Practice Management

According to the AP wire, Robert Mondavi of Robert Mondavi Winery has died.  He was 94, which goes to show you the wonderful effects of drinking red wine.

I like Mondavi's story because he was 52 in 1966, when he opened his winery that would help turn Napa Valley into a world center of the industry, demonstrating that us old codgers to make a difference.

When Mondavi opened his winery, California was still primarily known for cheap jug wines. But he set out to change that, championing use of cold fermentation, stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels, all commonplace in the industry today. He introduced blind tastings in Napa Valley, putting his wines up against French vintages, a bold move.  His confidence was rewarded in 1976 when California wines beat some well-known French vintages in the famous tasting known as the Judgment of Paris.

The success of the Mondavi winery allowed him to donate tens of millions of dollars to charity, but a wine glut and intense competition gradually cost his family control of the business. In 2004, the company accepted a buyout worth $1.3 billion from Fairport, N.Y.-based Constellation Brands.

This as the case maybe, if I must fail in the sense that someone pays me $1.3 billion, then so be it.  I guess my point is that it is nothing to whine about.