Robert Mondavi (the winery)

Before even departing for California, I'd already noticed some big differences between touring Napa Valley wineries versus those in Niagara.  For example:

• very few (if any?) Napa Valley wineries have restaurants in them;
• many wineries (especially the big names) require an appointment for tours;
• some wineries even require an appointment for tastings;
• tours and tastings are much more expensive in Napa Valley than in Niagara;
• tasting fees generally aren't per glass, covering 3-6 wines per visit depending on the winery;
• each visit takes more than 1 hour;
• lots of police officers patrol the wine route, especially at night.
  
  

Mondavi's To Kalon vineyard

Keeping all this in mind, we spread out or visits over three days to allow for time and safe driving. Our first stop, before even checking into our hotel, was Robert Mondavi Winery, which comes highly recommended by nearly every tourist guide I can find, mostly for its dedication to wine education.  On the tour we learned that this evolved from the founder's belief that growing his company meant growing the industry by educating both its consumers and even its competitors.  I've often commented that I wish more Niagara producers would adopt this mentality.

Wine Education Coordinator
Peter Alig

We were only 10 minutes into our 75 minute tour (at a cost of $30 each) when I already concluded it was the most thorough, informative and professional  tour I've been on, while maintaining an intimate and fun atmosphere.  Our guide, Mr. Peter Alig, is an excellent public speaker and was able to answer some pretty specific questions.  Afterwards, I realized why; he's the author of The Everything Guide to Wine: From tasting tips to vineyard tours and everything in between, and he's Mondavi's Wine Education Coordinator.  (We should have that position in Niagara wineries;  Tawse should hire me!)

much appreciated
shaded seating area

Throughout the tour, we would stop periodically to listen to Peter and ask questions in the shaded pergolas overlooking the vineyard - the same vineyard that produces Zippy Sauce's favourite Fume Blanc.  (Actually, we learned we've been pronouncing To Kalon incorrectly; it's "toe-kalone.")  Moving on, a video presentation was made showing the parts of the production process we couldn't see that day - another professional and educational touch.  The tour focused on the best of the best, so we visited the oak fermentation tanks (unique to Mondavi) and the barrel aging cellar, both of which are used only for the winery's best, hand-picked red grapes.

French oak
fermentation tanks

Finally, after a rather luxurious stop in one of the tasting rooms, (see next post), we ended in the exceptionally well merchandised wine boutique / gift shop, where I had a revelation; every winery I've visited, every tour I've taken and every wine boutique I've shopped in are all, in one way or another, imitations of this one (or its prominent Napa Valley peers).  Mondavi's stamp on the new-world wine industry extends beyond the winemakers it has trained or the customer's it has served; wineries founded 40 years later and 2600 miles away have built themselves in its image.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:

barrel aging cellar with wine library at far end;
reminds me of Vineland Estate!

gift shop display appropriate for
Featherstone Estate!