Premiere Napa Valley Live Auction

Genevieve Janssens

Winemaker, Robert Mondavi Winery

I believe in the words of Mr. Mondavi: "Find a job you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life."

After receiving her National Diploma of Enology 1974, Genevieve returned to her family's vineyards in Corsica and France, which she managed from 1974 to 1977. Concurrently, she also owned and operated her own enology laboratory in Provence and served as consulting enologist to many French chateaux in the mid-seventies.

Drawn to the Robert Mondavi Winery's philosophy in winemaking and winegrowing, Genevieve moved to the Napa Valley in 1978. From 1978 - 1979, she fully absorbed this philosophy, working at the Robert Mondavi Winery as a lab enologist and an assistant enologist. Deeply interested in the winemaking revolution taking hold in the state, Genevieve continued exploring California for the next decade, holding several consulting positions.

Genevieve became director of production at Opus One Winery in 1989. Then, in 1997, she came full circle as the director of winemaking at the Robert Mondavi Winery. In 2000, she helped implement the To Kalon Project, the winery's first major renovation since it was founded in 1966.

For Genevieve, carrying on the legacy of her beloved mentor, the late Robert Mondavi, is both a joy and an honor. "With our To Kalon Cellar finished and the new vineyard projects underway, this is an exciting time for the winery, and for me," she says. "I am proud to be the torchbearer of Mr. Mondavi's vision."

Country born: Morroco

Education: Genevieve's formal wine education began under the tutelage of the three legendary fathers of modern enology: Jean Ribereau-Gayon; his son, Pascal Ribereau-Gayon; and Emile Peynaud, with whom she studied at the University of Bordeaux, France.

Years in the wine industry: 30+ years

Honors / Awards:
Honored by the French governement as an Officer of the Ordre National du Merite Agricole (2009)
Named winemaker of the year for 2010 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

Winemaking Philosophy:
It starts with the earth, the legacy of what we have received from our ancestors and what we are going to leave for the future generation. We must work to maintain the land, to grow so that we all live in symbiosis: the earth, the vines, the people - care creates quality.