# Mike Grgich > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mike_Grgich > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mike_Grgich.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Grgich > Source revision: 1348840592 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{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](/source/Desne), [Kingdom of Yugoslavia](/source/Kingdom_of_Yugoslavia)
(modern [Croatia](/source/Croatia)) | death_date = {{death date and age|2023|12|13|1923|4|1}} | death_place = [Calistoga, California](/source/Calistoga%2C_California), U.S. | alma_mater = [University of Zagreb](/source/University_of_Zagreb) | spouse = Tatjana Grgich{{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}} | 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](/source/Croatian-American) [winemaker](/source/winemaker) in [California](/source/California_wine). He was the winemaker behind the 1973 [Chateau Montelena](/source/Chateau_Montelena) [Chardonnay](/source/Chardonnay) that bested several white [Burgundy wine](/source/Burgundy_wine)s in the [wine tasting](/source/wine_tasting) event that became known as the [Judgment of Paris](/source/Judgment_of_Paris_(wine)). In recognition of his contributions to the American wine industry, Grgich was inducted into the [Culinary Institute of America](/source/The_Culinary_Institute_of_America)'s Vintner's Hall of Fame on March 7, 2008.{{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}} The tribute came at the same time that Grgich was celebrating his 50th vintage of [winemaking in the Napa Valley](/source/Napa_Valley_AVA). ==Life== Miljenko Grgich was born into a winemaking family in the village of Desne in the town of Metkovic on [Croatia](/source/Croatia)'s coastal region of [Dalmatia](/source/Dalmatia). He attended the [University of Zagreb](/source/University_of_Zagreb) Faculty of Agriculture, where he studied [viticulture](/source/viticulture) and [enology](/source/enology). However, he learned about [California](/source/California) and wanted to leave the then-[Yugoslavia](/source/Socialist_Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslavia) to become a winemaker there. In 1954, he left communist Yugoslavia for [West Germany](/source/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.{{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}} After working at several wineries in the [Napa Valley](/source/Napa_Valley_AVA) – including Souverain Winery, Christian Brothers Cellars, [Beaulieu Vineyard](/source/Beaulieu_Vineyard) (working alongside [André Tchelistcheff](/source/Andr%C3%A9_Tchelistcheff)), and [Robert Mondavi](/source/Robert_Mondavi) – Grgich became the winemaker and limited partner at [Chateau Montelena](/source/Chateau_Montelena). His 1973 vintage Chardonnay was selected to compete in the [Paris Wine Tasting of 1976](/source/Judgment_of_Paris_(wine)), where it was ranked the number one white wine.{{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}} A dramatized version of the story is told in the 2008 film ''[Bottle Shock](/source/Bottle_Shock)'' which did not depict Grgich, who did not want to be involved with the film's inaccuracies.{{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}} This success permitted Grgich (with business partner Austin Hills of [Hills Brothers Coffee](/source/Hills_Bros._Coffee)) to establish his own winery, [Grgich Hills Cellar](/source/Grgich_Hills_Estate) in [Rutherford, California](/source/Rutherford%2C_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](/source/Great_Chardonnay_Showdown), with 221 competitors from countries around the world.[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 Grgich turned 100 on April 1, 2023,{{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}} and died in [Calistoga, California](/source/Calistoga%2C_California), on December 13.{{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}}{{cite web|url=https://www.grgich.com/miljenko-grgich-in-memoriam/ |title=In Memoriam, Miljenko Grgich}} His signature dark blue [beret](/source/beret), which reflects Grgich’s European roots, is in the [National Museum of American History](/source/National_Museum_of_American_History).{{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}} ==See also== {{portal|Wine}} *[List of wine personalities](/source/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] {{Authority control}} {{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 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mike Grgich](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Grgich) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Grgich?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.