Avenue Vine

It was no surprise that dean of California winemakers Andre Tchelistcheff and industry icon Robert Mondavi were among the initial inductees. Additional inductees included Brother Timothy, Agoston Haraszthy, Charles Krug, Georges de Latour, Gustave Niebaum, Maynard Amerine and Harold Olmo.

Dr. Tim Ryan, CIA president and host of the ceremonies, noted that the college’s establishment of the Vintners Hall of Fame was “the next logical step in the CIA’s role as American’s leading educational provider to the food, beverage and hospitality industry.

“Our Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at Greystone has enjoyed tremendous growth thanks to the support of the California wine industry, especially from the Napa Valley Vintners and other trade associations. It is only appropriate that we join in recognizing the industry’s leaders, past and present. We are very proud to provide a perfect home for the Vintners Hall of Fame.”

More than 200 members of the California wine industry, along with family and friends of the inductees, attended the dinner and induction ceremonies. Proceeds from the $500 per person event contribute to CIA’s scholarship fund for wine studies as well as the development of wine and food programs at the Greystone campus, according to Reuben Katz, CIA’s director of strategic initiatives and development.

In establishing the three categories for inductees, CIA officials provided specific definitions. “Pioneers” are “modern-day vintners who provided the nourishing direction that has been the path for the industry’s success and worldwide recognition.”

“Founders” are those “vintners whose early ventures planted the roots of the present-day California wine industry with the visions that survive to this day.”

“Icons” include “those in the fields of viticulture, science, research, education, writing and criticism who have inspired and supported the California wine industry.”

Robert Mondavi was the sole “pioneer” inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame. He was present with his wife, Margrit, when Dr. Ryan and Peter McCrea, president of Napa Valley Vintners, unveiled a bas relief sculpture that will be on display at the Hall of Fame.

McCrea revealed that the Wine Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate had just named Mondavi its first honorary member.

“With commitment to excellence and a visionary understanding of wine’s place at the American table, Robert Mondavi has dedicated his life to showing how wine adds to life’s enjoyment in a myriad of ways,” noted Dr. Ryan in his presentation. “His motto — ‘Making good wine is a skill, fine wine an art’ — has inspired winemakers in California and from around the world. A pioneer of fine winemaking in Napa Valley, Mondavi has been equally committed to wine’s place, along with food and cooking, as one of the arts. His wide-ranging support for the arts, as well as community and charitable works, is legendary, and his conferences and educational programs have added immeasurably to the appreciation of wine in America.”

“Bob’s spirit is in every glass of wine,” Margit Biever Mondavi said in sharing the moment with her husband.

The Founders category included Andre Tchelistcheff, another industry icon who was dubbed dean of California winemakers while he was making legendary wines for Beaulieu Vineyards. “In 1938, Georges de Latour went to France in search of a new winemaker trained in both enology and microbiology,” Dr. Ryan noted. “He was introduced to Russian-born Andre Tchelistcheff and, at that moment, history was made. Coming to Beaulieu Vineyards as vice president and chief winemaker, Tchelistcheff soon became one of California’s most innovative winemakers, creating a definitive style for high quality cabernet sauvignons, many of which were served at important White House functions. He was one of the first winemakers to work with fruit from the Carneros District, which he used to produce renowned pinot noirs. His work with malolactic fermentation, cold stabilization and selective planting — along with mentoring many of today’s leading winemakers — has earned him recognition as the father of modern California winemaking.”

Dorothy Tchelistcheff accepted the award for her late husband, noting that “when Andre came from Paris in 1938 to Rutherford, this was pretty rough country.” Of all the activities in his life, Tchelistcheff “loved to work with young people,” his wife added.

Other inductees in the Founder category included:
• Brother Timothy: “Longtime cellarmaster and pioneering winemaker for Christian Brothers Winery, Brother Timothy was instrumental in reviving the wine industry in Napa Valley after Prohibition and in advocating technological advances that brought California winemaking into the modern era,” Ryan said. “A member of the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Brother Timothy was known for his kindness, wit and uncanny ability to assess wine, all of which made him one of he most beloved architects of 20th century winemakng in California.” Accepting the award was Dick Maher, chairman of Wilson Daniels and former business associate of the honoree.

