Montse Reece
USA
Montse's Wines
- USA
- 5 wines
- 2 styles
Spanish winemaker at home in Dry Creek Valley
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Leaving Spain for Sonoma, Montse earned her stripes in the Pedroncelli family, becoming only the third winemaker in the iconic winery’s 90+ year history and the first without the namesake.
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It was love at first taste when she tried American Zinfandel. She’s since become a champion of the distinct Zins and reds of Dry Creek Valley — resonating with the flavors, sense of place and food friendliness all reminiscent of growing up in Catalonia.
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While she’s found a home with a big winemaking family, she wasn’t born into one so she never thought she’d see her own name on a label. With Angel support, Montse is fulfilling her dream to bring her wines to the table.
Montse Reece's Story
Montse Reece’s lifelong dream of seeing her name on a wine label has finally come to fruition because she found Naked Wines.
Growing up in the Catalonia region of Spain, the world of wine was all around her. The region’s viticulture predates the Roman empire — when vines were traded for other goods by the Phoenicians and then the Greeks — but that rich history comes hand in hand with traditions that keep people like Montse from climbing to the top of the ladder. She did not come from a winemaking family, they couldn’t give her the keys to a château, but they did give her a respect and passion for winemaking from a young age.
Rooted in Tradition
In Tarragona, the small town where Montse grew up, it’s common for each family to make a couple barrels of their own wine each year. Her mother’s grandparents made a little more than the average family, selling it out of a barrel in their family bodega to anyone with a jug, good taste, and some money. Her father’s grandparents were coopers, toneleros, who sold barrels in Catalonia. What started as the sale of one barrel to the bodega ended with young Montse growing up surrounded by all aspects of winemaking — from toasting staves to making sales.
Her love of the industry led her to study Agricultural Engineering and Enology at her local university. During her studies, she worked several harvests, taking her from the Penedès to the Montblanc regions of Catalonia.
Upon graduation, Sonoma winery Gloria Ferrer came to her class and offered a sponsorship to anyone with good grades and a desire to see winemaking beyond the region they all knew so well. Montse fit the bill, and packed her bags for the harvest that would change her path forever.
Happily Stuck in Sonoma
She worked one harvest with Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, and fell in love with the region. When she came back to the US for a second harvest in Dry Creek Valley Ferrari Carano Winery, Montse met her now husband who was working as the winery mechanic — he fixed her $300 car a handful of times.
After falling in love with both the region and a man who lived there, Montse decided to stay in Sonoma County and build a career for herself. She worked with Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Rodney Strong before discovering Pedroncelli, a historic family that had been making wine, specifically Zinfandel, in Dry Creek since the 1920s.
“I was attracted to how similar Pedroncelli was to the wineries in Spain and its very European winemaking style. I thought it was a perfect fit for me."
In 2015, she became the third winemaker in the winery’s 80-something year history — plus, the only one without the last name Pedroncelli!
Partnering with Naked
When Montse found Naked Wines, it seemed too good to be true. For the first time since she was a little girl, she saw a future where her wine was in a bottle and her name was on the label. It was a chance to create wine that’s true to who she has become after a prolific career.
“When I make wine, it’s a festival of different flavors — something approachable and not too fancy, something to pour a glass of after a long day of work! My wines are unpretentious but elevated.”
Angel funding made Montse’s dream possible, and to say thank you she’s transporting you back to Tarragona with the help of flavor, personality and a series of labels featuring Tarragona, painted by Montse!
“Wine is a cultural connection, this place is my point of reference, this town is where I became connected with wine and I don't want to forget that. I want to honor it!”
Montse's Archangels
I am a RETIRED computer geek that worked for a large consumer products company. I have always liked wine to a certain extent since I was old enough to drink it (or my parents would let me try it). However, I was seriously bit by the wine bug a number of years ago and began trying everything! I'm more partial to reds and sparklers than whites (especially sweet wines - color me dry), but love trying them all! Bas vers le haut!
