Robert Mondavi pass away yesterday. It is impossible to tell the story of modern American wine without mentioning him and his influence. Many of today's great winemakers in California were influenced by him. My condolences to his family.

I have not mentioned this yet because I was out of town, but I want to note the passing Juanita Swedenburg on the 9th of June. Aside from operating Swedenburg Estates, she was famous for:

A gray-haired rebel with a cause in tweed suits and sensible shoes, Juanita became internationally known as the woman who decided in the late 1990s to do something about the fact that she could go to jail for shipping wine from Virginia to New York. "The Constitution," she said, "is not just a piece of paper. We should use it. There's such a thing as freedom of commerce."

So, we all owe her a debt of gratitude for the fact that we can get wine from New York, California and many other states, without have to actually leave our house. Make sure you tip a glass to her next time you drink a bottle that your ordered online.