Robert Mondavi Dies at 94

From the NYT obit:

Under Mr. Mondavi, the winery grew into a $500 million-a-year business as it introduced to the United States European winemaking techniques like the use of French oak aging barrels and stainless-steel fermentation tanks.

An Italian immigrant’s son, Bob Mondavi, as he chose to be called, battled puritanical tradition, a hidebound wine industry, a skeptical public and even opposition within his own family as he fashioned himself into a symbol of America’s mid-century affluence and cultural coming of age.

With other promoters of good living like Julia Child and Alice Waters, he tried to lead the country away from shopworn Old World ways, insisting that Americans were second to none in creating elegance and enjoying it. Few did that better than he: he lived like royalty.

The Psychology of Wine

In a recent blind taste test which will be published in book form as "The Wine Trials" most people were unable to tell between low-cost and high-end wines. This is a fairly well replicated result; it's increased by two factors:

• Inexperienced drinkers don't seem to have a strong preference for really high-end wine. They can tell, but are generally just as happy with "good little drinkers". (small signal, flat indifference curves)
• Although winemakers are getting pretty good at setting prices for their releases, there are a sizeable number of "good little drinkers" out there, and a number of overpriced wines of specific vintages and labels. (lots of noise)

Last bottle I had was a Paso Creek Merlot. Smooooooth.
Not a very strong finish, but definitely worth a try to make
a decision for yourself. Of course, my opinion is somewhat
skewed since it was a gift. It's always easier to be more
generous with a "wine review" if your not the one who's out
the price of the bottle.

I drink champagne when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it - unless I'm thirsty.

-Lilly Bollinger

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A blog about wine and the things that happen around it: good discussion, pleasant meals, travel, art and literature.