By Gary Selnow, Ph.D.
Executive Director, WiRED
As the wine world marks the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Judgment of Paris, all of us at WiRED International recognize the enduring contributions of two women whose lives have connected Napa Valley achievement with humanitarian service around the world: Tatjana Grgich and her daughter, Violet Grgich.
The anniversary commemorates the historic blind tasting in Paris where Miljenko “Mike” Grgich’s 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay outscored France’s most celebrated wines, helping establish California as a world-class wine region and securing Mike’s place among the most influential winemakers of his generation.
For WiRED, however, the Grgich legacy reaches far beyond wine. Mike and Tatjana Grgich came to Napa Valley from Croatia and built Grgich Hills Estate on a foundation of hard work and a deep sense of responsibility to others. While Mike earned international recognition for his winemaking, Tatjana devoted much of her life to humanitarian causes, including child welfare, education and global health.
In 1997, Tatjana became a founding member of our board. During our formative years, she helped shape our values and direction as we developed medical education programs for underserved and conflict-affected communities. All of us at WiRED who worked with her remember her quiet determination and insistence on political neutrality. She believed strongly that healthcare education should always remain centered on universal human needs and not become mired in geopolitical divisions.
Following Tatjana’s passing in 2020, Violet Grgich, who now leads Grgich Hills Estate, continued her mother’s association with WiRED by joining our Governing Board. Through her service, Violet carries forward a tradition of civic engagement and international humanitarian concern that has characterized the Grgich family for decades.
Violet said:
As the daughter of immigrants, I grew up with strong family values, striving each day to do my best, learn something new and make a friend. As a second-generation steward of my parents’ legacies, I am deeply committed to making the world a better place. That commitment inspires my work through both my mother’s legacy of philanthropy — helping others secure the basic needs of health, spirituality and joy — and my father’s legacy of world-class winemaking, which promotes peace through agriculture and regeneration of the Earth. I am proud to carry forward these important missions and to contribute to a better world for generations to come.
As Napa Valley and the global wine industry commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Judgment of Paris, WiRED honors not only a landmark achievement in wine history but also a family whose legacy extends far beyond the vineyards of California. The Grgich family’s legacy lives on in the global communities WiRED serves, fostering better health and greater opportunity.
We are grateful for the Grgich family’s friendship, guidance and steadfast support over the years, and we are proud to celebrate their continuing role in WiRED’s mission.
