Peter Mondavi, the Napa Valley wine pioneer whose family helped develop California vintages, has died at 101 of natural causes at his home in St. Helena, California.
Family spokeswoman Wendy Lane confirmed Mondavi's death on Sunday, said the
Wall Street Journal.
Mondavi led his family's Charles Krug Winery for more than 50 years, as he watched Napa Valley mature from a cheap wine destination to one of the globe's major wine regions, said
The Guardian.
Mondavi's parents, Cesare and Rose Mondavi, had run Charles Krug since 1943. Peter and his brother Robert Mondavi began operating it when Cesare Mondavi died in 1959 but bumped heads managing the company, said The Guardian..
Robert Mondavi left the business to start Robert Mondavi Winery in 1966, but the brothers reconciled and even made a special blend of wine together in 2005. Robert Mondavi died in 2008.
The
San Francisco Chronicle said Peter Mondavi was credited with the family's most significant scientific innovations for winemaking, including the introduction of French oak barrels to Napa and being the first to employ cold sterile filtration to prevent wine spoilage.
Mondavi studied economics at Stanford and did graduate chemistry work at the University of California, Berkeley, with an eye to returning to the family business. He also served in the Army during World War II.
Many shared their condolences for Mondavi on social media.
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