NAPA, Calif. (AP) — Margrit Biever Mondavi, the widow of California wine pioneer Robert Mondavi and the company’s cultural affairs director for decades, has died. She was 91.
Her son-in-law says Mondavi died Friday afternoon of cancer at her home in Napa, the famous wine-growing community in Northern California.
Mondavi joined Robert Mondavi Winery in 1967, a year after its founding, and married Robert Mondavi in 1980. He died in 2008.
An accomplished artist, Mondavi was instrumental in supporting local art and music. She founded two music festivals at the winery that have drawn international performers such as Ella Fitzgerald.
She also introduced cooking classes that evolved into a “Great Chefs” series.
Mondavi and her husband also endowed a number of educational efforts involving wine and the arts.