Chateau Montelena Winery

Chateau Montelena
1429 Tubbs Lane, Calistoga, CA 94515 (707) 942-5105
montelena.com

We are constantly looking throughout Napa Valley to bring you the best wine country wineries. Dynamic Napa Wine Tours carefully chooses the best Napa wineries and wine tasting experiences so our guests can focus on the fun!  Today we’re happy to introduce you to an unforgettable stop, Chateau Montelena. Each of our wine tours start with complimentary premium champagne served on-board our luxurious Sprinter Limousine, as you meet fellow wine enthusiasts and wine curious guests. Now imagine pulling up to this historic, storied Chateau.

Chateau Montelena Winery, originally called A.L. Tubbs winery after its founder Alfred Tubbs, was constructed in 1888 and intended as a barrel-aging facility. Rare among Napa Valley wineries, the Chateau resembles an English Gothic castle gatehouse complete with rusticated stone walls, battlement with crenels and merlons, narrow arched windows, large arched door in the place of a portcullis, and bartizans with faux arrow slits. Some sources suggest that while in Europe, Tubbs hired a French architect to draw plans for the building, brought back French masons to build it, and imported European stone for the walls. Other accounts suggest the design was inspired by the Cellar of Chateau Lafite in France.

Originally, the interior was one large space with a second-story crushing floor, but in 1960, a second-floor apartment was inserted so the Chateau could be used as a home. The space was then converted into the current Tasting room though parts of the private residence remain and are used on occasion today for family guests and private events.

In 1972, Jim Barrett set out to produce classically styled wines using sun-ripe California grapes. Continuing that approach to winemaking today, Chateau Montelena produces refined, age-worthy, food-friendly wines, and have a dedicated team of individuals with decades of experience working in our vineyards and handcrafting our wines. Sample their historic wines that are a reflection of the straight forward philosophy:  Make the best. Period!

In 1976 Chateau Montelena helped put California at the forefront of the wine world. That year a who’s-who of the French wine and food establishment gathered for a grand tasting at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Paris also known as the Judgement of Paris. Four white Burgundies were tasted against six California Chardonnays. When the scores were tallied, the French Judges were convinced that the top-ranking white wine was one of their own. In fact, it was Chateau Montelena’s 1973 Chardonnay, rated above all other wines. The results proved that Chateau Montelena could produce some of the world’s finest wines, and that California’s wine industry had come of age. Read the original Time Magazine article from 1976.

Step into their famed tasting room, located on the top floor of the Chateau, to sample wine. You will enjoy the insights and knowledge that each member of their Hospitality team brings to the experience. The Current Tasting includes the current release wines and may also include a library or a special winery-only wine.

Wine tasting in Napa Valley is a unique experience meant to be savored and enjoyed. People come from all over the world to experience the fine wines only found in Napa Valley wineries. Whether this is your first wine tasting tour in Napa or you’re a regular taster, savor the moment, enjoy the wines, and soak up everything the Napa Valley wine tasting experience has to offer. With all the incredible wine and history, you’ll have the very best in Napa Valley experiences when you enjoy a glass here. Contact Dynamic Napa Wine Tours (707-252-2300) today to learn more about our Napa Valley tours and the wineries we love!