Mario Monticelli

Winemaker, Trinchero Napa Valley

After college, I became the assistant winemaker at Melka Wines, assisting Philippe Melka on some of the most celebrated wines in the Napa Valley, including Quintessa, Hundred Acre, Vineyard 29, Caldwell, and Lail Vineyards, to name a few. After four years under Philippe Melka’s tutelage, I took the position as head winemaker for Quixote Winery where I was responsible for all winery operations, including harvest, cellar work, analyses, blending, bottling and vineyard management.

In 2007, I became the winemaker for Trinchero Napa Valley. My focus is on the estate-grown, single-vineyard selections under the Trinchero Napa Valley label, which showcase the Trinchero family’s significant holdings in the Napa Valley AVA.

Country born: United States

Education: I attended the University of California, Davis and immediately continued my passion for winemaking by selecting viticulture as my major. It was customary for viticulture majors to take a fall semester off in order to work a harvest from start to finish. I traveled abroad to my family’s native Italy, where I studied and worked at venerable producer Antinori in the heart of Chianti. I am fluent in Italian and conducted clonal research on Sangiovese while also putting in time in the cellar during the harvest. Upon my return to the United States, I graduated UC Davis with a Bachelor of Science of Viticulture and Enology as well as with a Bachelor of Art of Italian Language.

Years in the wine industry: 10-15 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
I am a minimalist. It is my goal to put forth the best expression of the fruit and land from which it is grown. I like to keep things as natural as possible and choose not to use a lot of enzymes and chemicals. The estate vineyards that make up the Trinchero Napa Valley program are some of the most exceptional in the Valley and I’m excited to create wines that reflect the terroir of these individual sites.