#StayHappening
Wed Dec 02 2026 at 06:00 pm to 07:00 pm UTC-08:00

Book Launch—Deals Drama Drive: Michael Mondavi and the Making of Napa Valle

  • The Commonwealth Club · San Francisco
  • From USD 37.58
Inforum at the Commonwealth Club Publisher / Host Inforum at the Commonwealth Club
Share
Book Launch\u2014Deals Drama Drive: Michael Mondavi and the Making of Napa Valle
Advertisement
Conversation with Michael Mondavi; enjoy a post-program book signing and wine-tasting.
About this Event

Today, California’s wine industry creates about $84 billion in economic activity in the state, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs and contributing billions in state and federal taxes. Join us for an inside look at the deals, drama and drive behind one of America’s greatest wine dynasties when Michael Mondavi comes to the Club.

Michael Mondavi has been at the center of some of the most famous events in the wine world over the past 60 years. From growing up at Charles Krug and launching Robert Mondavi Winery to creating joint ventures with the Rothschilds of Bordeaux and the Frescobaldis of Tuscany, Michael was in the room where it happened.

While his father, Robert, was the visionary, Michael was the “get-it-done guy”―the man tasked with turning his father's grand ideas into reality. Hear the behind-the-scenes story of that memorable day just before Thanksgiving in 1965, when his father called him at university to say they had both been thrown out of Charles Krug Winery—and into the planning of the winery that would become one of the most famous in the world.

From the creation of Opus One, Luce, and Sena to the tough business lessons from the expansion into Languedoc and of Copia, as well as the deals that cemented Robert Mondavi’s place alongside the great wine producers of the world, Mondavi provides an insider look at how the industry really works.

In Deals Drama Drive, he offers an insider’s perspective on building a global wine business, navigating family dynamics, managing partnerships, overcoming setbacks, and learning from mistakes. His story offers valuable insights into leadership, entrepreneurship, ambition, and the realities of building and sustaining a successful business.

From the Robert Mondavi Winery sale to Constellation, to his subsequent career with Folio Fine Wine Partners, Michael looks back with clear eyes at the mistakes he made and the lessons he learned.

Enjoy a post-program book signing and wine-tasting.

Notes

Guests must be 21 years or older to attend.

Book cover and speaker photo from Deals Drama Drive; courtesy of the speaker; vineyard image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay.

Speakers

Michael Mondavi, Founder and Chairman, Folio Fine Wine Partners

In Conversation With Monique Soltani, Journalist and Creator, Wine Oh! TV

5:30 p.m. doors open & check-in
6–7 p.m program
7 p.m. book signing & wine tasting
(all times Pacific Time)

Advertisement

Event venue & nearby stays

The Commonwealth Club, 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, United States

Tickets USD 37.58
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.

Discover more events by tag

Ask AI if this event suits you

Keep the plans coming

More events in San Francisco

San Francisco is happening.

See everything else that’s on — concerts, markets, comedy and more.