Grgich Hills Cellar

Grgich Hills Cellar is a winery located in Rutherford, California in the heart of the Napa Valley.

Winemaker Mike Grgich had gained international recognition at the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 when the Chardonnay he produced at Chateau Montelena won first prize among white wines. He and Austin Hills of Hills Brothers Coffee soon became business partners and established Grgich Hills Cellar on July 4, 1977. The name Grgich Hills does not describe a geographical feature but is instead a combination of the names of the winery's founders.

Wine connoisseurs recognize Grgich Hills Chardonnay as being among the best in the world. The winery's very first vintage was selected the winner of the 221-entry Great Chardonnay Showdown held in 1980. From almost the first day it was available, Grgich Hills Chardonnay was sold on allocation, with customers being restricted to no more than three cases each per year. It took 15 years for production to satisfy demand and permit dropping the allocation system. As white wine is aged for only a few years, its price remains modest.

Grgich Hills is among the most expensive nationally available makers of white wine, however, with its flagship Chardonnay typically priced at between $50 to $70 per bottle, depending on vintage (which rarely exceeds four or five years.) Its competitors are Cakebread and Kistler, which both specialize in Chardonnays and other white wines (Kistler perhaps now featuring the pinot noir as its flagship wine). (Of note is that the Kistler family are related by marriage to the Hills family of Grgich Hills). While known for its Chardonnay, Grgich Hills also produces an excellent Zinfandel, made from old-growth wines and typically aged only a few years. This wine is sold at the modest price of $75-$100 per bottle.

The Napa Valley Wine Train has a passenger stop located at Grgich Hills Winery. Passengers can make special arrangements to upgrade their ticket in order to disembark at the winery and take a special tour and tasting at the winery.