Grgich Hills Estate was founded in 1977 by Miljenko “Mike” Grgich and Austin Hills. Austin is part of the family that started Hills Bros. Coffee, Inc – he started as a an assistant coffee buyer with the company until ultimately he was Chairman of the Board. He also began his own wine label under a company he founded in 1975, Hills Vineyards. After he and his sister Mary Lee sold their coffee company he approached Mike Grgich in 1976 (after the Judgement of Paris results) about starting a winery. With his financial backing and business acumen, plus Mike’s winemaking skills, they went into partnership and founded Grgich Hills. Today both the Grgich and Hill families continue to share the ownership of the winery equally. 

This history of how Mike Grgich came from a tiny village in Croatia to become a world renowned winemaker and own his own winery in the Napa Valley is a fascinating one. It starts in Croatia – where he was born (the last of 11 children) in a tiny village, Desne, located inland on the Dalmation Coast. This village is still small but well spread out with only around 100 people living there today. Mike’s family home (perched on the hillsides) is remarkably still standing, but mostly only the stone walls as time has taken its toll on the structure – including being bombed during World War II (damage from this can still be seen today) and in 2004 a devastating forest fire burned around and through the family home and several nearby houses.

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