(Sevenfiftydaily) - Every four to six months, a group of the most venerated residents of Napa Valley gathers for lunch. Joseph Gallo, Mike Martini, Don Sebastiani Sr., and Fred Franzia are typically there, as are the benevolent ghosts of long-lived former members, like Frank Indelicato, John Parducci, Lou Foppiano, and Bob and Peter Mondavi. For two decades, these gentlemen, as well as a few ladies, have been calling themselves the Old Timers’ Club.

“We just get together and tell war stories,” says Marc Mondavi, the coproprietor of C. Mondavi & Family. “We damn near all have done business together in one way, shape, or form. Whether it’s grapes, bulk wine, or what have you.”

Any American consumer would recognize most of the surnames in the room. They’re mostly Italian, and they mostly come with superlatives attached: Gallo is the biggest, Franzia the most cutthroat, Mondavi the one with international cachet, and so on.