For decades, talk about feuding members of the Mondavi vineyard dynasty has been a staple of wine gatherings. Wall Street Journal contributing writer Siler fills in the stories with scintillating details about contentious battles in and out of wine company boardrooms that include a momentous fistfight over a mink coat and the sibling battle for corporate control that ultimately brought down the prestigious winery.
Eric Asimov
Call it Greek tragedy or Shakespearean drama, Biblical strife, Freudian acting out, or even soap opera. . . . Compelling. (Eric Asimov, The New York Times)
BusinessWeek
A fascinating chronicle . . . a twisted tale filled with big egos, beautiful backdrops, and charismatic-yet-flawed characters who pull off towering feats and then throw them all away.
Seattle PostIntelligencer
A first-rate job of creating a balanced view of this epic A merican drama. . . . T he book reads like a novel and her crisp style makes the book compelling regardless of whether the reader has an interest in wine. . . . It's a great summer read but it also belongs on the reference shelf of any wine library.
James Laube
Explores the Mondavis' bumpy journey in grand and fascinating detail. . . . Fluid and well-written.
— Wine Spectator
NPR Day to Day
A riveting story that is part soap opera, part Shakespearean family drama.
Barrons
Based on exhaustive research and interviews, each page is packed with facts and footnotes which, by dint of superb writing, manage to engage the reader and avoid the data brain-lock that would have plagued a less-talented journalist.
From the Publisher
"A fascinating history filled with charismatic yet flawed characters." ---BusinessWeek
DEC 07/JAN 08 - AudioFile
How did a family business, a billion-dollar enterprise such as the House of Mondavi, find itself open to a hostile takeover? Was it hubris, bad financial management, or a bit of both? Listening to Alan Sklar is always worthwhile, but with a story this fraught with biblical dimensions and Elizabethan complexities, he absolutely enthralls. Even with ambition, sibling rivalry, betrayal, and exile as staples of the story, Sklar doesn’t overdramatize. His sensitive narration does more than air the family’s wine-spotted linens in public. Thanks to Siler’s meticulous research, through interviews with all principal family members, court documents, and depositions, and Sklar’s vibrant performance, the story doesn’t deteriorate into a soap opera. Instead it offers fascinating insights into a dysfunctional family and the wine-growing industry in Napa. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
