ALL IN THE FAMILY

How the descendants of legendary California winemakers are carrying on the tradition

- STORY BY JUSTIN GOLDMAN

THERE ARE A few wineries that are an essential stop for almost any visitor to Napa and Sonoma.

What many tourists may not realize, though, is that some of these wineries are no longer owned by the families that helped them reach great heights. A prime example is the Robert Mondavi Winery—the first to be built in Napa after Prohibition—which since 2004 has been owned by a conglomerate called Constellation Brands.

But while the Mondavis may no longer own or operate the winery that bears their name, that doesn't mean you can't taste a fine wine made by a Mondavi. Take Continuum Estate, which Robert, son Tim and daughter Marcia founded the year after the sale, and where Tim still serves as winemaker. Tim says of the sale of his father's winery, a deal the family was forced into after years of internal disagreements and external pressures following its 1993 IPO.

That money largely went into Continuum, where today he focuses on making Bordeaux blends. “At the beginning, people knew my father stood for the very best,” Tim says, “but then we did go public. The outside directors overused my father's good name, and that clarity was obliterated. Then we had to clarify what we did stand for.”