The wine world will raise a glass to Robert Mondavi, the innovator of Californian wine, with a live toast on what would have been his 98th birthday today (June 17th).

Hosted at his winery in Napa Valley, the event includes an open house celebration followed by a toast led by Mr Mondavi's wife, Magrit, and winemaker Genevieve Janssens, which will be streamed live over the internet.

The winemaker also has a scheme whereby every new "like" received on the Robert Mondavi Winery Facebook page until the end of today will result in $1 being donated to Days of Taste, a not-for-profit food education organisation.

A Stanford University graduate, Robert Mondavi founded his winery in 1966 with the intention of making US-produced wines that rivalled the best that Europe had to offer, such as Chateau Haut Brion and Chateau Latour.

He died in 2008, but not before he had been inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame by the Culinary Institute of America.