The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty
The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty An epic, scandal-plagued story of the immigrant family that built—and then spectacularly lost—a global wine empire
Set in California’s lush Napa Valley and spanning four generations of a talented and visionary family, The House of Mondavi is a tale of genius, sibling rivalry, and betrayal. From 1906, when Italian immigrant Cesare Mondavi passed through Ellis Island, to the Robert Mondavi Corp.’s twenty-first-century battle over a billion-dollar fortune, award-winning journalist Julia Flynn brings to life both the place and the people in this riveting family drama.
The blood feuds are as spectacular as the business triumphs. Cesare’s sons, Robert and Peter, literally came to blows in the 1960s during a dispute touched off by the purchase of a mink coat, resulting in Robert’s exile from the family—and his subsequent founding of a winery that would set off a revolution in American winemaking. Robert’s sons, Michael and Timothy, as passionate in their own ways as their visionary father, waged battle with each other for control of the company before Michael’s expansive ambitions ultimately led to a board coup and the sale of the business to an international conglomerate.
A meticulously reported narrative based on thousands of hours of interviews, The House of Mondavi is bound to become a classic.
Customer Review: I loved this book! From a fan of nothing but literary fiction
I just LOVED this book. I wasn’t sure I would, simply because I read almost nothing but literary fiction. But it was so readable, and had so many of the things I love about fiction - a great story, interesting characters, good writing, evocative settings - that I couldn’t put it down.
There is something so epic about the story of the Mondavi family. As you read, you can’t help but think of all the family dynasties that have self-imploded; there are echoes of King Lear, of Oedipus, of all the founders whose basic character flaws are the seeds of the family’s undoing. To watch the Mondavi family rise so spectacularly from its’ immigrant roots, and then fall from its’ own weight, is so timeless, so sad, and so compelling.
One of the book’s great strengths is its’ perfect blend of journalism and storytelling. The Mondavi story is full of juicy facts - wild parties and love affairs and alcoholism - that a lesser author would milk for profit. Siler, however, treats them with the even-handedness of the journalist she is. At the same time, Siler elevates the book well above the dryness of much non-fiction with her skillful storytelling, and brings to vibrant life so many scenes in the lives of the Mondavi family and the Napa Valley.
Witness, for example, the masterful storytelling of the prologue, set in a wine auction in June 2005. This scene encapsulates a turning point for the Robert Mondavi Corp., the beginning of the end. The aging Robert Mondavi, in his wheelchair and bolero hat, has sold his lot of wine at a fire-sale price, while a boutique wine has just sold for a quarter-million per lot. “Robert and Timothy (Mondavi) stared up at the screen, silent in the midst of the raucous celebration of the bid. They seemed isolated, as the Hoopla Commitee and the television camera moved elsewhere. For that moment the Mondavis were no longer the center of attention. When the spotlight returned in the the months to come, it would blaze mercelessly on the dismemberment of their empire.” Wow.
I highly recommend this book. It is readable, interesting, well-written, and a fascinating story. And it’s fun to discuss over a glass of wine.
Customer Review: A heartbreaking story of ambition, lust and wine
“The House of Mondavi” is a quintessentially American tale. A penniless immigrant couple travels to the new world, where they become so successful they are able to send their two sons to Stanford University. The family buys a decrepit winery, turning it into a success. The patriarch dies: war erupts in the family — leading to one of the most famous court cases in California history. Then, the cycle repeats itself, and successive generations of siblings battle again. This is a must-read for anyone interested in families, fortunes, or the wine business — and the sensational aspects of the story that make this a true-life “Falcon Crest.”
