Robert Mondavi

Robert Mondavi Winery is a Napa Valley pioneer founded in 1966, producing wines across three tiers: Private Selection (everyday California), Napa Valley (Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Fumé Blanc), and Reserve (Cabernet Sauvignon and To Kalon Vineyard expressions — among Napa’s most age-worthy wines).

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the To Kalon Vineyard and why is it significant to Robert Mondavi?

To Kalon is a 550-acre vineyard in Oakville, Napa Valley, widely regarded as one of the greatest Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in the world — the name is Greek for “the highest beauty.” The vineyard’s gravel-loam soils, excellent drainage, and moderate Oakville climate produce Cabernet Sauvignon of exceptional concentration and aging potential. Robert Mondavi purchased the original To Kalon land in 1966 when he founded the winery, and the vineyard has been central to the Mondavi identity ever since. The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from To Kalon is the flagship expression — one of the wines that helped establish Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon as a serious alternative to Bordeaux in the 1970s and 1980s. The vineyard’s ownership and naming rights have been contested in litigation for decades, with both Mondavi (now Constellation Brands) and the Beckstoffer family (who own a portion) claiming rights to the To Kalon designation — a testament to how prestigious the name has become.

What is Fumé Blanc and how did Robert Mondavi create it?

Fumé Blanc is Robert Mondavi’s name for Sauvignon Blanc — a rebranding he introduced in 1968 specifically to rescue Sauvignon Blanc’s commercial reputation in the US market. At the time, California Sauvignon Blanc was associated with poorly made, oxidized, flabby wines that consumers avoided. Mondavi borrowed the term from Pouilly-Fumé, the Loire Valley appellation known for top-quality Sauvignon Blanc, combined it into a single name, and applied it to his dry, oak-aged Sauvignon Blanc — which was genuinely different in style from the problematic California versions. The rebranding worked: Fumé Blanc became a commercially successful product, and the term is now used by other California producers. Mondavi’s Fumé Blanc is a dry, barrel-fermented and barrel-aged Sauvignon Blanc with more richness and texture than unoaked versions — a style that influenced California Sauvignon Blanc production broadly.