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South Beach, Florida Wine & Food Festival

by Monty & Sara Preiser

Napa Valley icons Peter Mondavi, Sr. and Robert Mondavi will reunite at the 2007 Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival to receive their first ever award together, the Southern Wine & Spirits Lifetime Achievement Award.

“All of us at Southern Wine & Spirits of America are so honored to pay tribute to our good friends Peter and Robert Mondavi and even more delighted to welcome them and their families to Miami again,” stated Mel Dick, President Wine Division/Senior Vice President Southern Wine & Spirits of America.

On Sunday, February 25, the Mondavi brothers will be honored at the Festival's Tribute Brunch where Miami chefs Clay Conley of Azul, Michael Bloise of Wish Restaurant, Frank and Andrea Randazzo of Talula and former executive chef of the Loews Miami Beach, Marc Ehrler will prepare an unforgettable brunch matched with wines from the Mondavi family.

“I can hardly believe receiving such a wonderful award.  To be honored by the industry that I still feel so passionate about and one that still challenges me is an award that I will truly treasure.  Wine has enhanced the lifestyles of so many people throughout the world and continues to do so with every vintage.  My life has spanned 92 years of which 70 years have been consumed with my love of wine, which keeps me on the move” commented Peter Mondavi Sr. about his passion for wine and his delight at being honored at the Festival.

Two other industry leaders will be honored at the Tribute Brunch where past recipients include Francis Ford Coppola, Alice Waters, Angelo Gaja, Baron Eric de Rothschild, Baroness Philippine de Rothschild and Jeffrey and Linda Chodorow. At this year's Tribute Brunch, multi-media lifestyle entrepreneur Martha Stewart will receive the festival's Lifetime Achievement Award and Miami hotelier Donald Lefton will be honored with the Michael E. Hurst Distinguished Hospitality Leaders Award.

After a long feud between brothers Peter Sr. and Robert, they began making wine together again in 2004. At the 2005 Auction Napa Valley, the Mondavi brothers poured their 2004 Ancoro Una Volta Cabernet Sauvignon in recognition of their reunion. The Ancora Una Volta, Italian for “together again”, was the first wine produced by the Mondavi brothers together since their days together at the original Mondavi family winery, Charles Krug, in the 1960s.

"My goal has always been to achieve excellence in all things - to make wine that is recognized among the finest in the world.  Wine has an affinity for family, so it is a particular honor to be recognized in this way, with my brother Peter.  I'm very proud of what our family has accomplished, and we look forward to continuing the legacy. I still believe this is just the beginning" remarked Robert Mondavi on receiving the award with brother Peter Mondavi, Sr.

Guests of the 2007 Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival will have the rare opportunity to taste the 2004 and 2005 Ancoro Una Volta at the already sold out Wine Spectator Wine Seminars on Saturday, February 24. Leading this once in a lifetime seminar will be Marc and Peter Mondavi, Jr., children of Peter Mondavi, Sr. and Tim and Marcia Mondavi, children of Robert Mondavi.
Guests of Wine Spectator’s Best of the Best on Friday, February 23, will also have the opportunity to sample wines from Robert and Peter Mondavi Sr. along with wines from over 40 other wineries and champagne houses from around the world.

Produced by Florida International University and Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida, the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Food & Wine magazine will continue to bring together some of the planet’s greatest chefs, winemakers, spirits producers and culinary personalities to entertain patrons in high style and to educate palates with cooking demos and wine seminars.  Events include the Moët & Chandon BubbleQ, Wine Spectator’s Best of the Best, Wine Spectator Wine Seminars, Burger Bash and the Grand Tasting Village to name just a few. For more information about the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival visit the Festival website at www.sobewineandfoodfest.com or call 877-762-3933. For more information about Florida International University visit www.fiu.edu and for more information about Southern Wine & Spirits visit www.southernwine.com. The Festival is produced with the support of the Miami Beach Visitors & Convention Authority.

 

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Wine writers and educators Monty and Sara Preiser divide their time between Palm Beach County, Florida and the Napa Valley in California. They publish the world's most comprehensive guide to Napa Valley wineries and restaurants titled, appropriately, The Preiser Key to Napa Valley.



Note: This information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the businesses in question before making your plans.

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