A pioneer of Napa Valley Winemaking known as the “The King of Chardonnay” has passed away at the age of 100. Miljenko “Mike” Grgich died yesterday at his home in Calistoga. Born in April of 1923, Grgich studied enology and viticulture in Croatia and became a winemaker like his father. He managed to escape the communist controlled country and made his way to Napa Valley where he got a job in the wine industry. He eventually crafted the Chateau Montelena 1973 Chardonnay that triumphed in the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976. After that, Grgich founded Grgich Hills Estate in Rutherford in 1977 and ran it until 2018 when he passed it over to his daughter, Violet. He also helped rebuild Croatia’s wine industry after the fall of communism, opening Grgic Vina winery, producing red and white wines from indigenous vines.
