If brothers Robert and Peter Mondavi had always seen eye to eye, write L. Pierce Carson of the Napa Valley Register, who knows what America's place in the wine world would be today.

Familial friction prompted the elder brother, Robert, to strike out on his own, to leave the family-run Charles Krug Winery and launch his own wine brand.

But Mondavi did more than make and peddle his own wine. He took his message - about the potential to make great wine in California - all over the world. And when he popped the cork on one of his own wines, the world listened.

On this date four decades ago, the industry icon - along with his oldest son, Michael - founded the Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville with the goal of producing wines that would rival the finest in all of Europe.

From the get-go, the amiable wine ambassador aggressively promoted labelling wines by grape variety rather than generically. This is now the standard for New World wines and is favoured by most consumers around the globe.

Over the years, the Mondavi family expanded its winemaking ventures considerably. Still, the flagship winery in Oakville was the standard by which others measured Napa Valley worth.

The Mondavi wine empire was sold in December 2004 to Constellation Brands for US$1.36 billion.

Constellation and the Mondavis are together celebrating the winery's 40th anniversary with a party that includes historical displays, wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, food prepared by some of the valley's top chefs and, of course, a tribute to 93-year-old Robert Mondavi.

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