Legendary Napa Valley vintner Milenjko Grgigh, age 99, plants Roots of Peace “Mines to Vines” olive tree in tribute to the footsteps of the late princess Diana.
Press Contact: James Faccinto
Full Complement Publicity & Creative
James@Full-Complement.com
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August 3, 2022— Napa Valley, CA— Joined by Roots of Peace founder and CEO Heidi Kuhn, legendary Napa Valley vintner Miljenko ‘Mike’ Grgich (age 99) planted an olive tree on the grounds of Grgich Hills Estate in tribute to the 25th anniversary of the tragic death of Princess Diana, who raised global landmine awareness when walking through his beloved homeland of the former Yugoslavia in August 1997.
Kuhn and Grgich were joined by Grgich’s daughter Violet, Yountville Mayor John F. Dunbar, and World Affairs Napa Valley chairperson Stanley Knight. Heidi Kuhn founded Roots of Peace in 1997 in the wake of Princess Diana’s death, launching a global campaign to turn MINES TO VINES—replacing the scourge of landmines with vineyards and sustainable agriculture worldwide. Since its founding, the Grgich family has actively supported Roots of Peace’s mission to cultivate a global, landmine-free peace.
Grgich joined Kuhn on a U.S. State Department trip to Croatia in May 2000 to visit the stark landscape of his homeland, where an estimated 1.2 million landmines/UXO were planted during The Balkan War. Together, they raised the funds to eradicate landmines in Dragalic, Vukovar, Ilok, Ciste Male, Ciste Velika, Karlovac, Bibijne and Bastica. Today, Croatia is now one of the top tourist destinations in the world, in part due to their shared efforts.
“It was an honor to plant an olive branch of peace in the heart of the Napa Valley with legendary vintner Miljenko Grgich, in tribute to the legacy of the late Princess Diana who took her final footsteps on the minefields of Bosnia-Herzegovina only a few weeks prior to her tragic death nearly 25 years ago this month. With the backdrop of war in Ukraine, it is more important than ever that we carry this royal torch of a Landmine-Free World.”
Heidi Kuhn said,
“Napa Valley is the ideal place to honor the global effort to transform minefields into vineyards and other agricultural crops that offer peace and build community around the world,” said Yountville Mayor John F. Dunbar.
“Living legend Miljenko Grgich represents how the wine industry brings people, even nations, together to celebrate life. The olive tree symbolizes how the roots of peace are being planted around the world and will grow for generations.”
Yountville Mayor John F. Dunbar.
Miljenko “Mike” Grgich echoed their sentiments, adding:
“Let there be peace, peace, and only peace!”
The longstanding connection between Roots of Peace and the Napa Valley community will be further recognized on September 8th, when Heidi Kuhn will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural launch event for the World Affairs Napa Valley Chapter.
Led by World Affairs Napa Valley chairperson Stanley Knight, this inaugural chapter event will be held in Yountville, a village known for its fine dining and surrounding vineyards. Following the forum and Heidi’s speech, attendees will enjoy a social mixer featuring wine from some of the vintners that first supported Roots of Peace 25 years ago.
There will also be appetizers by Napa Valley top chefs, and Heidi will sign copies of her bestselling autobiography, Breaking Ground: From Landmines to Grapevines, One Woman’s Mission to Heal the World (Insight Editions/Simon & Schuster).
ABOUT ROOTS OF PEACE
For the past 25 years, Roots of Peace has worked in war-torn countries around the world to remove the remnants of war, landmines and unexploded ordinances, and restore the land in order to rebuild peaceful communities for generations to come.
The Roots of Peace “Mines to Vines” approach has impacted over one million farmers and families. By removing landmines and the remnants of war, Roots of Peace frees land held hostage by unrest. In Afghanistan, it has facilitated the export of fresh fruits, nuts and spices to markets around the world, contributing to the increase in Afghan agricultural exports from $250 million in 2014 to over $1.4 billion in 2020. Roots of Peace’s award-winning methodology is rooted in building a business model for peace: providing market-driven solutions tailored to rural communities in war-torn lands and serving as a catalyst for industry-wide development across the world. For more info and the chance to donate to Roots of Peace, click here.
For more information, please reach out to James Faccinto at James@Full-Complement.com
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