Croatian-American wine icon honored in Napa Valley
- by croatiaweek
- in News
(Photo: Nada Pritisanac Matulich)
In Northern California, the anniversary of the 101st birthday of the recently deceased Miljenko ‘Mike’ Grgich was solemnly celebrated.
The ceremony honoring his remarkable life and legacy, as well as that of his wife Tatjana Grgich, was opened in the Napa Valley by their daughter Violet Grgich, president of Grgich Hills Estates.
(Photo: Nada Pritisanac Matulich)
Among the attendees at the celebration were family and friends, as well as prominent experts from the wine industry in Napa Valley. Notably, Dr. Carole Meredith, who through DNA analysis proved that Zinfandel, a grape variety cultivated in Napa Valley, originated from Croatia and shares the same DNA as Kaštelanski crljenac.
(Photo: Nada Pritisanac Matulich)
(Photo: Nada Pritisanac Matulich)
Joanne Depuy, who participated in the historic “Judgment of Paris” and the blind wine tasting in Paris in 1976, which put Californian wines on the global map of the finest, was also present.
(Photo: Nada Pritisanac Matulich)
Adding to the grandeur of the ceremony with their presence and addresses were Senator Bill Dodd and Congressman Mike Thompson.
Among the many speakers, the Croatian civilian representative to the UN NY and president of the global organization ‘American Croatian Congress’, Nada Pritisanac Matulich, conveyed the support and gratitude of Croatians and Croatian organizations from five continents, emphasizing how proud Croatians worldwide are of the Grgich family.
(Photo: Nada Pritisanac Matulich)
It was difficult to find the right words to convey to the broader public the extent of respect, gratitude, and pride expressed by the speakers towards the exceptional couple, Miljenko and Tatjana Grgich.
In recognition of Miljenko’s contribution to the American wine industry, Miljenko ‘Mike’ Grgich was inducted into the “Hall of Fame of American Winemakers” by the Culinary Institute on March 7, 2008.
(Photo: Nada Pritisanac Matulich)
The Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, featured Miljenko ‘Mike’ Grgich in its first major exhibition on the history of food. The main focus of the exhibition was on the revolution in American winemaking in the second half of the 20th century.
(Photo: Nada Pritisanac Matulich)
Displayed at the exhibition was the 1973 Chardonnay produced by Miljenko Grgich, which triumphed in Paris in 1976, along with a small cardboard suitcase he brought from Croatia containing books on winemaking and his famous beret.
(Photo: Nada Pritisanac Matulich)
In 2013, the magazine ‘Smithsonian’ published a list of “One Hundred and One Objects That Made America” and the book “History of America in One Hundred and One Objects.”
Among the invaluable historical items such as Abraham Lincoln’s hat, Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone, and Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit, are two bottles of Chardonnay produced by Mike Grgich at Chateau Montelena winery, which triumphed at the ‘Judgment of Paris’ in 1976.
(Photo: Nada Pritisanac Matulich)
On the occasion of his 93rd birthday, Grgich published his memoir titled “A Glass Full of Miracles.” In the book, he described the journey of a young Croatian man in search of freedom and the opportunity to fulfill his American dream, becoming one of the most esteemed and beloved legends in the history of winemaking, despite the numerous challenges he faced throughout his long life.
(Photo: Nada Pritisanac Matulich)
(Photo: Nada Pritisanac Matulich)
On Miljenko’s 101st birthday in Yountville, a small town near the ‘Grgich Hills Estates’ winery, a tree planting ceremony was held in his honor at the Friendship Park organized by the “Roots of Peace” organization, of which the Grgich family is a major donor.
Alongside Violet Grgich, the ceremony was graced by the presence of the organization’s founder, Heidi Kuhn, and Marjorie Mohler, the mayor of Yountville.
Tatjana Grgich, Miljenko’s lesser-known wife, served as the president of the “Tatjana Grgich Foundation” for 30 years. The foundation supports numerous local and national charitable organizations that aid youth in conflict-ridden areas around the world.
(Photo: Nada Pritisanac Matulich)
Since 1986, Tatjana has been a member of the Board of Regents of The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. She also worked as a philanthropist and board member of ‘Pacem in Terris’ (Institute for Peace on Earth) at LaRoche College in Pittsburgh, PA. Besides her philanthropy, she was known for her Croatian specialties and love for photography.
(Photo: Nada Pritisanac Matulich)
She was also one of the founders of WIRED International, an organization that began its work in 1997 providing internet connectivity in war-torn cities and now focuses on medical and health education in underdeveloped regions worldwide through computer technology.
(Photo: Nada Pritisanac Matulich)
The ceremony was enhanced by a performance from the ‘Zora’ choir from San Jose, California, singing the favorite songs of the Miljenko and Tatjana Grgich family. It was a day to remember, proudly affirming that our Croatia is a small country of great people, as acknowledged by the great America honoring one of them.
