I grew up making wine with my dad. He had a deal with the vinyards in Eastern WA. We'd drive over after the pickers had gone through and fill up a one ton pickup each trip with what they missed. Made mostly Cab and a couple of whites. About 1974 he tried his hand at Champagne. It was not so good and three quarters of the bottle would end up on the ceiling when popped. 25 years later he found a couple of cases so we tried it. Would rival Dom now. He still researches wines and buys them on the cheap when they first come out then stores them for years. So, pretty much every time I visit I get to try wines that are now worth hundreds of dollars and at their peak. There is a huge difference between wine stored right and that bought off of store shelves.

My parents, dad being into wine, went to the Mondavi vinyard in the late 60's and met an old farmer. After a discussion about grapes and wine the farmer invited them up, laid out a picnic and starting opening wines. It turned out to be Robert Mondavi. So they had an afternoon one on one with the man who started it all.