Born into the wine world, he’s working to transform it.

Gentleman. Winemaker. Businessman. Importer. Philanthropist. Father. Husband. Mentor.

Michael Mondavi is a man of considerable talents, one who is many things to many people. The common denominator that ties them all together is the almost universal respect and admiration he enjoys.

Michael was born into the wine industry as Robert Mondavi’s oldest son, but he’s always made his own way. He’s a quiet icon, a man who has been around wine for more than 70 years and is widely credited with helping establish the Napa Valley that we know today.

“As one of the great leaders in fine wine, Michael’s legacy endures as an influential trailblazer who has helped elevate the world’s perception of California and Napa Valley, not simply through his own ventures, but more importantly, through his active involvement volunteering and advocating on behalf of the industry and the community,” says Chris Indelicato of Delicato Family Vineyards.

“Michael’s greatest strengths are his diplomacy, gracious manner, resilience and work ethic,” Indelicato says. “He has an impressive ability to visualize all the aspects of opportunities and articulate them in a clear, precise and respectful fashion.

“In an era where big, bold, loud and bombastic behavior has become commonplace, Michael charts his own course with radiating grace, elegance, modesty, intelligence, warmth and charm. He is a true gentleman.”

With old-school smarts and manners, Mondavi’s success is proof that relationships still matter in the wine industry.

“I remember Michael seeing me at an event and going out of his way to say, ‘Thank you for continuing the legacy of my dad,’ ” says Genevieve Janssens, winemaker at Robert Mondavi Winery. “He didn’t have to do that. He is genuinely kind—a legend—who is widely liked and respected.”

Starting out at Robert Mondavi Winery after graduating college, Michael brought with him lessons from his grandfather, ­Cesare, who stressed the importance of taking care of the soil in which grapes grow.

In 1966, he started out as Robert Mondavi Winery’s first winemaker, a position he held through its first eight vintages. From there, he went on to run sales, eventually becoming managing director and CEO, a ­title he retained after its public stock offering in 1994. From 2001 to 2004, he served as chairman.

A Family Affair

The first chapter of the Michael Mondavi Family Estate story happened while Michael was still busy building Robert Mondavi Winery. Along with his wife, Isabel, and their two children, Rob Jr. and Dina, Michael bought a vineyard in Atlas Peak called Animo, putting down the first stakes for what is now an impressive family-owned and estate-driven portfolio of wines.

Remembering his grandfather’s lesson about caring for the earth, his estate vineyards in Napa Valley are sustainably farmed.

In 2004, Oberon and Isabel Mondavi Wines were launched. In 2006, he bought the Oso Vineyard on Howell Mountain, as well as the Carneros Creek facility around the Gallery Vineyard in Carneros.

It wasn’t until 2008 that Mondavi launched his eponymous wine, M by Michael Mondavi, a single-vineyard, 100-percent Cabernet Sauvignon from the Animo Vineyard. He followed with Emblem in 2009.

The brand known as Animo was launched in 2014, the same year Michael sold the Carneros Winery facility and vineyard. He hopes to announce the location of a new winery and tasting facility for Michael Mondavi Family Estate in Napa Valley early next year.

Animo and M by Michael Mondavi sit within the portfolio of another of Michael’s successful enterprises: Folio Fine Wine Partners. Selling its first case of wine in 2005, Folio is a collection of imported wines made by family owned and managed wineries.

Among its gems are the wines of Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi, Ornellaia, Donnafugata and Palacios Remondo. Many of these partnerships were forged on a handshake, a symbol of how trusted Mondavi is as a businessman.

This past year, he added the wines of Susana Balbo and Charles Heidsieck. More additions are in the works for next year, particularly from France.

“Being able to attract Susana Balbo and Champagne Charles Heidsieck this year is a major accomplishment,” Mondavi says. “One of the things for me is I am doing a better job of delegating to the management team at Folio and to my son and daughter at Michael Mondavi Family Estate and acting truly more as a coach.”

“Sometimes, people my age or with my experience find it hard to let go and let other people run the business, but I’m having fun.”

Mondavi’s also continuing to excel at what he has always excelled at: relationships. Each month, he makes 150 phone calls to thank people for doing business with him. In addition, Folio is run like a guild, with each winery retaining its own brand identity and operating model.

“The team we have leading Folio is working well together and doing a spectacular job,” he says. “Our relationship with the wholesalers is better than it has ever been and is one of the best supplier-distributor relationships in the industry.”

Beyond the Business

In addition to founding Folio and Michael Mondavi Family Estate, Mondavi has served as chairman and CEO of the Wine Market Council, president of the Napa Valley Vintners, and chairman of the Wine Institute, Winegrowers of California and Napa Valley Wine Auction.

He received the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America award in 1997. He also sits on the board of Delicato Family Vineyards.

“Michael’s dynamic experience across all aspects of the wine business and his commitment to continuing a sustainable family legacy are invaluable assets to our board,” says Indelicato. “His industry knowledge is unparalleled, and it is a privilege and an honor to have him advise the family and our executive leaders on difficult decisions and long-term strategy, including outside perspective on the intricacies of family ownership and decision-making that works to keep the family unified, aligned and traveling on a secure course.”

Mondavi is an active philanthropist, devoting much of his support to Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, where he has served as a foundation board trustee and honorary trustee.

“Michael has continued his family’s tradition of giving back to the community,” says Elaine John, president and CEO of the Queen of the Valley Foundation. “He has also helped to develop a culture of generosity among his peers, stating that ‘there is scarcely a family in the Valley, including our own, whose lives haven’t been positively touched by the Queen.’ ”

In 2014, he teamed up with his brother Tim and his sister Marcia to donate $1 million to Queen of the Valley, creating the Marjorie Mondavi Center for Intensive Care in honor of their late mother.

“Dad was the energy, the visionary; our mother was the values and the stability,” Michael says. “She was the person who gave us the values by which we raised our own families.”

It’s the values he exhibits, the business acumen he demonstrates and the unyielding respect and admiration of his colleagues that make Michael Mondavi Wine Enthusiast’s 2015 Person of the Year. —Virginie Boone