Mike Grgich and daughter, Violet, of Grgich Hills, supply the talent and energy that drives their highly respected West Coast winery. Along with the vision of Austin E. Hills (Hills Brothers Coffee) and the expertise of wine maker Ivo Jeramaz, they have firmly established Grgich Hills at the forefront of the great American producers.
Austin E. Hills & Ivo Jeramaz
Mr. Grgich brought his extraordinary wine making skills to the United States from his native Croatia in 1958 and immediately headed west to make his indelible mark on the American wine industry. There, along with Andre Tchellistchef, he conducted experiments with "cold sterilization", yeast and fermentation which have led to methods and procedures that have been adopted by vintners worldwide.

He first received international attention in 1976 at the legendary Paris Tasting, when his Chateau Montelena Chardonnay took first place over all other entries. The "blind tasting" honors earned Grgich celebrity status and did much to garner respect for the American wine industry in general.

Although considered by some in the industry to be a bit of a renegade, no one can argue with his accomplishments. Indeed, one would be hard put to identify a decent American wine, made by any producer, that in some way has not been influenced by the hand of Mike Grgich.

Violet Grgich, Mike's daughter and indispensable aide de camp, represents the winery throughout the world. She hosted the Grgich Wine Dinner at the Plaza Cafe, presenting a program that was informative, entertaining and elegant.

The pairing of Grgich wines with the cuisine of the Plaza Cafe was made even more special in that Chef Gulija, himself, is of Croatian heritage. This dinner was a source of great pride for him and for his family.

For more information on Grgich Wines go to:
www.grgich.com
"Zivili!" translates, roughly, to "Down the hatch!"...but not exactly. It's a Croatian toast wishing long life to those with whom you're sharing a drink. Well, by the end of the Grgich Wine Dinner in the summer of 2000, everyone in attendance had learned this little bit of Croatian...and a lot about wine.

Violet Grgich, herself, graciously agreed come to Southampton to present the program, and right from her opening remarks and straight through the entire dinner, she educated, entertained and thoroughly charmed the guests. By the time she left, Grgich Hills Cellar (and Violet) had garnered a large number of loyal fans.
Assorted Plaza Cafe Canapés
1997 POSIP (Croatia)

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Seared Diver Scallops with Local Sweet Corn Pudding,
Sea Bean and Shitake Mushroom Ragout and Basil Oil
1997 'PRIVATE RESERVE STYLE' FUME BLANC (Napa)

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Sautéed Local Striped Bass with Peruvian Purple Potato Puree and "Lobster Succotash"
1997 CHARDONNAY (Napa)
1992 'CARNEROS SELECTION' CHARDONNAY (Napa)

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Grilled Local Yellow Fin Tuna Over Braised Oxtail with Red Wine Risotto
1996 ZINFANDEL (Sonoma)
1997 PLAVAC MALI (Croatia)

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Porcini Crusted Tenderloin with a Local Spinach Potato Hash and a Foie Gras Emulsion
1996 CABERNET SAUVIGNON (Napa)

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Trio of Local Peach Desserts
1995 CUVEE VIOLETTA LATE HARVEST (Napa)
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