Celebrating 100 years with my friend Mike Grgich

My personal friendship with Miljenko (Mike) Grgich began in spring 1979. During my first visit to Napa Valley, good friends and Gemstone founders (now Glass Slipper proprietors) Suzie and Paul Frank shared a bottle of Mike’s famed award-winning Chardonnay during a magical afternoon spent on a private island at Chateau Montelena. Mike was the winemaker of the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that won "Best White Wine" against the standard bearers of Burgundy at the infamous Judgment of Paris in 1976.

The next day, we enjoyed lunch at Domaine Chandon accompanied by a bottle of the newly released inaugural 1977 Grgich Hills Chardonnay. The wine was delightful, and after Paul related its beautiful story and connection to the prior day’s lunch, we decided to venture up Valley to the winery with hopes of meeting Mike. That marked the beginning of our 44-year friendship and was the first of many great memories I’ve shared with Mike and his wines.

To commemorate Mike’s 100th birthday earlier this year, his daughter Violet (President and CEO) and nephew Ivo Jeramaz (Winemaker/V.P. of Vineyards and Production), along with their Grgich Hills Estate team planned several intimate celebratory events in late spring. Unfortunately, I was away for each of these events and unable to personally wish Mike a happy 100th. Last month as Violet and Ivo hosted their annual Blessing of the Grapes celebration that also honored Mike’s 97th (that’s right 97th!) harvest that I again had to miss for the first time since moving to Napa in 2001.

Determined to mark Mike’s birthday, I called Violet for some ideas on the best way to celebrate my friendship with Mike, his 100th birthday and 97th harvest. I was met with a welcome response as Violet arranged a private meeting in the Ranch House on the winery campus with just Mike, Violet, Ivo, Mike’s longtime friend and assistant Maria Luisa Moreno Reyes and me in attendance.

What a special time it was as I connected with my friend in his home surroundings sharing some meaningful and delicious wines and plenty of time for personal reminiscences spanning our years of friendship. On entering the Ranch House I was greeted by a beautiful table set with two very special wines – 2019 Grgich Hills Estate 100th Birthday Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville Old Vine and 2020 Grgich Hills Estate 100th Birthday Chardonnay Paris Tasting Commemorative – and plates of Mike’s favorite cheeses, salamis, crackers and hummus.

Anticipating a memorable visit with Mike, I pulled a very special bottle from our cellar to share with him in hopes of evoking some great memories. In 1986, my wife Barbara and I visited Mike in his Yountville Victorian home surrounded by estate vineyards. As we left the house Mike inscribed and signed a bottle of his 1985 Grgich Hills Johannisberg Riesling Late Harvest for Barbara that has been resting comfortably in our cellar ever since.

Could there have been a better wine to share with Mike in celebrating the day and his 100th?” Well, to everyone’s surprise and joy it went far beyond that for Mike as he relished the aromatics, flavors and memories the bottle evoked. And Maria’s reaction was also one of unparalleled joy and surprise. Violet and I watched their delight unfold and the emotions they displayed.

Mike sniffed the wine deeply as his eyes lit-up in happiness while the aromatics brought a smile to his face unlocking long-forgotten memories of the wine. After his first sip, his smiled broadened and he broke into a Croatian song: “Vuzgi Vuzgi – "No one has it better than us, if only it were like this every day." He repeated the song several times before simply commenting, “Very good” on the wine and went on to say, “It’s good to be a winemaker and enjoy wine like this.”

Both Violet and I were amazed and elated with Mike’s reaction to the wine and our special celebration. But Maria’s reaction went far beyond as she repeatedly reminded Mike that he made this wine and each reminder was met my him with a nod and broad grin.

Ivo observed the wine as retaining its youthful expression even after 38 years, “This wine is still young and alive with good acidity and perfect balance that is a tribute to Mike’s talents.” He then acknowledged Mike’s natural link to his history and dedication to wine by saying, “Throughout his winemaking career, Mike has always had his ear to the ground and looks to the soils for their influence in fine wine production. Terroir is his guiding light and its expression in the glass is his goal.”

As the afternoon unfolded around the two 100th Birthday wines and the Late Harvest Johannisberg Reisling, Maria continually acknowledged Mike’s happiness with the wines, special occasion and sharing our decades-long memories: “He has enjoyed more wine today than I’ve seen for a long time and most was the 1985 Riesling. I also loved seeing him so happy and he’s eaten more than ever loving every bite.”

After almost two hours together sharing stories while enjoying the wines, tasty bites and Mike’s energetic participation, he was tiring and it was time to leave. But Mike did not want to depart without taking home some of the 1985 Late Harvest Riesling to enjoy after dinner. And, according to Maria, that’s exactly what he did.

Ivo also presented me with a bottle each of the 100th Birthday wines which Mike was kind enough to sign carrying on a tradition and enhancing the memories of a beautiful afternoon.

Wine is a living thing and has always been a treasured vehicle in bringing people together. Missing Mike’s official 100th Birthday celebrations was difficult, but the afternoon Violet arranged was certainly special and will live in my memory forever. Happy 100th Mike!