The serene setting at Chateau Montelena’s Jade Lake (pictured above and below) has to be one of the most spectacular sights in Napa Valley. And the winery’s “Bottle Shock: Behind the Scenes Tour” was one of the most enjoyable tours we’ve taken this year!
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Bottle Shock, let us explain… Chateau Montelena was featured in the delightful 2008 movie “Bottle Shock.” Their 1973 Chardonnay won Top Prize at the 1976 Paris Wine Tasting (much to the amazement of everyone, especially the French!) Winning the tasting put Napa Valley wines on the map around the world.
The “Bottle Shock” Wine-Tasting Tour is a informative and fun! See where the movie scenes were filmed, discuss fact vs fiction (a few surprises here!), learn about the actors, and hear stories from the set – while tasting the award-winning Chardonnay that put Chateau Montelena on the world wine map. If Christine is your tour guide, tell her “hi “from Alana and Barry!
Tip: We saw the “Bottle Shock” movie twice before taking the tour and we definitely recommend that you try to see it beforehand too – I think you’ll get a lot more out of the tour… at least we did! Almost everyone in our tour had seen the movie. In fact, we want to see it again now that we know more about what actually took place!
After your winery tour and tasting, enjoy a leisurely stroll to Jade Lake. Just follow the path and walk along the footbridges connecting the mainland to the two islands. It’s so peaceful and a great setting to take pictures before venturing off to another winery.
More Info
Chateau Montelena is located just off Hwy 29, north of Calistoga.
Hours & Tastings
The winery is open daily from 9:30am-4pm. Advance reservations are required. There’s also a limited number of Taste of Montelena experiences available on a first-come, first-served basis between 10am-2pm. Note: All visitors must be 21 years or older.
