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ON WHICH WE STAND
Continuum is built upon a dynamic and pioneering family history. Over more than a century, four generations of Mondavis have produced wines that continually raised the bar for quality and prestige, propelling the family name to become synonymous with the shimmering promise of California wine.
Cesare Mondavi, an innovator, brought the family to America, to wine, and to the Napa Valley. His son Robert, a visionary, possessed a passion for excellence and tireless ambition which transformed not only his family but the entire world of wine. Tim Mondavi, a virtuoso, from a young age came into the family business and blazed trails globally, developing wines of world-class quality. Now, he and his sister Marcia Mondavi Borger, along with their adult children, have created Continuum, the new home of Mondavi family winemaking.
In 1962, Robert and his wife, Marjorie, made their first trip to Europe. They toured the wine regions, met and talked with winegrowers, and on his return, Robert was keen to apply some of what he had learned in Europe at the Charles Krug winery. His enthusiasm knew no bounds and eventually created friction with the more conservative elements of the family business.
The long-term endeavor of fine winemaking proved a poor fit with the fleeting, quarterly demands of a publicly traded company. In 2004, the family was forced to sell Robert Mondavi Winery, ending the family’s association with the vines amongst which it had grown up and the label that bore its name. Nevertheless, the end of one chapter allowed for the beginning of another and the family was determined not to miss a harvest since their first in 1919.
Having traveled California in the grape business, Cesare had formed some astute opinions. One was that America, which had seen wine consumption grow during Prohibition, was going to quickly graduate from the sweet, flawed basement wine it had been drinking and embrace dry “fine” table wines. Two, Cesare recognized Napa Valley, once-celebrated but now leveled by Prohibition, for what it was: perhaps California’s greatest wine region.
The first three vintages of Continuum were sourced primarily from To-Kalon, representing the family’s past on the valley floor. For Continuum’s future, Tim envisioned a loftier pursuit in the style of the most renowned Grand Crus and First Growths of France. After years of searching hillside estates, the family acquired in 2008 and 2009, contiguous parcels on the slopes of Pritchard Hill along the eastern ridge of Napa Valley. The natural advantages of elevation, shyer soils, and lower yields at Sage Mountain Vineyard mirror the qualities of the most storied vineyards of Europe.
Sourcing grapes from all across California, Cesare quickly learned that the best grapes for winemaking came from the Napa Valley and charted a course for his family to start making wine there once prohibition came to an end in 1933.
In 1962, Robert and his wife, Marjorie, made their first trip to Europe. They toured the wine regions, met and talked with winegrowers, and on his return, Robert was keen to apply some of what he had learned in Europe at the Charles Krug winery. His enthusiasm knew no bounds and eventually created friction with the more conservative elements of the family business.
The long-term endeavor of fine winemaking proved a poor fit with the fleeting, quarterly demands of a publicly traded company. In 2004, the family was forced to sell Robert Mondavi Winery, ending the family’s association with the vines amongst which it had grown up and the label that bore its name. Nevertheless, the end of one chapter allowed for the beginning of another and the family was determined not to miss a harvest since their first in 1919.
The first three vintages of Continuum were sourced primarily from To-Kalon, representing the family’s past on the valley floor. For Continuum’s future, Tim envisioned a loftier pursuit in the style of the most renowned Grand Crus and First Growths of France. After a years-long search of hillside estates, the family acquired contiguous parcels on the slopes of Pritchard Hill along the eastern ridge of Napa Valley in 2008 and 2009. The natural advantages of elevation, shyer soils, and lower yields at Sage Mountain Vineyard mirror the qualities of the most storied vineyards of Europe.
“For four generations our family has created a continuum of wine excellence, enhancing the celebration of life.”Tim Mondavi
Family
Wine has an affinity for family—and our family, for wine. Both are long term endeavors, requiring a unified vision, consistent care, and the passing down of knowledge, wisdom, and devotion. Without family, Continuum cannot be its true self, and at the same time, Continuum becomes our family’s vessel to carry the past into the future.
A century of collective Mondavi family experience imbues Continuum with knowledge and depth.
Team
The art of winegrowing requires many hands. Our legacy and passion are due in large part to the talents and expertise of those who have chosen to work alongside us over the years and decades. They are an extended family, keepers of institutional knowledge and vital to everything we do. We are honored they have chosen to join us in this journey.