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88 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 { napa valley } NAPA VALLEY MAY be full of legends, but there are few vintners more worthy of that name than Miljenko "Mike" Grgich. The Croatian-born winemaker came into the spotlight after the famed Judgment of Paris tasting of 1976, when the Chardonnay he made for Chateau Montelena won rst place, besting an array of top French Burgundies and receiving the top score of all wines both white and red. In 1977, Grgich teamed with Austin Hills of Hills Bros. Coffee to establish their own winery, Grgich Hills Cellars, where Grgich could explore his pas - sion for Chardonnay. In 1986, Grgich's nephew Ivo Jeramaz, a farm-born mechanical engineer who now serves as Winemaker and Vice President of Vineyards and Production, came on board. By 2003, the winery became all-estate, changing its name to Grgich Hills Estate to reect this transition. Jeramaz and his team began to pay strict attention to vineyard management in 2000 as they implement - ed organic practices. By 2006, their ve Napa Valley estate vineyards—totaling 365 acres from American Canyon and Carneros in the south and through mid- valley Yountville and Rutherford to Calistoga at the north end—were deemed certied organic by the California Certied Organic Farmers, a U. S. Depart - ment of Agriculture–accredited agency based in Santa Cruz. For some wineries, "going organic" is a board- room decision, but for Grgich Hills the process was completely natural. "Being Croatian, both Mike and I were very familiar with organic farming," says Jeramaz. "In Croatia, you had livestock, the farm was a polyculture, and you made compost, but it wasn't called organic farming, Biodynamic farming, or natural farming—it was nor - mal farming. Today, for most people, chemical farming is normal farming." "Three Good Reasons" "Why organic farming?" asks Jeramaz—an all-impor- tant question at Grgich Hills Estate. "There are at least three good reasons. Number one, with organic Compost-rich soil is key to effective organic farming. Ivo Jeramaz, Grgich Hills Estate Winemaker and Vice President of Vineyards and Production, at the winery in Rutherford. Grounded on Quality AT GRGICH HILLS ESTATE, ORGANIC FARMING IS "NORMAL FARMING" by David Gadd / photos by Alexander Rubin Compost-rich soil is key to effective organic farming. Grounded on Quality