{{Short description|Croatian-American winemaker (1923–2023)}} {{use American English|date=September 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Mike Grgich | image = Mike Grgich.jpg | alt = | caption = Grgich, {{c.|1984}} | birth_name = Miljenko Grgic | birth_date = {{birth date|1923|4|1}} | birth_place = Desne, Kingdom of Yugoslavia<br/>(modern Croatia) | death_date = {{death date and age|2023|12|13|1923|4|1}} | death_place = Calistoga, California, U.S. | alma_mater = University of Zagreb | spouse = Tatjana Grgich<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sthelenastar/name/tatjana-grgich-obituary?id=7409286|title=Tatjana Grgich|date=September 17, 2020|last=Legacy|publisher=St. Helena Star|access-date=April 24, 2023}}</ref> | children = 1 | occupation = Winemaker }}
'''Miljenko "Mike" Grgich''' ({{IPA|hr|mǐʎeːŋko gřːgit͡ɕ}} or {{IPA|hr|gr̂git͡ɕ|}}; April 1, 1923 – December 13, 2023) was a Croatian-American winemaker in California. He was the winemaker behind the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that bested several white Burgundy wines in the wine tasting event that became known as the Judgment of Paris. In recognition of his contributions to the American wine industry, Grgich was inducted into the Culinary Institute of America's Vintner's Hall of Fame on March 7, 2008.<ref name="CIA">{{cite web | url=http://www.ciaprochef.com/winestudies/events/vhf_inductees.html#krugl |title=Vintners Hall of Fame Inductees | website=Culinary Institute of America | date=2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006102721/http://www.ciaprochef.com/winestudies/events/vhf_inductees.html |archive-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref> The tribute came at the same time that Grgich was celebrating his 50th vintage of winemaking in the Napa Valley.
==Life== Miljenko Grgich was born into a winemaking family in the village of Desne in the town of Metkovic on Croatia's coastal region of Dalmatia. He attended the University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, where he studied viticulture and enology. However, he learned about California and wanted to leave the then-Yugoslavia to become a winemaker there. In 1954, he left communist Yugoslavia for West Germany, obtaining a fellowship to study there. From there he emigrated to Canada, and finally to the U.S. after receiving a job offer from a winery in California.<ref name=SFGate>{{cite news|author=Grey, W. Blake |title=The vintner who did it his way / Mike Grgich's storied journey from Yugoslavian bookkeeper to Napa Valley legend|url=https://www.sfgate.com/wine/article/The-vintner-who-did-it-his-way-Mike-Grgich-s-2574567.php|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=May 11, 2007}}</ref>
After working at several wineries in the Napa Valley – including Souverain Winery, Christian Brothers Cellars, Beaulieu Vineyard (working alongside André Tchelistcheff), and Robert Mondavi – Grgich became the winemaker and limited partner at Chateau Montelena. His 1973 vintage Chardonnay was selected to compete in the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, where it was ranked the number one white wine.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://napavalleyregister.com/calistogan/news/local/at-mike-grgich-is-an-american-wine-icon/article_e7cbda7c-a7b9-11e2-a78a-0019bb2963f4.html|title=At 90, Mike Grgich is an American wine icon|first=John |last=Intardonato|newspaper=The Weekly Calistogan|publisher=Napa Valley Register|date=April 18, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130421073603/http://napavalleyregister.com/calistogan/news/local/at-mike-grgich-is-an-american-wine-icon/article_e7cbda7c-a7b9-11e2-a78a-0019bb2963f4.html | archive-date=April 21, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> A dramatized version of the story is told in the 2008 film ''Bottle Shock'' which did not depict Grgich, who did not want to be involved with the film's inaccuracies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wine.appellationamerica.com/wine-review/614/Bottle-Shocked.html|title=Bottle Shocked: Uncorking the Real Gustavo Brambila|work=Appellation America|date=August 27, 2008|last=Goldfarb|first=Alan|publisher=Online Wine Portal| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203235222/http://wine.appellationamerica.com/wine-review/614/Bottle-Shocked.html |archive-date=February 3, 2012| url-status=live}}</ref>
This success permitted Grgich (with business partner Austin Hills of Hills Brothers Coffee) to establish his own winery, Grgich Hills Cellar in Rutherford, California.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} The winery, which changed names to Grgich Hills Estate in 2006, owns {{convert|366|acre|ha|0}} of vineyards and produces 70,000 cases of wine each year. Its very first vintage won the Great Chardonnay Showdown, with 221 competitors from countries around the world.<ref>[https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/grgich-hills-estate-celebrates-the-35th-anniversary-of-the-great-chicago-chardonnay-showdown-300021094.html Grgich Hills Estate celebrates the 35th anniversary of The Great Chicago Chardonnay Showdown: Chicago Tribune called 1977 Chardonnay "The Best Chardonnay in the World"] January 15, 2015, PRNewswire/Grgich Hills Estate</ref>
Grgich turned 100 on April 1, 2023,<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 29, 2023 |title=100th birthday of legendary Croatian-American winemaker Miljenko 'Mike' Grgich |url=https://www.croatiaweek.com/100th-birthday-of-legendary-croatian-american-winemaker-miljenko-mike-grgich/ |access-date=April 3, 2023 |website=Croatia Week |language=en}}</ref> and died in Calistoga, California, on December 13.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yune |first1=Howard |title=Mike Grgich, winemaker who helped boost Napa Valley to world fame, dead at 100 |url=https://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/mike-grgich-wine-napa-judgment-of-paris/article_e70dad4c-9a13-11ee-b8c2-e34ca5d7deb5.html |access-date=December 14, 2023 |agency=Napa Valley Register |date=December 13, 2023}}</ref><ref name="obit">{{cite web|url=https://www.grgich.com/miljenko-grgich-in-memoriam/ |title=In Memoriam, Miljenko Grgich}}</ref> His signature dark blue beret, which reflects Grgich’s European roots, is in the National Museum of American History.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Beret |url=https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1313509 |access-date=October 4, 2023 |website=National Museum of American History |language=en}}</ref>
==See also== {{portal|Wine}} *List of wine personalities
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== *Grape Radio interview with Mike Grgich - [http://www.graperadio.com/archives/2005/11/28/the-evolution-of-napa-with-mike-grgich-part-1/ Part 1] and [http://www.graperadio.com/archives/2005/12/01/the-evolution-of-napa-with-mike-grgich-part-2/ Part 2] * California Winery Advisor [http://www.californiawineryadvisor.com/wineries/view/Grgich_Hills_Cellar Grgich Hills Estate] * [http://www.grgich.com/ Grgich Hills Estate]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Grgich, Mike}} Category:1923 births Category:2023 deaths Category:People from Kula Norinska Category:Yugoslav emigrants to the United States Category:American men centenarians Category:American people of Croatian descent Category:American viticulturists Category:American winemakers Category:People from Napa County, California Category:History of Napa County, California Category:Wine merchants Category:Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb alumni Category:Yugoslav expatriates in West Germany Category:Yugoslav expatriates in Canada