Friday’s Culinary Institute of America Vintners Hall of Fame dinner in St Helena honoured Robert Mondavi, departed pioneers André Tchelistcheff, Georges de Latour, Charles Krug, Agoston Haraszthy, Gustave Niebaum and Brother Timothy, and UC Davis professors Maynard Amerine and Harold Olmo.
It’s the first wine hall of fame in the world, and the reception was abuzz over the death that week of Ernest Gallo, and a commentary published in that morning’s San Francisco Chronicle wine section, which called the ballot choices “bo-ring,” the ceremony “a snooze” (before it was even held!) and the selection of Haraszthy and...