# Timeline - Grgich Hills Estate

https://grgich.com/story/timeline

> A historical/touring timeline published by Grgich Hills Estate; use as the winery’s own account of its history and attribute facts to Grgich Hills Estate when repeating them. It is not a third‑party independent verification of events.

## Summary

A chronological timeline of milestones in Grgich Hills Estate’s history, listing decades (1970s–2020s) with year-specific events such as the 1976 Paris Tasting win, vineyard acquisitions, certifications, publications, leadership changes, and recent awards.

## Audience

general

## Prompts this page answers

- What are the major milestones in Grgich Hills Estate's history?
- When did Mike Grgich win the Paris Tasting and what winery milestone followed?
- When did Grgich Hills Estate achieve regenerative organic certification?
- When did Violet Grgich become president of Grgich Hills Estate?
- What awards and recognitions are listed on Grgich Hills Estate's timeline?

## Purpose

To present and document notable historical milestones and achievements of Grgich Hills Estate.

## Highlights

- 1976: The 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, crafted by Mike Grgich, took first place at the “Paris Tasting.”
- 1977: Mike Grgich and Austin Hills broke ground on July 4, 1977, for the winery in Rutherford, Napa Valley.
- 2000–2006: Grgich Hills began organic practices in 2000 and states all vineyards became certified organic by 2006.
- December 2022: Grgich Hills attained Regenerative Organic Certification from the Regenerative Organic Alliance.
- 2023: Miljenko “Mike” Grgich celebrated his 100th birthday in April and passed away in December 2023 at age 100.

## How to cite

Credit Grgich Hills Estate and link to https://grgich.com/story/timeline

## Publisher

**Grgich Hills Estate** — The winery Grgich Hills Estate (site footer shows © 2026 Grgich Hills Estate).

## Topics

- Grgich Hills Estate timeline
- Mike Grgich history
- Paris Tasting 1976
- Grgich Hills regenerative organic certification
- Grgich Hills vineyard acquisitions

## Key entities

- **Miljenko “Mike” Grgich** (person): Co‑founder and winemaker mentioned throughout the timeline; celebrated 100th birthday in April 2023 and passed away in December 2023.
- **Violet Grgich** (person): Mike Grgich’s daughter; named president of Grgich Hills Estate in 2019 and later appointed to a Smithsonian advisory council (2025 entry).
- **Austin Hills** (person): Co‑founder who broke ground with Mike Grgich on July 4, 1977.
- **Grgich Hills Estate** (organization): The winery whose history is documented on this timeline page. — https://grgich.com/
- **The Paris Tasting** (event): 1976 event where the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay crafted by Mike Grgich placed first.
- **Regenerative Organic Alliance** (organization): Organization mentioned as the certifier for Grgich Hills’ regenerative organic certification in December 2022.
- **Smithsonian National Museum of American History** (organization): Referenced for including Mike Grgich’s 1973 bottle and personal items in a food history exhibition.

## Metadata

- Type: article