Category Archives: Winery News
What Happens in the Vineyard…
Leftovers from San Francisco’s finest restaurants make their way into the Chateau Montelena vineyards. Dave Vella, Vineyard Manager, explains to NBC Bay Area News:
Global #Zinfandel Appreciation Day
November 19, 2010 – from 12:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Get online, using your favorite social media site (Facebook, Twitter, GoWalla, Foursquare, etc), and share your love of this great grape on November 19, 2010. Using the hashtag #Zinfandel, you can interact with Zinfandel lovers from all around the world. Share a bottle with friends and post about your tasting online, tell the world some little known facts about your favorite Zinfandel or go tasting at the wineries participating in #Zinfandel Day. For more information, visit the #Zinfandel web page.
If you’re in Calistoga on 11/19/10, come see us at the winery and taste our 2007 Montelena Estate Zinfandel and share your experience online. We hope to see you online, or at the winery, promoting one of our favorite grapes.
The Grapes Have Been Blessed
On Friday, September 24, 2010, friends and family descended upon Chateau Montelena Winery for the annual “Blessing of the Grapes” ceremony. While Jim and Bo Barrett presided over the events, the first grapes of 2010 were blessed by two Priests, in both Jewish and Catholic prayers, with a sprinkling of Holy Water. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Vineyard Foreman of 25+ years, Placido Hernandez, performed a powerful rendition of Ava Maria. Harvest 2010 is officially underway!
- The crowd gathers
- Jim Barrett addresses the guests
- Bo listens as Jim talks
- Chateau Montelena's Jim and Bo Barrett
- The priests join the Barretts for the blessing
- The blessing of the grapes
- The blessing of the crowd
- Harvest 2010 has begun
See Bo Go
Did you happen to catch Bo on his recent travels? See Bo Go as he travels around the country for tastings and events to find out when he might be passing through your neighborhood. Check back frequently for recaps on where he’s been and updates on where he’ll be going next…
On August 14th, Bo stopped by Argonaut Liquors in Denver, Colorado for a fantastic tasting event and to meet some of the Montelena fans out in the Centennial State.
Bo with the Argonaut Crew
One lucky taster received a signed bottle
Pets “Doing Something Montelena”
Over the years, many different animals have made Chateau Montelena their home. Our cat, Monty, loved to welcome visitors into the tasting room.
Daisy, our dog, enjoys dressing up to support Montelena wherever she goes.
Does your pet love Chateau Montelena? Show us a photo of your pet “doing something Montelena” and you could be selected as one of 10 people invited to the winery for a complimentary tasting and a sneak peak at our our 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon before it is released to the market. Just post your photo on our Facebook wall by August 4, 2010. Creativity is welcome and encouraged. Winners will be notified by August 6, 2010 and invited to visit the winery between August 7th and August 13th to enjoy a complimentary tasting for two and to preview our 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon before its official release date in September 2010.
Please note: Chateau Montelena is not responsible for any costs associated with your participation in this invitation-only tasting, including but not limited to travel and/or lodging. Selection is non-transferrable and can be used for two complimentary tastings and a sample of our pre-release 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
1973 Chardonnay – Sold!
(c) Susana Blavarg
We are pleased to announce that the bottle of 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay has been auctioned off for charity. The winning bid? $11,325 will be donated to Friends of the Orphans – Haiti Initiative. We’d like to thank all of the auction participants for contributing to a great cause. We will also be donating a horizontal of our 2006 Montelena Estate Cabernet that Friends of the Orphans charity may use for in their future fundraising endeavors.
Win A Bottle of 1973 Chardonnay
Have you ever dreamed of owning your very own bottle of the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay?
Well, we have some very exciting news to share. We will be offering you an extremely rare opportunity to own a bottle of the wine that won the 1976 Paris Tasting. All you need to do is be the winning bidder in our charity auction.
Auction Details
How: Online Live Auction
Auction Opens: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time
Auction Closes: Sunday, July 18, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Where to Bid: Visit Spectrum Wine Auctions to register and place your bid on
Lot #1973
Beneficiary: 100% of proceeds go to Friends of the Orphans – Haiti Initiative
2010 Movable Feast Poetry Contest Winner
For the first time ever, we hosted a Poetry Contest during the month of April. The grand prize? Two tickets to our annual party, The Movable Feast. Meet this year’s winner, Tom Elias of Woodland Hills, California.
They Grow On Vines
With a bit of sunshine, and quite a lot of rain, the Glass Sippers have begun to bloom in the vineyard. We hope that, over the next few months, the bottles will continue to get bigger and bigger. However, this mini-size is perfect if you’d just like a taste of our Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Click here to get some for yourself!
Chateau Montelena Winery Presents…
Glass Sippers
Chateau Montelena Glass Sippers allow you to bring our tasting room to wherever you may be. Each set includes six 50ml bottles, and each bottle contains one taste-sized portion of our acclaimed Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – ideal for party favors, stocking stuffers tasting parties or just sharing the Montelena experience with friends. This wine has been bottled at the Montelena Estate by TastingRoom, Inc.
Coming soon…
