1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay crafted by Miljenko "Mike" Grgich named to Smithsonian's "101 Objects That Made America"

Wine joins Abraham Lincoln's hat, Alexander Graham Bell's telephone and Neil Armstrong's spacesuit.

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Apr 09, 2014, 09:00 ET

RUTHERFORD, Calif., April 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay crafted by Miljenko "Mike" Grgich that was the champion of the 1976 Paris Tasting is part of the exhibit selected by the Smithsonian Institute as one of "101 Objects That Made America." Chosen from 137 million artifacts in the Smithsonian collection, the 1973 Chardonnay is joined by other iconic American objects such as Abraham Lincoln's hat, Alexander Graham Bell's telephone and Neil Armstrong's spacesuit.

Image submitted by Grgich Hills Estate. (PRNewsFoto/Grgich Hills Estate) (PRNewsFoto/GRGICH HILLS ESTATE)

The Smithsonian's History of America in 101 Objects chose Julie Child's Kitchen, which includes the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay crafted by Grgich, in a major exhibition on the revolution in American wine in the second half of the 20^th Century, and the book features a photo of the winning wine. The author, Richard Kurin, is the Smithsonian Institution's Under Secretary for History, Art and Culture, selected objects from the entire collection held by the 19 museums and research centers of the Smithsonian Institution.

Looking over the list of 101 treasures from the Smithsonian's Collection, Grgich commented: "When I was growing up in the little village of Desne in Croatia, I never would have dared to dream that the wine that I crafted would be in the same book as America's "Declaration of Independence," or in the same museum as Nikola Tesla, the famous inventor who is also from Croatia. When I arrived in the United States, I thought I was the luckiest man alive to have my dream come true of making wine in California, but this recognition far exceeds my American Dream."

Located at 1829 St. Helena Highway (Hwy 29) in Rutherford, Grgich Hills Estate was founded in 1977 by Vintner Hall of Fame Inductee Miljenko "Mike" Grgich and Austin Hills after the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that Grgich made outscored the best of France in the now-famous 1976 Paris Tasting that revolutionized the world of wine. Today this iconic winery farms 366 acres naturally, without artificial fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides, and uses its passion and art to handcraft food-friendly, balanced and elegant wines. Mike is assisted by his daughter, Violet Grgich, Vice-President of Operations, and his nephew, Ivo Jeramaz, Vice-President of Vineyards and Production. For more information, visit www.grgich.com.

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SOURCE Grgich Hills Estate