The success story of what is probably California's most famous wine-growing family began when Cesare Mondavi (1883-1959) emigrated from the Marche region to Virginia in the US state of Minnesota in 1906. After a short career in iron mining, Cesare opened a saloon. The family grew with the addition of two sons, Robert Gerald (1913-2008) and Peter Rudolph (1914-2016). In 1922, the family moved to California and established a wholesale grape business in Lodi in the Central Valley. They also produced wine for their own use. In 1943, the winery founded in 1861 by Charles Krug (1825-1892) was purchased for $75,000. The two sons shared the responsibility, Robert was responsible for marketing and Peter for the vineyards and vinification. They were supported by the famous oenologist André Tchelistcheff (1901-1994).
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Egon Mark
Diplom-Sommelier, Weinakademiker und Weinberater, Volders (Österreich)