Maria Manetti Shrem, Sophia Loren & Jan Shrem
Photo Credit: Drew Altizer

Merle Mullins
Photo Credit: Drew Altizer

Thuy Vu
Photo Credit: Drew Altizer

Carlo Ponti & Sophia Loren
Photo Credit: Drew Altizer

Tatiana Sorokko
Photo Credit: Drew Altizer

Camilla Ruini & Beatrice Ruini
Photo Credit: Drew Altizer

Beth Nickel
Photo Credit: Drew Altizer

Jennifer Mancuso
Photo Credit: Drew Altizer

Maria Torres
Photo Credit: Drew Altizer

Sophia Loren
Photo Credit: Drew Altizer

Karen Walker & Rick Walker
Photo Credit: Susana Bates for Drew Altizer

Monty Sander
Photo Credit: Drew Altizer

Margrit Mondavi & Sophia Loren
Photo Credit: Susana Bates for Drew Altizer

Photo Credit: Susana Bates for Drew Altizer

Photo Credit: Drew Altizer

As part of the revered 10-day arts and music celebration Festival Napa Valley, a special evening was devoted to longtime philanthropist and culture advocate Margrit Mondavi, widow of the late, world-renowned vintner Robert Mondavi, at Oakville’s sprawling Far Niente Winery on Saturday, July 23. Attendees gathered amid the estate’s plush grounds for an alfresco summer affair, where fellow vintners, artists and stars—including Academy Award-winning actress and global icon Sophia Loren, jazz legend Dave Koz and Grammy nominated vocalist Monica Mancini—payed homage to Margrit’s ongoing legacy in Napa Valley. An open-air tent played host to a live band and intimate dinner, executed by chefs Lidia Bastianich and Fortunato Nicotra of Italian New York staple Felidia, with a menu designed to honor Margrit’s contributions to Napa’s rich cuisine. Guests sipped on the estate’s Cabernet and Chardonnay vintages, as lauded chef Thomas Keller of Yountville’s Michelin-starred The French Laundry offered a special toast to Margrit’s overarching influence in the California region over the past four decades.