I once read a book about the Mondavi family. Robert and his brother, Peter, had a huge falling out. It divided the family. I think they had a fistfight. Youâre so close with your own familyâI was wondering if you ever talked to Robert about patching things up.
I did try. In fact, I threw a dinner in his honor to commemorate a birthday, in which I invited his family, his brother, his sons. Some came, some didnât come.
The dinner didnât make a difference?
I donât know. Itâs beyond my ability to understand the nature of that. It had to do with the mother, and the boys. It was complicated, as every family story is. I mean, we could go back to Aeschylus and tell the story of Atreus and get to the root of what all enmity between peoples are. In Aeschylusâs time, once you kill someone elseâs kids, they will never forgive you.
Can I ask you a Brando question?
Yes.
Well, he was a great man. One thing he said that I would repeat to you is this. âAs an actor, you canât care or theyâll see it on your face. Whether youâre good or bad, you canât care. Or theyâll see it.â So when he acted, he just didnât care.
Coming back to the anniversary of Inglenook, would you tell me a story about a particularly memorable glass of wine?
The most powerful story I have is having that bottle of 1786 Château Margaux with my wife, Eleanor, because we both realized that itâs true that these wines live hundreds of years. It was an unforgettable experience. Also, having the 1941 Inglenook. A bottle of it costs, like, $30,000. I drank a bottle with my family. It was pretty wonderful.
[Editorâs note: In December of 2024, Sothebyâs sold a single bottle of 1941 Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon for $7,500. Though in 2004, FFC bought a bottle himself at auction for just shy of $25,000 dollars. If anyone is opening a bottle soon within driving distance of Los Angeles, please invite me.]
Is there any of the 1941 left in the cellar?
Yeah, we have two bottles left of it.
Are you saving them for a special occasion?
I guess all of Inglenook is for special occasions, of which we have many. I have six grandchildren, I have three grandchildren, one great-grandchild. Theyâre all gems. We have many commemorative occasions that weâre going to enjoy together. Do you have grandchildren? Children?
I donât. I have a niece and nephew, but no children.
Well, gather some with you. Theyâre remarkable.
Tastings at Inglenook start at $75 and reservations are recommended. The AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Francis Ford Coppola premieres on TNT on June 18, with an encore airing on TCM on July 31.