WINEMAKER / OWNER

Anna's winemaking journey began at the University of California Davis, where she earned a degree in Viticulture and Enology. She spent her fourth year studying at the Sorbonne in Paris, France. After completing her degree in California, she returned to France to work the 2000 vintage at Château Cheval-Blanc. She was very fortunate to work for their technical director, Kees Van Leeuwen, one of the foremost viticultural professors in Bordeaux.

Anna then moved to the Napa Valley and spent two years as the assistant winemaker at Seavey Vineyard before working for five years as the assistant winemaker at Bryant Family Vineyard under the tutelage of Philippe Melka. In 2007, Anna became the winemaker at Piña Napa Valley, where she crafts single-vineyard designate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wines and where she makes her Ilaria wines.

Anna also makes the Stack House and Tether wines in Napa Valley. She and her husband, winemaker Mario Monticelli, have Italian and French winemaking projects in the regions of Piedmont, Tuscany, Abruzzo, Friuli, Champagne and the Rhone Valley. They travel to Italy and France with their three children to work on their wines there.

WINEMAKER / OWNER

Winemaking is a family affair in the Monticelli home. Anna's husband, Mario, was born into a family whose roots as winemakers span four generations. His father emigrated from Italy to California where he worked for over 50 years making wine for Gallo. He introduced Mario to the family business when Mario was still a child, instilling in him a passion for cultivating grapes and making wine that defines his life today.

Mario earned degrees in Viticulture, Enology and Italian at the University of California Davis. He honed his craft working a harvest in Tuscany at Villa Antinori, then spent four years working as the assistant winemaker for renown consultant Philippe Melka for numerous Napa Valley producers. Mario worked as the winemaker at Quixote and Trinchero before working full-time on his own projects.

Mario also makes the Stack House and Tether wines in Napa Valley. He and his wife, winemaker Anna Monticelli, have Italian and French winemaking projects in the regions of Piedmont, Tuscany, Abruzzo, Friuli, Champagne and the Rhone Valley. They travel to Italy and France with their three children to work on their wines there.

LABEL DESIGNER / FASHIONISTA

Ilaria Monticelli is a budding young fashion designer that creates the label designs for Atelier Ilaria, implementing inspiration from fashion designers that she admires and from her own creations. Her interest in fashion design and sewing took hold when she was just 8 years old and has never wavered.

Ilaria studies multiple languages and completed a summer course at the International School of Milan in language and fashion. She has also taken several remote classes with the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. After completing high school, Ilaria would like to attend fashion school at Polimoda in Florence, Italy, a highly regarded institution in the fashion world and fittingly located in the birthplace of the Renaissance.

Atelier Ilaria is a collaboration of the family’s individual and shared passions. Each of these bottlings combines an individual wine and fashion design to commemorate a specific moment in time. The progression of bottlings showcases the evolution of their work. Ilaria saves her earnings from designing the labels for her fashion school tuition.