![]() True to the vineyard name, the Animo 2010 and the M 2010 feel imbued with a life force of vibrant animation. It provides grapes for the flagship M by Michael Mondavi label but only became its own brand with the 2010 vintage reviewed below. Michael and Isabel Mondavi and their children presciently purchased the vineyard on Atlas Peak, renamed Animo, in 1999. Whether the grapes come from the valley floor, foothills or mountainside, cabernet sauvignon and Napa Valley are inextricably linked. ![]() ![]() That grape variety grew in importance with the reputation of Napa Valley and the Robert Mondavi Winery, which, along with others, exploited key vineyard sites to produce profound wines. It’s the last three cabernet-based wines that concern us today.Ĭabernet sauvignon is a natural fit for Napa Valley and for the Michael Mondavi family. Ten years later, Tim and Marcia own Continuum Winery on Pritchard Hill (whose products I have not tasted), while Michael and his family, wife Isabel and children Rob and Dina, preside over an empire of sorts that under the Folio Fine Wine Partners umbrella includes an arm that imports wines primarily from Italy but also Germany, Austria and Spain, and Michael Mondavi Family Estate, which includes the Isabel Mondavi, Emblem, Animo and M by Michael Mondavi labels. No, wine and the Napa Valley were in their blood. I live in Napa with my wife, Lydia and our sons.When the Mondavi family sold the Robert Mondavi Winery to Constellation Brands in 2004, no one assumed that the children of patriarch Robert Mondavi (1913-2008) - Michael, Tim and Marcia - would roll over and find jobs outside the wine industry, say in teaching or marketing or going to law school. My family and I founded Folio Fine Wine Partners in 2004, with the vision of producing and importing the most exciting wines from established and emerging wine regions. I went on to serve as Director of Marketing for Robert Mondavi Winery, spearheading the winery’s trade marketing initiatives. Soon I became Sales Director, responsible for developing and managing sales of the company’s imported wines from Australia, Chile and Italy in more than 20 states. I joined the Robert Mondavi Corporation in 2000, as a luxury brands Sales Manager. In 1996, I established the Napa Cigar Company, a manufacturer and importer of premium cigars from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and the Canary Islands. I educated myself about international business culture by moving to Panama for a year and when I returned to Napa Valley, I decided to try my hand at importing. Following I went to work in sales for Southern Wine & Spirits to learn more about the distributor side of the industry. I graduated in 1994, with a degree in English Literature, and spent time at our Vichon winery where I made my first wines. Much later I even started my own business hosting mountain bike tours through the Napa Valley wine country. I can remember being so small that it was a feat to turn the barrels so that we could wash them. ![]() The first job I held was under Tony Coltrin our current Director of winemaking, whereby I followed him through the cellars, and learned all that a 12 year old could. Prior to and during my summer breaks from the University of Santa Clara, I held a variety of positions in our family’s company to gain experience in all aspects of vineyard and winery management, hospitality and business operations. I grew up in Napa Valley, and my earliest memories are of playing among the vines and barrels at Robert Mondavi Winery. As the son of Michael and Isabel Mondavi, my enthusiasm for wine took root more than 30 years ago. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |