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The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty
by
Julia Flynn Siler (Goodreads Author)
The New York Times bestseller, now in paperback: a scandal-plagued story of the immigrant family that builtand then losta global wine empire Set in Californias lush Napa Valley and spanning four generations of a talented and visionary family, The House of Mondavi is a tale of genius, sibling rivalry, and betrayal. From 1906, when Italian immigrant Cesare Mondavi passed ...more
Paperback, 464 pages
Published
May 1st 2008
by Gotham
(first published January 1st 2007)
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This is a fascinating history of the most famous (and infamous) American wine dynasty, the Mondavis, and the rise and fall of their empire. The book spans 4 generations, and is divided into four parts: Foundation, Construction, Expansion, and the stunning finale, Demolition. The meticulously researched text reads like a Greek tragedy; the reader can see disaster looming, however the characters are unable to control the events from unfolding. Siler weaves an epic tale of ambition and hubris, rage...more
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An epic, scandal-plagued story of the immigrant family that built—and then spectacularly lost—a global wine empire
Set in California's lush Napa Valley and spanning four generations of a talented and visionary family, The House of Mondavi is a tale of genius, sibling rivalry, and betrayal. From 1906, when Italian immigrant Cesare Mondavi passed through Ellis Island, to the Robert Mondavi Corp.'s twenty-first-century battle over a billion-dollar fortune, award-winning journalist Julia Fl...more
Set in California's lush Napa Valley and spanning four generations of a talented and visionary family, The House of Mondavi is a tale of genius, sibling rivalry, and betrayal. From 1906, when Italian immigrant Cesare Mondavi passed through Ellis Island, to the Robert Mondavi Corp.'s twenty-first-century battle over a billion-dollar fortune, award-winning journalist Julia Fl...more
Julia Siler has done an exhaustive study of the Mondavi family. In the author's note she states that her book is based on 525 hours of interviews with more than 250 people. Unfortunately, sometimes this comes out in the text- I got the sense that details were occasionally lumped in because they were there rather than their contribution to the larger story being told.
The Mondavi family is filled with profoundly flawed characters, petty, inconsiderate, and frequently silly. Robert...more
The Mondavi family is filled with profoundly flawed characters, petty, inconsiderate, and frequently silly. Robert...more
Holy dysfunctional family, Batman! Wow, this may be the nastiest family feud I've ever heard about, spanning generations and spawning all sorts of lawsuits. It's ugly. However, behind the interpersonal drama is a lot of fascinating stuff about the origins of California's wine industry, the birth of Napa as a wine region of note and wine making and distribution. I found it fairly educational, actually.
As for the Mondavis, I think the author did a very good job of staying neutral an...more
As for the Mondavis, I think the author did a very good job of staying neutral an...more
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
A history of the Mondavi wine empire, July 1, 2007
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This is a terrific history of the Mondavi family and the rise and fall of its wine empire. Family infighting and unwise business decisions and a dash of bad luck are part and parcel of this story. The author, Julia Flynn Siler, writes in a spellbinding manner. The approach and theme (page ix): "Over a p...more
A history of the Mondavi wine empire, July 1, 2007
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This is a terrific history of the Mondavi family and the rise and fall of its wine empire. Family infighting and unwise business decisions and a dash of bad luck are part and parcel of this story. The author, Julia Flynn Siler, writes in a spellbinding manner. The approach and theme (page ix): "Over a p...more
If you're expecting a book about wine, winemaking, or vineyards, you'll be disappointed. Instead, it's excrutiating detail of sibling rivalries, intrafaily lawsuits, extramarital affairs, and corporate takeovers. I think I finished this book out of loyalty to California.
Julia Flynn Siler is a balanced and through writer, but not much of a storyteller.
Julia Flynn Siler is a balanced and through writer, but not much of a storyteller.
a lot of family history throughout, but if you love to read about coporate takeovers and the nuances of shareholder relationships, you'll love this book. the family history starts at the beginning and it's interesting to see how much the family relationship invades and impedes the business, especially in such a consistent manner through the generations. it was cool to read about the sort of birth and growth of the napa valley (from the Mondavi perspective) through to about 2007 and i was struc...more
For anyone who is interested in the generation of the California wine industry, this highly readable book shows a great panorama of family, family infighting and finally family disintegration. It is a wonderful book about the generation of the wine industry in Napa/Sonoma and its commercialization in various other parts of the world. You really come to know the Mondavis as human beings with all of their many excesses and insights. Say what you want about how they ended up, during their reign,...more
I love wine. I love Mondavi wine. All their labels, for the money you can't get much better. The story of the first great American wine family reads like a Greek soap opera. The age old truth about family and business hold true is this tail. It's all there greed, betrayal, sex, and more.
