Horse Hooey Doesn't Make Money!
After winning the 1976 Judgement of Paris for his 1973 vintage Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, Miljenko “Mike” Grgich joined forces with Austin Hills and Austin's sister Mary Lee Streblin in 1977 to form Grgich Hills Cellar when Mary Lee sold Hills Coffee. The original Grigch Hills label design was a rearing horse clenching a baton in its mouth, a colorful feature of the Hills’ family crest. Austin owns Hills Vineyard that produces olive oils. With the new partnership and good marketing decisions, the label was eventually redesigned to reflect the philosophy of their winery and they smartly concluded that “horses do not make wine, grapes make wine!”. The logo now has both the Grgich Family crest and the rearing horse Hills Family crest. This story is not full of horse hooey! RIP Mike Grgich.
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