After Friday's class with Peter Mondavi Jr. and reading the Mondavi case, I was struck by how little I knew about the California wine industry, given how much I claim to love it and how close we live to it. Specifically, I found some of the numbers of the growth in wineries in Napa Valley referenced in the case to be astonishing. I was inspired by this (and also a little bit by the mandatory assignment) to trace the history of the California wine industry a bit further.
Meet:
ANDRÉ TCHELISTCHEFF
Born in Russia in 1901, Tchelistcheff is celebrated as one of America's most influential post-Prohibition winemaker and called "the dean of American winemakers." He has been a driving force in shaping the modern California wine industry, as well as the style of California's best wines, specifically Cabernet Sauvignon (my favorite varietal).
He trained in wine-making in France and moved to Napa Valley (as vice president and chief winemaker for Beaulieu Vineyards) after Prohibition in 1938, where he had an immediate and profound impact. His first contribution was introducing new techniques and procedures to the region, such as aging wine in small French Oak barrels. He also introduced other key practices such as winery hygiene, temperature-controlled fermentation, and frost damage prevention techniques that laid the foundation for Napa Valley to become the attractive wine region that would Robert Mondavi would later capitalize and innovate in, putting the California region on the global radar for wine.
At the time of his death in 1994, he would have lived to see the wine region he revolutionized grow to support more than 200 wineries and globally-recognized brands, many of which still using techniques he has been considered to found.
So next time you're at a tasting in Napa Valley, enjoying a signature California red, give a toast to Andre for making it all possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment