The New York Times bestseller, now in paperback: a scandal-plagued story of the immigrant family that built—and then 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 Flynn Siler brings to life both the place and the people in this riveting family drama. A meticulously reported narrative based on more than five hundred hours of interviews, The House of Mondavi is a modern classic.

Anyone that has enjoyed or still enjoys Mondavi wines and is interested in what was happening behind the scenes at the Robert Mondavi Winery over the years will probably thoroughly enjoy this book. It is very well written and provides the reader with a fascinating and informative story about wine production in Napa Valley over more than 50 years - focusing on the Mondavi Winery and how family politics and corporatization gradually had a huge effect on the business.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It gave an interesting insight into the power struggles within a family-owned wine business, the anguish of deciding to go public or not (IPO), and the importance of maintaining a relationship with parties critical to the success of such a buisness (suppliers, distributors, board members, etc.)

I often prefer fiction, yet this packs California wine history into an enjoyable read. It even educates about wines without being heavy handed. And we get to "taste" some intriguing vineyard personalities. For those in family businesses, there are valuable cautionary lessons as well. Definitely worth my money and my time.

Anyone that is big into Wine and has been to Napa knows Mondavi Winery is one of the biggest player in the Valley. It was very interesting to read how the winery came about and the split up of the family....Charles Krug winery.

An interesting in-depth review of a famous family, from success to downfall. This book navigates the ascendacy of this dynasty to the top of the California wine industry, hindered by the breakdown of personal relations and the final fiasco of the business. Sad, but fascinating.