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Insightful,
Epic,
Dramatic

1 review

The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty
by Julia Flynn Siler

Published: 2008-05-01
Paperback : 480 pages
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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 ...

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Introduction

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.

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Book Club Recommendations

The House of Mondavi and Sipping Notes
by cascadesjn (see profile) 05/01/09
First, the book is long. I would suggest extending the reading time for this one...it is well worth it. Julia Flynn Siler, author, offers "Sipping Notes" on her website. Our club sampled two of the wines she had listed and also selected a CK (Charles Krug)since it is part of the Mondavi story. We paired each wine with light snacks. It made the discussion quite lively. Ms. Siler was kind enough to join us for 20 minutes to chat about her book. A simple request through her website made it happen! It was a great discussion - our questions could have went on for an hour!!! Our small group has also started planning an Italian themed "House of Mondavi" dinner with a book donation attached for our local library. The turnout is exoected to be high!

Member Reviews

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  "The House of Mondavi, The Rise and fall of an American Wine Dynasty"by Sharon N. (see profile) 05/01/09

I was initialy drawn in by the prologue. The scene and characters were crystal clear. The account of the Mondavi family and the establishment of its wine-making dynasty is remarkable. The author, Julia... (read more)

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