To every immigrant (and every winemaker) Mike Grgich's journey is tremendously inspiring and empowering. He arrived in America poor but hopeful, and eventually achieved a level of success that placed him on the menus of famous restaurants, the White House wine cellar, in history books and the Smithsonian Museum. Mike Grgich is a giant, but Violet Grgich (left), the proprietor and vice president of Grgich Hills Estates, is clearly not overshadowed by his success; she lets her own soul shine through with much genuine love and gratitude.
Brittain Kovac’s great grandmother came from Croatia and settled in Strawberry Hill in Kansas City, KS. Her family loved the openness of the space, and the opportunity to own and care for land. Their entrepreneurial spirit was passed down to Brittain’s dad and to her as well. They also passed down the sense of responsibility that comes with any such opportunity: the need to give back. When Brittain was around 13, she went on a mission trip to the heart of Jamaica. “It literally changed my life and the direction that I had planned for my future,” she says.