2023 Auction Lots

2 – 3 Liter 2018 Grgich Hills Estate Yountville Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon, signed by proprietors Miljenko “Mike” Grgich, Violet Grgich and vice president and winemaker Ivo Jeramaz

A ten (10) day journey from Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast to Paris and Napa with Violet Grgich for two (2) couples

Roundtrip, First Class Airfare from any major city in the contiguous United States to Croatia, from Croatia to Paris and returning to the United States for two (2) couples
Roundtrip, airport transfers and private ground transportation to all stated activities in Croatia and Paris

Croatia, Europe:
Two (2) nights’ accommodations in a Five-star luxury hotel in Dubrovnik
Two (2) nights’ accommodations at Relais & Châteaux Lešić Dimitri Palace in Korčula
Activities can include the options below and will be customized per the couples’ preferences:
Game of Thrones Old Town Dubrovnik walking tour
Visit to artist Jadranka Munitic’s gallery
Lunch at Nautika overlooking ramparts or at a traditional Croatian farm
Concert by Lindo with traditional Croatian folk dances and music
Visit to Desne, the village where Miljenko “Mike” Grgich was born
Midday traditional Desne and the Neretva Valley cuisine experience
Explore Old Town wine regions of Korčula
Private dinner at One Michelin Star Lešić Dimitri Palace
Private tour and tasting at Grgić Vina Winery
Visit to Mali Ston and Bota Šare with lunch and oyster gathering

Paris, France:
Two (2) nights’ accommodations at Five-star Le Meurice for two (2) couples
Visit to Versailles, followed by private harpsichord concert and dinner
Customized sommelier-guided tasting at the InterContinental Hotel where the original “Judgment of Paris” took place
Dinner at Two Michelin Star Restaurant Le Meurice by Alain Ducasse

Napa, California:
Two (2) nights’ accommodations at Five-star Meadowood for two (2) couples on May 19-21, 2023
Private meal and library wine tasting at Grgich Hills Estate with winemaker Ivo Jeramaz
Exclusive invitation to Mike’s 100th birthday bash at Grgich Hills Estate winery in Rutherford on May 20, 2023, featuring cuisine prepared personally by renowned Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto
Roundtrip, private ground transportation to the birthday celebration at the winery

Few winemakers have had a greater impact on Napa Valley than Miljenko “Mike” Grgich, and fewer have come from more humble beginnings. After fleeing Communist Yugoslavia in the 1950s, he emigrated to California and put New World wine on the map by winning the 1976 “Judgment of Paris” with his 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay. He founded the Grgich Hills Estate winery in 1977 with partner Austin Hills, and he came full circle in 1996 with the launch of Grgić Vina on the Dalmatian Coast of his native Croatia. As Mike approaches his 100th birthday, the operation of both wineries is in the hands of his daughter, Violet, an accomplished musician as well as a vintner.

Your odyssey begins in Dubrovnik, where you’ll spend the night in a Five-star hotel and experience the pleasures of this city. Begin with a visit to the art gallery of Jadranka Minitic, one of Croatia’s most renowned contemporary artists. From there, have lunch at Nautika, regarded by many as Dubrovnik’s best restaurant.

While in Dubrovnik, you’ll be treated to a performance by the folklore ensemble Lindo, which takes audiences on a “musical walk through Croatia” by assembling dances and ballads from all parts of the country. And if you’re a fan of George R.R. Martin, don’t miss the Game of Thrones walking tour.

Next, you’ll visit the humble village of Desne on the Dalmatian Coast, where Mike Grgich was born, and experience the cuisine of the Neretva on a traditional riverboat called a lada, which was used by Neretva River pirates from the 10th through 13th centuries.

It’s time to travel into the historic and undiscovered heart of Croatia, beginning with Korčula Island in the Adriatic, filled with vineyards, olive groves, small villages and sandy beaches. You’ll spend two nights at the Lešić Dimitri Place, a Relais & Châteaux property with a Michelin-starred restaurant.

After investigating the wine regions of Korčula you’ll explore the old town of Korčula, where you’ll see the birthplace of Marco Polo. Afterward, you’ll enjoy an elegant private dinner at the restaurant of the Lešić Dimitri Palace.

The next day you will take a short ferry trip to the Pelješac peninsula and head to Grgić Vina, the winery founded in 1996 by Mike and Violet Grgich and Mike’s nephew and winemaker, Ivo Jeramaz. The estate is devoted to crafting wines from Croatia’s very best varietals: Plavac Mali and Pošip. You’ll have a private tasting at the winery, followed by oyster gathering and a relaxed lunch by the sea in Mali Ston.

No overview of the Grgich legacy would be complete without a visit to the place where it all started, the “Judgment of Paris.” In 1976, wine merchant Steven Spurrier organized a blind tasting event that pitted the finest French wines against their equivalents from California. In a startling upset, most of the California wines were rated as superior, and Mike’s Chateau Montelena Chardonnay defeated some of the finest White Burgundies. The event reversed the then-common notion that California wine was inferior and had an explosive impact on the wine industry.

In Paris, you’ll stay at Le Meurice, a Five-star luxury palace. Originally opened in 1815, the hotel today is operated by the Dorchester Collection and is home to Restaurant Le Meurice by Alain Ducasse, holder of Two Michelin Stars, where you’ll dine in splendor. Visit the famed palace of Château de Versailles, followed by a private dinner and harpsichord concert, with a special venue. The setting for the “Judgment of Paris,” the InterContinental Hotel, will be the setting for a special private wine tasting of selected Grgich Hills and French wines, guided by a Master Sommelier.

Your trip comes full circle with a return to the Napa Valley and a visit to Grgich Hills Estate in Rutherford. After arriving in Meadowood you will be treated to a private meal and library wine tasting hosted by Mike Grgich’s nephew, the winemaker, Ivo Jeramaz. The next day you will attend Mike Grgich’s 100th birthday bash at the winery with cuisine personally prepared by one of Mike’s good friends and another successful immigrant, the renowned Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, in addition to traditional Croatian specialties. After the party, retire for the night to Meadowood.

Each couple will take home a Three Liter bottle of 2018 Grgich Yountville Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon, made from vines originally planted in 1959, the oldest large Cabernet vineyard in Napa Valley.

This lot provides a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the background of one of Napa’s wine legends—to learn about his origins, walk in his footsteps and celebrate his full century of winemaking excellence. 

One bid is all it takes to make it happen!

Insider's Info

This trip is hosted and joined by Violet Grgich and her husband Colin Shipman. The European trip is to take place on mutually agreeable dates between June to mid-August in 2023 or 2024 and based on availability. Roundtrip, First Class Airfare from any major city in the contiguous United States to Croatia, from Croatia to Paris and returning to the United States is included. Roundtrip, ground transfers from the airport in Croatia and in Paris are included. The Napa trip is to take place on May 19-20, 2023. Airfare to California is not included. Airport transfers in California are not included. Ground transportation to stated activities in Croatia, Paris and California is included. Hotels and room categories are luxury rooms based on availability at the time of booking. All accommodations and dinners and other stated meals are included. Gratuities for meals with Violet Grgich are included. Any additional gratuities are at the discretion of the winning bidders. The Moreska traditional dances take place on Thursday evenings during the summer. Concert by Lindo takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from June through mid-August. Private harpiscord concert and dinner location may or may not take place at Versailles and location is to be determined based on availability closer to the time of travel.

Donor

Violet Grgich of Grgich Hills Estate