Description
Miljenko Grgich was a Croatian-American winemaker who established the Grgich Hills Cellar in Napa Valley. Born in 1923 in Desne, Croatia, Grgrich studied viticulture and enology at the University of Zagreb and in 1954, in the midst of unrest in Yugoslavia, migrated westward to Napa Valley via Germany and Canada. Over a nine-year period, he worked as winemaker at the Christian Brothers and Robert Mondavi wineries, eventually moving to Chateau Montelena and participating in the 1976 “Judgement of Paris.” In 1977, he established the Grgich Hills Cellar, later known as the Grgich Hills Estate. In this interview, Grgrich discusses his childhood in Croatia, working at California wineries, Grgich Hills Cellar, and changes in the wine industry since 1958.