Common Ground
Charting the Future of Napa Valley
“A must read for anyone that loves wine and the uniqueness of Napa Valley.” —Tim Mondavi, winemaker
The Napa Valley stands today at a critical crossroads. In this important new book, acclaimed author Richard Mendelson examines the valley’s exceptional rise in the world of wine and presents his recommendations for managing its most pressing challenges.
Over the past 50 years, the Napa Valley has been transformed from a quiet California farm community into the crown jewel of American wine—and a cherished destination for millions of wine and food lovers from all around the globe. But now an urgent question looms: at what price?
In Common Ground, his third book about Napa, Mendelson explores the history of the region alongside the significant impacts of climate change, wildfires, global tourism, the increasing influence of corporate ownership, while addressing how best to preserve the exceptional qualities of the valley’s landscapes, soil, natural resources, and its quality of life.
Richard Mendelson fell in love with wine as a graduate student at Oxford, and from there he moved to France to deepen his education. He worked for a time at Bouchard Aïné et Fils, a renowned winery in Burgundy. From there, he returned to America, earned his law degree at Stanford, and then joined Napa’s leading law firm, Dickenson, Peatman & Fogarty.
Mendelson has been involved in every aspect of the wine industry--from growing grapes and making wine, to advising grape growers and wineries on best to promote and defend Napa Valley as America’s premier wine appellation. He has written three books on wine: From Demon to Darling: A Legal History of Wine in America, Wine in America: Law and Policy, and Appellation Napa Valley: Building and Protecting an American Treasure, also published by Val de Grace Books. Mendelson and his wife Marilyn are parents and grandparents and they live in Napa.
