photo credit: Bob McClenahan
Warren Winiarski (right) presents Miljenko 'Mike' Grgich (left) with a bottle of fellow
Judgement of Paris winning wine,1973's Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon,
at Grgich's 100th birthday celebration on July 1st, 2023.

Legendary Napa Valley winemaker Miljenko 'Mike' Grgich has died at the age of 100.

Grgich helped to propel Napa’s wines to international acclaim.

Born in Desne, Croatia in 1923, Miljenko Grgich followed in the family business, studying wine making before eventually settling in Napa Valley in 1958.

Grgich, a proponent of natural and organic farming had a career-defining moment in 1976 when he won a legendary blind taste test between French and American wines, said Cyril Penn, editor of Wine Business Monthly.

"When he was with Chateau Montelena, his Chardonnay won in the Judgement of Paris tasting of 1976," Penn said.

He shared his victory at the famous Judgement of Paris with fellow Napa Valley winemaker Warren Winiarski.

"Both of us were able to thrive with the welcome and the opportunities that the Valley provided," Winiarski said.

Their victory thrust Napa Valley wine into the spotlight, establishing it as one of the world's top wine making regions.