Here’s a wine story to inspire–it comes with more than 150 years of history, great wine (of course) and a fun video. It’s the story of Peter Mondavi Sr. of Charles Krug Winery, who’s 97 years old and still comes into work most every day.
Mr. Mondavi recently celebrated the 150th anniversary of his family’s Charles Krug Winery, and received the Vintners Hall of Fame Award for his contributions to California wine. At 97+, Mr. Mondavi still cares deeply about making high quality, balanced Napa Valley wines at a very good price.
And he has more work to do! He’s working with his architects on remodeling Charles Krug’s 1872 Redwood Cellar, Napa Valley’s oldest winery building, which will soon house a new hospitality center. He speaks passionately and daily about getting that project completed.
Not only is Mr. Mondavi seriously invested in the remodeling project, he’s in training. Check out the video—he credits the serious twinkle in his blue eyes to a glass of red wine daily, and to this workout.
l-r Mondavi men-Marc, Peter Sr and Peter Jr
A bit of the interesting back-story on the winery: Charles Krug was a Prussian revolutionary who attempted to overthrow the German Parliament. Freed from prison, he eventually landed in Napa Valley and the revolutionary-turned-journalist founded the Valley’s first winery. That was in 1861, the year Lincoln was inaugurated and the Civil War began–Napa Valley, at the time, was essentially the Wild West. Peter Mondavi’s parents bought Charles Krug Winery in 1943. When he joined the family business soon thereafter, Peter revolutionized California wine by pioneering ground-breaking approaches still used by the wine industry today. Peter’s two sons run the business now and three Millennial members of the fourth Mondavi generation have recently joined Charles Krug, too.
Almost 70 years later, Peter Mondavi Sr. is not going to rest on his laurels. He’s got meetings with those architects to attend to!