• Charles Krug: “(He) was a man of many firsts in the genesis of the California wine industry. In 1858, he set out on his distinguished career by planting 20 acres of vines in Sonoma. That same year, as Northern California’s first consulting winemaker, he produced one of the first wines made in the Napa Valley. After acquiring land in St. Helena, Krug planted one of the first vineyards in the Napa Valley, and in 1861 began building the winery that bears his name.” Peter Mondavi Sr. accepted the award as owner of the Krug winery today.

• Gustave Niebaum: “Having already amassed a fortune as a sea captain and fur trader, Gustave Niebaum was looking for a new business adventure when he and his wife were drawn to the beauty of the Napa Valley and its potential as a great wine-producing region. After purchasing the Inglenook property in 1879, Niebaum built an imposing stone winery chateau and produced the first estate-bottled and Bordeaux-style wines in California.” Accepting the award was Niebaum’s great-great niece, Robin Lail, who noted that “we are often cavalier in the United States about history. Wine is about people, about the passions they brought to this small area, about people who shared their visions.”

• Georges de Latour: “At the close of the 19th century, French immigrant Georges de Latour visited the Napa Valley and was struck by the similarities to the Medoc, where his family owned vineyards. Determined to open a winery, de Latour and his wife, Fernande, bought four acres of vines in Rutherford, which they aptly named Beaulieu, or beautiful place. Almost immediately, de Latour had a profound impact on the California wine industry, importing French vines grafted onto phylloxera-resistant rootstock and helping to revitalize the vineyards of Napa and Sonoma counties. History was made when he brought Tchelistcheff from France to create the world-class cabernet sauvignons for which Beaulieu and the Napa Valley have become famous.” Accepting the award was de Latour’s great-grandson, Walter Sullivan Jr.

• Agoston Haraszthy: “Count Haraszthy’s restless spirit brought him to America in 1840, where he pursued many entrepreneurial and agricultural opportunities, always seeking to establish the high quality vineyards of his native Hungary. He found his chance when, in 1857, he planted some of California’s first European varietals and laid the foundation for winery buildings at his Buena Vista property. After being appointed in 1861 to a California commission to improve agricultural methods, Count Haraszthy traveled to Europe to collect vines and fruit stock. He returned to California with more than 100,000 vines, representing over 14,000 varieties, literally laying the groundwork for the California wine industry.” Accepting this award was his great-grandson, Vallejo Haraszthy.

The pair of inductees in the Founder category are:
• Maynard Amerine: “(His) work as an enologist, teacher and writer helped make the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the UC Davis, one of the most respected in the world. After joining the UC Davis faculty in 1935, Professor Amerine — along with other members of the department — helped revive the wine industry after Prohibition in many ways, most notably with research on matching the right types of wine varieties with different regions of California and in writing reference books on table wines, dessert wine and brandy.” Accepting the award was Dr. Andrew Waterhouse, chairman of the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology.

• Harold Olmo: “(He) helped create the modern California wine industry with his prolific work developing winegrape hybrids suited to the state’s specific growing conditions. He served on the faculty of the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology from 1931 until his retirement in 1977, continuing his research until shortly before his death while donating millions of dollars in patent royalties back to the department. ... His study of the chardonnay grape helped to make it the most widely planted white wine grape in the state.” Accepting the award was his daughter, Jean Olmo.

Source: “Inaugural inductees enter Vintners Hall of Fame,” L. Pierce Carson, NV Register, March 19, 2007

Additional Articles:
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“After Glow CIA Inaugural Hall of Fame Greystone Inductees Dinner,”March 16, 2007

“The Culinary Institute of America’s Vintners Hall of Fame Induction Dinner,” March 09, 2007

“Culinary Institute of America at Greystone Event,” March 03, 2007