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The article discusses the works and achievements of Robert Mondavi, a leading American wine operator.

The beginnings of the wine business of the Rothschild family are presented, with focus on the rapid involvement and growth in the banking and wine industries. The family's spirit of enterprise is exemplified by members who headed the successful wine business.

An obituary of wine merchant Jeanne Descaves is presented. She was well known throughout the Bordeaux region of France for her stocks of older vintages from the top wine producing chateaus.

Maryland wine importer Terry Theise met Madison, WI, chef Odessa Piper on a business trip and the pair fell in love after a long-distance courtship. They wed in 1993 and combined their passions for food and wine. A salmon dish and other recipes are given.

Gil Nickel owns Napa Valley's Far Niente Winery, which produces excellent Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and the dessert wine Dolce. Nickel's interests in wine, yachts and collecting vintage cars are among topics discussed.

Sandy and Stuart Moss make sparkling wines at Nyetimber Vineyard in West Chiltington in West Sussex. The soil in the district in the south of England is well suited to their endeavors. The couple, who are from Chicago, moved to England in 1987.

Nancy and Dick Ponzi make outstanding Pinot Noir at their Willamette Valley winery, where they have lived and worked since 1969. The couple were instrumental in founding the wine Oregon wine region. Six of their current releases are evaluated.

Jean-Claude Rouzaud, 55, hosted a Paris dinner party celebrating his 30th anniversary as president of the esteemed winery. He invited top winemakers from France, California and other regions. He comments on his love of Bordeaux, and the party is described.

Steele, a winemaker who got his master's degree in enology in 1975, was instrumental in making Kendall-Jackson a success. Steele now has his own winery in Lake County, CA, and is producing top-scoring wines. His legal troubles with Kendall-Jackson and other topics are discussed.

A Rafanelli produces delicious Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon, which it sells at very reasonable prices. Winemakers David and Patty Rafanelli discuss the third-generation operation and their philosophy regarding wine and pricing.

Franciscan Estates CEO Huneeus runs an international operation that produces 400,000 cases of wine per year. The Chilean native has a business education and a passion for wine. His background as a vintner and his career in the wine industry are profiled.

Chateau Latour owner and businessman Francois Pinault discusses how he acquired the famed estate. Other vintners profiled include Bernard Arnault, Edgar Bronfman, Serge and Laurent Dassault, Ernest Gallo, Corinne Mentzelopoulos and Baron Edmond de Rothschild.

Evans, 65, founded the Rothbury Wine Co and enjoys making a good bottle of wine more than he did writing. Evans, who is regarded as energetic and colorful, spends a great deal of time raising money for charity and promoting wine.

Wagner, 91, wrote the first English-language book on winemaking in 1933. He is the father of East Coast winemaking and his books are still in print. Wagner discusses winemaking after prohibition ended, his early interest in wine and other topics.

Callaway was successful in the wine business, but Callaway Golf has made a great deal of money, going from $5 a share to approximately $35 a share in 1994. The 75-year-old's first career was in the textile business. Callaway created the 'Big Bertha' golf club.

Many Italian wine producers find the vintner a revitalizing force, although some detractors think he is ruining the Italian winemaking traditions. De Grazia is passionate about wine. He discusses his views on winemaking and his upbringing and education.

Robert Mondavi's distinguished career as a winemaker has spanned nearly six decades. He has been instrumental in bringing wine to the attention of American consumers and consistently strives to improve the quality of the wines he creates.

Rothschild is one of the most powerful winemakers in the world. Her holdings are extensive, and she is passionate about the fine wines she is actively involved in producing. She has also enjoyed a successful career as an actress.

Randy Dunn produces an excellent Cabernet Sauvignon. He made his first Howell Mountain wine in 1979 and has stayed in business by keeping overhead low and doing wine consulting work for vintner Jayson Pahlmeyer. Dunn discusses how he became a winemaker.

Napa Valley winemaker Dimitri Tchelistcheff died July 5 at the age of 87. Tchelistcheff distinguished himself in the Napa Valley after following in the footsteps of his iconic father, Andre [...]

