Chateau Montelena Winery Calistoga, California Napa Valley Wine Tasting

Nestled against Mount Helena in Calistoga, hence the word play: “MonteLena”, Chateau Montelena boasts a incredible estate with a Classic Chateau, a Lake and cave cellar/tasting room. More notably, the Chateau is credited for putting California on the international wine scene by winning the blind tasting event in 1976. The 1973 Chardonnay won the Judgement of Paris beating out its French counterparts. In 2008, a movie was made to celebrate this historic event staring Chris Pine. The movie is called “Bottle Shock”, another play on word. Bottle shock refers to the stress the wines go through during transport and it is advised to let them rest for a few weeks while before opening. Winning the Judgement of Paris really shocked the world and since California has cemented itself among the best wine regions the world.