At PRESS Napa, a Wine Spectator Grand Award winner in St. Helena, the list is a master course in Napa Valley wines. Its 90 years of vintages represent the world’s largest collection of wines from the region. It is no surprise that 120 of its selections, from recent vintages back to 1969, bear the name of Robert Mondavi.

Says PRESS Wine Director Tyler Potts, “The opportunity to represent Robert Mondavi Winery is a treat. We open the bottles routinely, and all of them are impeccable, fresh, savory, and vibrant.”

The wines “integrate seamlessly” with the fresh, vegetable-driven menu, says Potts. And they help him tell guests Napa’s story. “I say, ‘This is why you’re able to enjoy Napa Cabernet. It’s the man behind this wine.

Today, Robert Mondavi Winery continues doing the necessary work to measure up to its legacy, says Keith Goldston, wine director of Landry’s Inc. “They have some of the best vineyard sources in the Valley. They’re hiring the right people, investing in technology and innovation, and constantly trying to make the wines better, while not losing sight of their identity.

Goldston oversees the lists at more than 40 global franchises, including Morton’s, Mastro’s, and Del Frisco’s Eagle Steakhouses. “We rotate through the portfolio. The Fumé Blanc is a game changer. The Reserve remains one of the greatest wines on the planet,” he says. “Working with so many chefs as I do, I’ve learned there’s no substitute for great ingredients. And fruit from To Kalon Vineyard makes great wine that ages incredibly well.

“We have restaurants in Manhattan and around the globe, and Mondavi is in all of them,” notes Brett Feore, wine director for Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, a multiple Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence recipient. For the large number of travelers who dine at Wolfgang’s in order to experience an iconic New York steakhouse, “Mondavi signifies caché, history, and quality. It’s a trust thing.

That helps Feore sell Cabernet in general. “A book of wine can be intimidating, so we try to have a direction. One of our first showcase pages is called ‘The Gold Standard.’ If Cabernet is your focus, you can judge what you like based on that list. Mondavi is at its top.

He pours the Napa Valley Cabernet by the glass. So does Kana Yamamoto, as the first sip her students taste when she conducts her seminars on California wine. For a global audience, it’s the perfect introduction to the region. “It captures the beauty of Napa Valley’s terroir,” says the wine educator and owner of Tokyo’s Île de Colline. “It has a smooth texture, silky tannins, fruit flavors that are neither too heavy nor overripe, a long elegant finish with beautiful acidity, and the juicy character of valley floor grapes. Altogether, it’s a perfectly balanced wine. I tell my class ‘From now on, this wine will be your textbook example of Napa Valley.

At every tier, Robert Mondavi symbolizes the rise of wine in America. It’s a story that Vincent Morrow, wine and beverage director at Union Square Hospitality Group, is keen to tell. “Mondavi speaks to the growth of American restaurants and American winemaking,” he says. “When the story is told, it’s fascinating, and when you tie that in with great wine, that’s as it should be.

Plus, he says, “For the price, Robert Mondavi Winery Reserve Cabernet is pretty astounding, when you consider its quality is similar to its neighbors.” Affordability, excellence, and a deep-rooted story; “That’s what the next generation is looking for,” says Morrow. “Wines that mean something.