Celebrating the Founders – Origins of the Croatian Extravaganza

THE DREAM

            The year was 1976, and Mike Grgich was awash in opportunity. The Chardonnay he crafted as winemaker of Chateau Montelena had just trounced the best French Burgundies in a landslide victory that put Napa Valley on the map and rocketed the Grgich name to fame. A flood of offers poured in to Mike- a litany of wineries sought to employ him as winemaker. None of these offers, generous as they were, had much appeal to this enterprising, Croatian-American man, however.

            When Mike departed his homeland of Croatia, he set out with the dream of an artist: to create wines uniquely imbued with his own unique style and craft. Of course, as an immigrant with only thirty-two dollars to his name, he was more than happy to pay his dues working for established winemakers. In fact, he relished the opportunities each one of his various employments provided him, absorbing all the knowledge he could from some of the greatest names in Napa Valley winemaking. As he sifted through the offers in the wake of his victory in Paris, all appeared to be more of the same- great opportunities, but none offered the creative freedom that Mike sought. So, after eighteen long years in Napa, Mike decided to shape his own path forward.

            His years of hard work had paid off in dividends- his thirty-two dollars had grown into $100,000, just enough to purchase a 20-acre parcel of land in Rutherford that he felt was a prime location for his new winery. A wave of pride washed over him as he stepped onto the property for the first time- finally, he had a little slice of paradise that he could say belonged to him. There was little time to celebrate, however. Mike’s paradise was little more than a grassy field, and he’d spent everything he could afford just to procure it. To create a functional winery, and begin planting vineyards, Mike would need an investor, and fortunately, he already had one in mind.

THE HILLS FAMILY

            Austin Hills and his sister, Mary Lee Strebl, were new to the world of wine, but fascinated by it nonetheless. Having just sold their shares in the family company, Hills Brothers Coffee, they had money to invest, and Mike seemed like the ideal business partner. With the financial backing and business acumen of the Hills family, paired with the winemaking expertise and reputation of the Grgich family, the ideal partnership was formed, and from it sprouted Grgich Hills Cellars. The ground was broken and the foundation laid in the summer of 1977, and Mike, honoring his slightly superstitious nature, stashed away a bottle of wine in each of the four corners of the winery, each representing a previous employer. As those experiences allowed his rise and success, he hoped that those bottles would prop up his new winery, bringing it luck for decades to come.

THE NAME

When people hear the name “Grgich Hills,” they most commonly correlate it with the famously rolling hills that sit on either side of our winery, but by now you can probably guess where the second half of our winery’s name actually came from. Did you know, though, that Grgich wasn’t going to be in the name at all originally? Mike founded this winery upon the dream that the wines he produced here would rival those created at world-renowned chateaus, so he coined the name Chateau Hills. It was only when one of Austin Hills’ friends visited after construction was complete and, seeing the simple stucco exterior and concrete floors, made it emphatically known that this was not a chateau. So instead, Mike contributed his own last name, and paid a local artist to paint the very first “Grgich Hills Cellars” sign, which still hangs in our tasting room today.

The original idea for the label came from Austin Hills, who pitched his family crest, a rearing horse clutching a baton in its mouth, for the design. However, Mike disagreed- it was grapes, he argued, not horses, that made great wine. Thus, the iconic Grgich Hills grape cluster was created. The Hills family crest still made its way onto the label, though. As a visual representation of the merging of two families that made the winery possible, each side selected an emblem to be featured in the bottom corners of the label. On the right, the Hills family crest found its place. On the left, the checkerboard crest of Croatia represented Mike and his Croatian origins.

Fraught with nerves, Mike went to see his old friend and employer, Robert Mondavi. When Mike told him of the bind he was in, Robert asked him when he broke ground.

            “July fourth,” Mike responded.

            “Well,” he said, “I broke ground on July 17th, 1966, and I made it.”

Aside from those words of encouragement, Robert also gave Mike an assurance: if his winery was not complete by the time the grapes arrived, he would allow him to use Robert Mondavi Winery’s own facilities to process and store the wine. This would be a financial loss for Mondavi, as they were expanding their operations each year and barely had enough space for their own production. Mike was touched by the generosity of his friend, and though his winery ended up being finished with time to spare, the promise gave him peace of mind as September approached.

            The first crush of Grgich Hills Cellars on September 5th, 1977 was preceded by a blessing of the grapes- a tradition in Mike’s hometown of Desne that is perpetuated at the winery to this day. A second tradition also began that day. The employees and guests of Grgich Hills were treated to a celebration that, like Mike fused the best of both Croatia and America. Dancers adorned in the vibrant colors of Croatian folklore performed for guests enjoying a variety of cuisine from Croatia and the United States. Looking out upon this little paradise of his own creation, Mike was satisfied- his Croatian American dream had, at long last, been fulfilled.