memorable times by

joe montana

W

hen did you discover your passion for wine? As kids, we used to fight over who would get to sit in Grandpa’s

lap — whoever won always got to finish his wine!

 

What was your first glass of really good wine? A 1979 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet that i shared with my wife Jennifer, who introduced me to fine wine soon after we met. We’ve shared a passion for it ever since.

 

What made you want to create your own label? it all started with the 2000 napa valley Wine Auction, a benefit for many childrens' charities about which my wife Jennifer and i are passionate. ed Sbragia, my winemaking

partner, and i collaborated to make the blend from Beringer’s howell Mountain fruit from the stellar 1997 vintage. then we blended our names, Montana and Sbragia, and named the wine Montagia. it was all auctioned off for a great cause. We had a lot of fun making that wine together, so we decided to continue making Montagia, and use it to help nonprofit organizations achieve their goals. Since then, Jennifer and i join ed every year, and together we create a blend from howell Mountain fruit.

 

tell us about a special occasion where the wine helped make the evening. Jennifer and i love entertaining at our home in Knights valley, and i always get a kick out of sharing our wines with family and friends there. Some of the most special evenings have been at home enjoying each other’s company, a wonderful meal, and a wine that Jennifer and i have created (with a little help from ed of course!).

 

What’s the most memorable bottle you’ve ever had? An incredible bottle of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti we opened in Monterey to celebrate a win.

Football hall of Famer Joe Montana
led his team to a record four Super
Bowl victories, and is the all-time nFL
leader in quarterback ratings.
he has a home in Sonoma, but makes
his wine in napa in collaboration with
well-known winemaker ed Sbragia.
Joe is currently busy enjoying
retirement and quarterbacking his
four children, with the help of his wife
Jennifer.