I feel like this was a well researched book, that the family may or may not love. The author did an excellent job of not taking sides in the family's battles. She was able to shoe where both sides were ...more
I feel like this was a well researched book, that the family may or may not love. The author did an excellent job of not taking sides in the family's battles. She was able to shoe where both sides were ...more
The House of Mondavi follows the story of one family and two companies as they shape the destiny of a region and ultimately a countries choice in wine. From the days of building up a winery that would dominate the world's opinion on California wine to the fall that would change an industry the Mondavi family was at the center of all of it. If there was ever a case study of not doing business with your family this is at the heart of it. The story begins with Cesare and Rosa Mondavi starting ...more
Siler has done a great job at bringing together the life and times of the wine baron Robert Mondavi. I thoroughly enjoyed the history of the family and how the family emotions, feuds, scandals, and hubris eventually tore the dynasty apart, forcing Robert to list the winery as a public entity on the stock exchange which led to it's eventual sale. The sale turned the winery from family to corporate ownership -- ending Robert's dream of keeping it a family owned business which his sons would inher...more
This is the saga of the Mondavi family. Peter and Robert Mondavi were the sons of Italian immigrants, Cesare and Rosa. Cesare built a very successful agricultural business in Lodi. When the family decided to go heavily into wine production they turned to the Napa Valley. The Mondavi family saw the great potential of the Napa Valley and ended up purchasing land and moving there. The wine business tore the family apart. Robert Mondavi wanted to make fine wine and his brother Peter wanted to ...more
Dan Wilson
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
wine geeks, business history buffs
Shelves:
business-history
I have a particular interest in this story because I was professionally involved in the wine industry for about 15 years starting around 1976. In those days the Robert Mondavi family was one of the primary flag bearers for California wine--they were industry "heroes." Their story reminds me of the 1980s television soap opera, Dallas. How interesting it was to me to read the "nitty gritty" about this family and their celebrated business.
If there is such a thing as ...more
If there is such a thing as ...more
If you enjoy history, biography, and most importantly WINE - this is an intricate fascinating read. Robert Mondavi put the US wine market on the map, with many twists and turns in-between. A tale of family divided, family united and the same story repeated again. It is long, challenging at times, but delivers a wealth of understanding of the changes one man made in the way we look at and enjoy wine. He literally put Napa on the map. Was that good or bad, you can make your own decision on that.
In a sense, giving this book 3 stars is horribly unfair. The balance between business and family affairs is well-maintained; the causes of various events are thoroughly explored; the Mondavis' unfamiliar business partners are introduced; general wine industry trends are presented. The narration is soothing and clear, though some might say it induced sleep.
But for me, it was too much. 14 discs describing the ups and downs of the Mondavis contained too much material irrelevant to my li...more
But for me, it was too much. 14 discs describing the ups and downs of the Mondavis contained too much material irrelevant to my li...more
This well-researched book, while long and dry in many places, made me turn the page. The structure of the book worked in keeping my interest to the end. When the business descriptions became cumbersome, she switched to the dysfunctional family dynamics and vice versa. The saddest thing is that the richness of this flawed family is kicked out of their own creation. The dryness of business might make good wine, and keep the winery going, but without the heart, I'll shop around for other brands.
I liked this book because I've been interested in the history of the California wine industry and this sure hit the right note in that regard. Tales of dysfunctional families, corporate takeovers, life-style excesses, extra-marital affairs, you name it, this book's got it.
But....there were several stories that were repeated, with more or less detail, throughout the book. There were a couple of times that I thought I was on the wrong "page" (I listened to the audiobook),...more
But....there were several stories that were repeated, with more or less detail, throughout the book. There were a couple of times that I thought I was on the wrong "page" (I listened to the audiobook),...more
I think my problem with this particular book is that I'm actually interested in the techniques that were used to make California wines respectable in the 1960s rather than the Mondavi family itself. I mean, surely Robert Mondavi had something to do with that, but the background information was so lengthy that I couldn’t bring myself to slog through it all---it just wasn’t very fun to read. I couldn’t even get to the creation of the Fume Blanc or his relationship with Philippe Rothschild or Opu...more
I learned far more than I intended to about the wine industry, and far FAR more than I wanted to about the Mondavi family. The author has an incredible wealth of personal information about the Mondavis, and this is a story of family dynasties as much as of the wine industry. I'm glad I read it, but I wish it had been cut down into something less than a 600-page tome for those of us who don't care about the exercise habits of the Mondavi's new lawyer.
Robert Mondavi has made his name a household word throgh the growth of the winery started by his father. However, it came at a price - the split in the family arising from control of the business with his brother and sister.
But wait - there's more! Not only is this a good biography (with a little dirt dished) it's actually a valuable business lesson on family businesses. Something for everyone, and very well researched/written.
But wait - there's more! Not only is this a good biography (with a little dirt dished) it's actually a valuable business lesson on family businesses. Something for everyone, and very well researched/written.
A fascinating view of the Mondavi Wine dynasty--from Cesare, coming from Italy will little money or skills, the discovery of sleepy little Napa Valley, and then all hell breaks lose as the two sons (he also had 2 daughters) go to war over the inherited business. Even worse, Mama sides with one son and cuts the other out. The animosity and family wars pour over into the next generation. Dynasty has nothing on this family.
My wife bought me this book for my birthday mostly as a joke... Most of my amazon wish list is full of history books focusing on roman history and she refused to buy me another roman history book (the cover looks like a roman villa).
I really enjoyed this book. I like wine, I like history, how could it be bad?
Pretty interesting behind the depth story of the first family of Wine in the US. Really enjoyed
I really enjoyed this book. I like wine, I like history, how could it be bad?
Pretty interesting behind the depth story of the first family of Wine in the US. Really enjoyed
I had expected this be the story of the Mondavi family from when it first arrived in America till the present; while depending on your interpretation, this could be true, but I hadn't expected this book to be filled with stories of the many legal battles of this famous wine family. Even though it wasn't what I had expected, this book taught me a lot about the business side of the wine business. Highly recommend!
Dry is a quality I like in wines,not in books.I haven't finished this yet.I like it because of my food and wine background,so maybe it's a little more interesting to me than to any one else.The story is pretty well known,but this goes into great detail.People into corporate takeovers and board room back stabbing will like this.I got a bunch of calamari and wine to keep plowing through this one.
I was really into the book. Lots of interesting facts on the Napa Valley. Mostly it was (shocking, I know) centered around the totally screwed up Mondavi family.
It made me feel a lot better about my own family. At least my family never became estranged over our family winery. And my family never cut one of it's own out of the family business because they thought he was too much of a press whore.
But seriously folks. I learned a great deal about family businesses from this...more
It made me feel a lot better about my own family. At least my family never became estranged over our family winery. And my family never cut one of it's own out of the family business because they thought he was too much of a press whore.
But seriously folks. I learned a great deal about family businesses from this...more
The story of the Mondavi family is itself interesting, particularly if the reader is keen on Californian history with a particular bent towards the wine industry. However, the writing in this book is dreadful. Siler is tedious, repetitive, and gets certain details wrong (for instance, Chez Panisse is housed in an Arts and Crafts building, not a Victorian one as she asserts. Anyone dealing with the aesthetics of Northern California should know this). Often the book reads as if it were composed in...more
Do you remember the television evening soap opera "Falcon Crest"? The House of Mondavi is based on over 500 hours of interviews and it sounds reasonable that the claim of the TV soap was based on this family. The most interesting aspect of the family tale is how much the Mondavi family brought wine to the American public along with many of our wine rituals and preferences. Otherwise, it's a typical "rags to riches" story of an American family led by opposing life philosoph...more
It was interesting. Perhaps it could stand to lose some of the inside baseball details -- the life stories of people who appear in the narrative for only one or two pages, for instance. But interesting. It taught me not just about the Mondavi wine family, but about the history of the Napa wine industry generally.
Phil
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anybody with a passing interest in wine
The source material of this book has been immaculately researched and is intensly captivating. The strength of this portion of this 400-page history overshadows the minor defects in the telling of this illustrious tale. Beware grammatical mistakes (dangling modifiers, etc.) and oddities in chronological construction, but this book is a treasure to the wine-conscious or wine-curious. Although the author provides some analysis of dynastic development, the text begs for the reader to come to his...more
Extremely thorough account of the Mondavi Wine Family spanning over four generations. Reads very much like a Greek tragedy with interesting twists, turns, regret, nostalgia, love, and family wars. I very much enjoyed reading it and polished it off (400 pages) in just less than 3 days.
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Julia Flynn Siler is the author of The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty, published by Penguin’s Gotham Books in June, 2007.
A graduate of Brown University and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, Ms. Flynn Siler began her career as a staff correspondent for BusinessWeek, working in the magazine’s Los Angeles and Chicago bureaus. She wrote a...more
More about Julia Flynn Siler...
A graduate of Brown University and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, Ms. Flynn Siler began her career as a staff correspondent for BusinessWeek, working in the magazine’s Los Angeles and Chicago bureaus. She wrote a...more
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