Cheers to Mondavi

Wine, that ancient brew, has the power to soothe, warm and unite, as any drinker or winemaker can tell you.

I had the rare opportunity to sit down with a glass of red --
OK, a couple of glasses -- and speak with Peter Mondavi Jr., current
proprietor of Charles Krug Winery, the oldest Napa Valley winery and one of the few that has remained in the hands of the same family since the Prohibition era.

Charles Krug, a Prussian immigrant and novice winemaker,
originally established the St. Helena, Calif., winery in 1861. James
Moffitt bought the winery in 1893 after Krug's death, and he wanted to
pass ownership onto someone who could continue the prestigious Krug
tradition.

Moffit sold the winery to his close friends Rosa and Cesare
Mondavi in 1943 for $75,000. The Mondavis were a natural choice -- they
were already involved in the world of viniculture, with their business
distributing California wine grapes to other Italian emigres in the
area.

One of their sons, Peter Mondavi Sr., inherited the vineyard in
1966 and became a trendsetter in production techniques, introducing the
use of glass-lined tanks and cold fermentation, which preserves the
fruit character of the wine.

Peter Mondavi Jr., 49, now heads up Charles Krug Winery.

Recently, his father, Peter Sr., and uncle Robert, who in 1966
established his own winery in nearby Oakville, Calif., were given a
well-deserved lifetime achievement award at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival.

Peter Jr. has kept the custom of working with family alive and
runs his winery with his brother, Marc. The brothers and their cousin,
Robert's son Tim, led a seminar at the festival. The seminar featured
sips of wines from Charles Krug Vintage Select 1965 and 1994, as well
as a comprehensive tasting of more-recent vintages.