "neo-Prohibitionism" gaining a foothold in the 1980s. Mondavi wanted
to turn the conversation away from alcohol as a vice and towards the idea of wine as food. He worked closely with the Wine
Institute, which advocates for the California wine industry, to promote the health and social benefits of moderate wine consumption;
the ubiquitous press coverage of the "French Paradox" -- the then-current idea of a causal link between red wine consumption
and lower incidence of heart disease -– was a boon to their efforts.
In addition to promoting wine as a part of "the good life," Robert Mondavi was a great supporter of the arts. He and Margrit
Mondavi felt that visual, auditory, and culinary arts all had a place in daily life. The
Robert
Mondavi
Winery
has been host to the Summer Music Festival since 1969 and to the Great Chefs program since 1986. In 1997, Robert and Margrit
Mondavi, along with Ann Hatch, founded the Oxbow School in Napa, California. The school is a single-semester residential arts
school for high school students. It admitted its first students in 1999 and continues to provide opportunities for young artists.
As Vice President of Cultural Affairs at the
Robert
Mondavi
Winery
, Margrit Mondavi has continued their efforts in art and education.
In 2001, COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food, and the Arts opened its doors in Napa. COPIA was designed to showcase
California's contributions to wine, fine food, and the visual arts. Three major organizations came together to create the
Center: UC Davis; the American Institute for Wine and Food; and Cornell University's School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration.
Chef Julia Child was also a supporter of the project; the restaurant at COPIA was named "Julia's Kitchen" in her honor. COPIA
closed in 2008 after difficult years of declining financial support.
Robert and Margrit Mondavi have also made significant contributions to the arts and to wine research at UC Davis: through
their major contributions and support, the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts opened in 2002; and the
Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science opened in 2008. Margrit Mondavi continues the family's extraordinary philanthropic
leadership. She made an inspirational lead gift to the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at UC Davis, and has
provided support of undergraduate and graduate students in the colleges of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and in
the division of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies in the College of Letters and Sciences.
In 2007, Robert Mondavi was inducted into both the California Hall of Fame and the Culinary Institute of America's Vintner's
Hall of Fame. He died at his home in Yountville in 2008.
Selected Awards and Recognitions
Among Robert Mondavi's many awards are:
Missing Title
1972 |
Los Angeles Times Vintner's Tasting selects
Robert
Mondavi
Winery's
1969 Cabernet Sauvignon as top wine
|
1983 |
Commandeur de Bordeaux, Grand Conseil du Vin de Bordeaux |
1982 |
Winemaker of the Year, American Winemaker Society |
1986 |
Man of the Year,
Wines and Vines
|
1988 |
Manof the Year,
Decanter Magazine
|
|
Hall of Fame, California Restaurant Association Educational Foundation |
1990 |
Merit Award, American Society of Enology and Viticulture |
|
Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year, James Beard Foundation |
1991 |
National Business Hall of Fame, Junior Achievement, Inc. |
|
Recognized as an "Ambassador" by Culinary Institute of America, granted "Master of Aesthetics of Gastronomy" award |
1993 |
Honorary Master of Wine, Institute of Masters of Wine |
|
Invited to join Primum Familiae Vini |
1995 |
Honorary Degree "Associate Member of Cornell Society of Hotelmen" from Cornell University |
|
Inducted into Bay Area Business Hall of Fame |
1996 |
Torch Bearer, 1996 Olympic Games |
1997 |
International Achievement Award, World Trade Club |
|
California State Fair Lifetime Achievement Award |
|
Reader's Choice award,
Wine Spectator
|
2002 |
"Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy," Republic of Italy |
|
Recognized by California State Assembly for lifetime contributions to California wine industry |
2003 |
Award of Merit – Winemaker of the Century, Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs |
|
Distinguished Honorary Member of the Agricultural Leadership Alumni, U.S. House of Representatives |
2004 |
Robert and Margrit Mondavi awarded UC Davis Medal |
2005 |
Ellis Island Family Heritage Award |
|
Legion d'Honneur, Republic of France |
Sources
- Laube, James. Robert Mondavi Dies at Age of 94.
Wine Spectator, May 16, 2008. http://www.winespectator.com/wssaccess/show/id/40906 (accessed August 29, 2012).
- Mondavi, Margrit Biever, and Janet Fletcher.
Margrit Mondavi's Sketchbook. Oakville, 2012.
- Mondavi, Robert.
Harvests of Joy. Orlando: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1998.
-
Opus One - Our History - Our Story. n.d. http://www.opusonewinery.com/Our-History/The-Story (accessed August 30, 2012).
-
Robert Mondavi Wines - History. n.d. http://www.robertmondavi.com/history (accessed August 30, 2012).
- Sipchen, Bob. "Mondavi's Mission : Vintner Mobilizes to Battle 'Neo-Prohibitionists' but Some Credit His Fervor to Lagging
Sales."
Los Angeles Times. October 14, 1987. http://articles.latimes.com/print/1987-10-14/news/vw-9327_1_wine-sales (accessed August 31, 2012).
Scope and Content
The Robert G. Mondavi Papers consist of the personal papers of
Robert
Mondavi in his role as
winery
spokesman. Corporate papers remain with their respective businesses. The papers span the years from 1925-2008, with the bulk
of the material falling between 1970 and 2008. The collection includes extensive correspondence from winemakers, family members,
employees of the
Robert
Mondavi
Winery
, and contacts worldwide. Among the correspondence are letters from notable public figures such as Newt Gingrich; Presidents
George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush; California governor Gray Davis; and chefs Alice Waters and Julia Child.
The collection also includes clipping files; daily calendars and schedules; promotional materials; speeches; travel files;
photographs; and media such as DVDs, CD-Rs, and a VHS tape. The photographs present in the collection are largely formal portraits
and photographs from events, but some are images from visits to other wineries and photographs of visiting friends. Also present
are copies of a few old family photographs.
Robert Mondavi's influence in redefining the place of wine in American food culture and promoting California wines throughout
the world is reflected well in the collection. There is a significant amount of material relating to the Mondavi and Rothschild
Opus One joint venture, as well as extensive correspondence and subject-file material regarding the potential health benefits
of wine. The Mission Program, which was an effort to place wine on an equal cultural footing with food, is also heavily documented.
The Robert G. Mondavi Papers also include biographical material; extensive information on COPIA: The American Center for Wine,
Food, and the Arts; speeches; and travel files.
Arrangement of the Collection
The collection is arranged into five series: 1. Biographical Materials; 2. Correspondence and Subject Files; 3. American Center
for Wine, Food, and the Arts (ACWFA); 4. Speeches; and 5. Travel.
Access
Collection is open for research.
Processing Information
Manuscript Archivist Liz Phillips processed this collection with the assistance of student employee Kelley Liang. Processing
of the Robert Mondavi Papers was funded by generous donations from the Robert Mondavi Trust, Margrit Mondavi, and supporting
friends, 2011.
Acquisition
Gift of The Robert G. Mondavi Trust, 2011.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Robert G. Mondavi Papers, D-533, Department of Special Collections, General Library, University
of California, Davis.
Publication Rights
All applicable copyrights for the collection are protected under chapter 17 of the U.S. Copyright Code. Requests for permission
to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication
is given on behalf of the Regents of the University of California as the owner of the physical items. It is not intended to
include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Food habits -- United States -- History -- 20th century
Vintners -- California
University of California, Davis -- History.
Wine and wine making -- California -- Napa County
Viticulture -- California
Rothschild, Philippe, baron de, 1902- -- Correspondence
Mondavi, Robert, 1913-2008 -- Archives