Ernest Gallo, who built a small winery into a global empire, was considered the father of the modern California wine industry. Along with his brother Julio, he launched the Gallo label, and produced popular brands like Thunderbird, Andre and Carlo Rossi.

Perrin, 53, owns the Chateau de Lagrezette, a wine estate in Cahors. He has made Cartier a success and hopes to do the same in the wine industry. He discusses his passion for art, and his personal and professional lives are profiled.

Winemaker Tchelistcheff, who died on Apr 5, 1994, was a poet, teacher, friend and mentor to many. His death at age 92 leaves the wine world grieving for one of its best. Tchelistcheff's life and career are profiled.

Chaney, CEO of Tiffany & Co, has 15 acres of Chardonnay vines at his Clinton, CT, Chamard Vineyards. The winery is producing 3,500 cases of wine each year, but Chaney has plans to increase production. He is also growing a few red wine grapes.

Waugh, 87, has had a distinguished career as a wine merchant, educator, author and connoisseur who has educated the palates of many and helped California wines achieve international renown. He lost his sense of smell in an accident, but his sense of taste still allows him to appreciate wine.

Doug Paul, owner of Three Sisters Vineyard and Winery in Dahlonega, Ga., died March 7 at age 59. Paul and his wife Sharon Paul bought a 184-acre farm, planted grapes [...]

* Ely Callaway, who founded Callaway Vineyard and Winery in 1974, died on July 5. He was 82. Callaway sold the winery in 1981 to Hiram Walker and began another [...]

Joseph E. Heitz, a pioneer winemaker in the Napa Valley, died Dec. 16. Joe Heitz came to the premium wine industry in a somewhat roundabout way. Stationed in the Army [...]

Charles M. Crawford, a native of Antioch, Calif. and the first winemaker hired by E&J Gallo Winery, died Dec. 11 in Modesto. He had turned 81 in September. Known as [...]

A memorial service was held Jan. 6 for Volker Eisele, a grapegrower, vintner and passionate defender of farmland and open space in Napa County. Eisele died Jan. 2 at the [...]

Stephen Pessagno, 55, died at his home in Salinas, Calif., on June 9. Pessagno was the winemaker and founder of Pessagno Winery in Salinas. Prior to starting the winery in [...]

Washington State University research winemaker George Carter, who worked side by side with 'father of Washington wine' Dr. Walter Clore, is the 2012 inductee into the Legends of Washington Wine [...]

Haas has had a long and distinguished career, bring many fine wines to Americans and educating their palates. His career and the respect he has earned in the industry are discussed.

Diana Marie Burnett, a former grape-grower and wine-maker, and long-time employee of industry supplier Scott Laboratories, died at age 56 following a long battle with breast cancer and leukemia. A [...]

Finger Lakes winemaker Willibald Konstantin 'Willy' Frank died of a stroke Mar. 7 at age 80. Son of the late Dr. Konstantin Frank, the first New York state vintner to [...]

Devin Derby, manager and co-winemaker at Spring Valley Vineyard in Walla Walla, Wash., died at a Seattle hospital Dec. 13, the result of injuries suffered in an automobile accident Nov. [...]

Brother Timothy, one of the most respected and beloved figures in the California wine community, has died at the age of 94. Born Anthony George Diener in Elizabeth, N.J. in [...]

Jim Mirassou, a member of the pioneering Mirassou winemaking family of Santa Clara Valley, Calif., died at age 61 on July 30. With his brothers Peter and Daniel, he had [...]

Mike Bonaccorsi who died of an attack at the age of 43 introduced wines such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah that had purity of flavor and also served as an extension of the winemaker itself. With a view to help Bonaccorsi family, his friends Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton, along with others took possession of Bonaccorsi's 2003 Pinot Noirs and Syrahs, and moved them into their winery for safekeeping.

The development of Frenchman, Eric Texier of Bordeaux into an excellent winemaker with no other support but his passion for wine to help him, is narrated. His dream of making wine in Burgundy and the Rhone Valley is realized by his practice of purchasing grapes from these places to produce superior Chardonnays along with red and white wines.