A fascinating new book is now available that details the behind-the-scenes story of how the famous Mondavi family of Napa Valley built… and then lost… a global wine empire.
The author, Julia Flynn, is based in San Francisco and writes for The Wall Street Journal. Her resume also includes work for BusinessWeek and The New York Times.
Here is a summary of “The House of Mondavi,” courtesy of its publisher…
Set in California’s lush Napa Valley and spanning four generations
of a talented and visionary family, “The House of Mondavi” is a tale of
genius, sibling rivalry, and betrayal. From 1906, when Italian
immigrant Cesare Mondavi passed through Ellis Island, to the Robert
Mondavi Corp.’s 21st-century battle over a billion-dollar fortune,
award-winning journalist Julia Flynn brings to life both the place and
the people in this riveting family drama.
The blood feuds are as spectacular as the business triumphs.
Cesare’s sons, Robert and Peter, literally came to blows in the 1960s
during a dispute touched off by the purchase of a mink coat, resulting
in Robert’s exile from the family – and his subsequent founding of a
winery that would set off a revolution in American winemaking.
Robert’s sons, Michael and Timothy, as passionate in their own
ways as their visionary father, waged battle with each other for
control of the company before Michael’s expansive ambitions ultimately
led to a board coup and the sale of the business to an international
conglomerate.
A meticulously reported narrative based on thousands of hours of
interviews, “The House of Mondavi” is bound to become a classic.
