The Robert Mondavi Winery x Bernardaud collection
Photo by Tim Hogan
It would have been hard for Robert Mondavi to predict in 1966 that non-fungible tokens (NFTs) would one day be a part of selling his wines, but the current chief winemaker Geneviève Janssens thinks he would have loved the new technology. “This goes so well with his spirit,” says Janssens. “He was not traditional at all and always took risks. He would have done this now if he was still around.”
NFTs are digital records that establish ownership and authenticity of unique items for collectors. Earlier this year an NFT digital artwork sold at auction for auction $69.3 million at Christie’s, so it’s no surprise the wine world and every other industry is taking notice. Mondavi is one of the first major wineries to dive into this arena with their Robert Mondavi Winery x Bernardaud collection; three exclusive wines in 1,966 magnum-size porcelain bottles (after the winery’s founding year) that will be sold by NFT and featuring a work of generative art by artist Clay Heaton. Each bottle will sell for $3,500.
If dealing with NFTs seems complex at first, starting with the porcelain bottles is the easier way to appreciate things. Inside the Dionysus tasting room overlooking the cathedral-like barrel cellar, Janssens reveals three exquisitely designed magnum porcelain wine bottles — one matte black and two burgundy red. Like the project itself, it’s a combination of old and new: a thousands-year-old process presenting a sleek, modern minimalist design. The bottles would be sought after collectables even without anything inside.
The three wines for the collection were separately created by Janssens and winemakers Andy Erickson and Thomas Rivers Brown. Each did their own blend from from the 2019 vintage from the winery’s home vineyard, To Kalon. While Erickson’s and Brown’s creations are focussed on Cabernet Sauvignon, 89% and 100% respectively, Janssens aimed to show more of the vineyard’s range with an almost-equal balance of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, along with 1% of Petit Verdot. “Robert Mondavi always asked us to blend wine as soft as a baby’s bottom but as powerful as the voice of Pavarotti,” says Janssens. “This wine will last for 30-40 years.”
Michel Bernardaud’s family has been making porcelain in Limoges, France since 1863, and his company designed and crafted the bottles for the collection: a process where each one takes 50 specialized craftsmen almost two weeks to create. NFTs may be the latest thing, but he makes it clear that porcelain is still evolving as well. “We are always trying to incorporate new innovations, such as 3D printing to improve the nature of shapes we can do,” says Bernardaud. And for those wondering about the fragility of porcelain for wine bottles? “The facade of the new Dolce & Gabbana flagship store in Paris is covered with our porcelain. That should answer any questions about its strength.”
To further explore this unique bottling, Mondavi will be storing the same wines in both glass and porcelain bottles for thirty years, and opening a pair every three years to judge how the wine ages in porcelain, which allows no light in and has less temperature variation. Bernardaud is looking forward to the results. “This is was one of the nicest collaborations I have worked on.”
Combining the craftsmanship of winemaking and porcelain with the new worlds of NFTs and generative art is something Robert Hanson, President of the Wine & Spirits division of Constellation Brands, thinks will help set Mondavi back on the right path after some years where he feels the brand name had become over-associated with the winery’s less expensive labels rather than their top-tier offerings. “What we are embarking on is going to be a pretty historic transformation of the winery to once again be the soul of Napa Valley fine wine,” says Hanson.
Other changes at Mondavi will also serve this purpose according to Hanson. The To Kalon vineyard is converting to organic farming and the hospitality and visitor’s center are undergoing a four-year renovation. The NFTs will also unlock special experiences for owners who visit the property and access to other special offerings, which Hanson says will be forthcoming.
Hanson also believes the NFTs will help towards solving another problem for many in the wine world. “There’s a large amount of fine wine in circulation that is counterfeit,” says Hanson. “There will be a QR code attached to each bottle that will enable people to track it. Once someone has taken ownership it’s their choice to trade it or keep it — but I think they’re going to want to keep it.”
The NFTs for the Robert Mondavi Winery x Bernardaud collection will be available for purchase starting December 15, 2021 through nft.robertmondaviwinery.com. Customers can purchase in U.S. Dollars or Ethereum cryptocurrency.
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