Abbondanza: The Life and Times of Robert Mondavi
Last night at 8:00 you may have caught the 1 hour documentary on Robert Mondavi on Channel 4 KRON if you live in the Bay Area. If you didn’t, well then you didn’t miss much according to Chronicle Staff Writer David Wilegand. Google Video shows us some screen shots and dialogue, but Video playback is currently unavailable.
I wasn’t able to view it last night, but I’ve got it recorded and an encore presentation will air at 8 p.m. Nov. 27. I’ll add my thoughts here after I watch it tonight.
Update: Actually, this was a great documentary. Yes there are some cheesy one liners in the program, but Mondavi was an innovator and a pioneer in the industry, and the filmmaker brought that out. I enjoyed hearing how his son, Michael, would take out the family car on Highway 29, get in front of traffic heading toward the winery and slow down to backup cars behind him. He would signal with his hand when turning, and glide into the wineries main driveway, getting a few cars to follow him.
Successfully building a winery into a thriving business wasn’t easy in those days, especially in a wine region with no track record, and no tourism.
I recommend watching this documentary if you get a chance. It’s well done and shows both the triumphs and the failures of Robert Mondavi and his legacy.
Read [SFgate]
