Violet Grgich

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“King of Chardonnay” Miljenko Grgich Still Going Strong at 90

“In all my life I have been associated with two W’s.”  The beret clad Miljenko “Mike” Grgich is standing in front of us, a group of wine press gathered at the Grgich Hills Estate winery in Napa Valley, to celebrate his 90th birthday.  “Guess what that is?”  One of the W’s is for wine of course.  The other?  Women.  Grgich is quite the charmer, and one of his favorite sayings is “Good wines and good ladies improve with maturity.”  He should know.  For 40 years Grgich has been making some of the best, if not the best, Chardonnay in the business, wines which have not only matured well but are still very much alive. Proof of that ageability?  Grgich poured tastes of the 1972 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that he made, where he was winemaker and limited partner, as his inaugural vintage for the new Napa Valley winery.  Today this wine…

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