The House of Mondavi

The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty

By: Julia Flynn Siler

Narrated by: Alan Sklar

Length: 17 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Set in California's lush Napa Valley and spanning four generations of a talented and visionary family, The House of Mondavi is a tale of genius, sibling rivalry, and betrayal. From 1906, when Italian immigrant Cesare Mondavi passed through Ellis Island, to the Robert Mondavi Corporation's 21st-century battle over a billion-dollar fortune, award-winning journalist Julia Flynn Siler brings to life both the place and the people in this riveting family drama.

The blood feuds are as spectacular as the business triumphs. Cesare's sons, Robert and Peter, literally came to blows in the 1960s during a dispute touched off by the purchase of a mink coat, resulting in Robert's exile from the family - and his subsequent founding of a winery that would set off a revolution in American winemaking. Robert's sons, Michael and Timothy, as passionate in their own ways as their visionary father, waged battles with each other for control of the company before Michael's expansive ambitions ultimately led to a board coup and the sale of the business to an international conglomerate.

A meticulously reported narrative based on thousands of hours of interviews, The House of Mondavi is bound to become a classic.

©2007 Julia Flynn Siler (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc.

Critic reviews

" The House of Mondavi's cast rivals that of the 1980s wine-country melodrama Falcon Crest, with episodes of sex, violence, greed, envy, nepotism, and betrayal...[and] a King Lear-like storyline." ( Wine Spectator Online)

Haughty Narrator

This fellow Sklar seems very impressed with himself and how he pronounces french words with a faue french accent, but he butchers the name of the town, St. Helena, which central to the story. This shows a lacks professionalism in my opinion, not getting the pronounciations correct.

Interesting recounting of dynastic dysfunction

Julia Flynn Siler does an excellent job chronicalling the lives and events relative to the dynastic Mondavi famly. It's really well done, although it helps, as she is very detailed, to have a true interest in the CA wine scene. This is not a 'happy ending' saga - if anything it could be a morality play on the corrupting influence of money coupled with blind ambition. While the story held my interest, the narrator did not improve the experience, coming off to me as stilting, stuffy and patronizing - a sorry choice for an otherwise interesting story.

Could have been shorter

Although a fascinating story, the author tended to include too much detail (do I need to know what color the sleeves of Michael Mondavi's bride's dress were, really?), which tended to slow the story down. I think if I were reading it, rather than a captive audience during my commute, I might have finished a lot sooner with skimming. I also found the story skipped around a lot: even though the chapters were titled by date ranges, they often included lengthy material from other decades, both before and after. It made it quite confusing to follow.

On a totally un-related note: the actor who *read* this book is fabulous. He could make the User Guide for a Coffee Pot sound enthralling.

The House of Mandavi

This is a great book for anyone interested in the evolution of the Napa Wine Industry. Interwoven is the high and complex price paid by highly motivated family members driven by some times mutually exclusive goals. It is a fasinating story written in a very entertaining manner. It is also very well read. One of my best non-fiction selections.

Compelling strory of a family's self distruction

Would you consider the audio edition of The House of Mondavi to be better than the print version?

A very interesting story of the first family of wine in Napa Valley. A very interesting story about the Valley and all the wine makers. The family story is very sad on a multi generational level. Very compelling listening. The narrator is a little boring.

Is this worth a listen?

I am listening to this recount of the trials and tribulations of the famous California wine family and their dysfunction. This is a true story culled from interviews with the principals and other verified sources by the author. It reads like a novel. We experience dramatic highs and lows, legal wranglings, adultery and betrayals. Unfortunately, the narrator for this recording was not good. He narrates the story as though it is his first read through with emphases and pauses in all the wrong places. He has a pleasant enough voice, but his inflections and voice modulations are the same for most of the phrases and sentences and is very distracting and annoying. The content is however worth it. My choice were I to do this again would be to skip the audiobook and read the book on my Kindle.

Great

So reminiscent of the Gallo family story which is also a good read but tragic at the same time.

Really good and interesting

I debated whether or not to get this and am so glad I did. It proves that sometimes life is more interesting than fiction. I have a new found respect for the wine business.

Well researched, written and narrated.

What did you love best about The House of Mondavi?

ms. siler did an excellent job of researching and writting this book. As did mr. skla in narrating it. A book for anyone interested in California's history re wineries and the mondavi family, an integral part, quite generous in spirit, despite family squabbles, like the rest of us, in that process.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The House of Mondavi?

when a seaoned mondavi executive was confronted by a young mondavi kid saying in jest...i think i'll keep you all...similar to when young prince harry said...look at all the peasants, when he was 3 yrs old....the exec said...i'd like to take him out back and beat the shit out him....it was priceless.

Which scene was your favorite?

every aspect of the lovely scenary that accomplies a book about vineyards.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

my reaction to this book is that i found it be an excellent selection and couldn't recommend it more highly.

curious

one would think if doing a story on a particular family the narrator would know how to pronounce it's name. here doing moindAvi where is real a subtle "a". and totally messes up st Helena with the volcano. its st Helana phonetically. narrator to sing songy.