Category Archives: Wines
Dave Hosts Jeremy Irons
Recently, the famous actor Jeremy Irons visited us as part of a British documentary project. Who was the lucky guy that hosted him? Our own Dave Vella, because the whole subject of the upcoming feature is about sustainability, and Dave is our resident guru on that subject. Catch Jeremy Irons on the current Showtime series “The Borgias” – catch Dave and Jeremy Irons on camera in a future Blenheim Films documentary about sustainable farming – we’ll let you know when the film is released.
Dave Vella and Jeremy Irons
Music Pairing with Wines?
Okay I am going to go out on a limb here but I think this is an interesting topic and I would love to hear from other wine folks. Music can be a big part of your life just like wine. It is a part of celebatory events, moments of solitude as well as times of focus during work, (working out, cleaning house, working on projects). Like wine, your choice in music depends on your mood and the event. I am curious if certain music enhances your wine experience? So here is a scenario:
You are on your weekend and decide to have a glass of Chateau Montelena and listen to music. What music do you gravitate to? And what Montelena wine do you drink?
Oh by the way - For those of you who have an iPhone, here is a link to a free app that does just that – pairs wine with music. The app is called Wine DJ. http://www.winedj.com/
#Chardonnay Day
Mark your calendars for a grand, online celebration on May 26, 2011! It’s that time of year again – the day that we celebrate all things #Chardonnay (and it’s just 2 days after the 35th anniversary of the 1976 Paris Tasting). You can participate in the online conversation by Facebooking, Tweeting, blogging, tumbling or using any other form of social media with the hashtag #Chardonnay. Share fun facts about your favorite Chardonnay, taste virtually with your online friends or ask questions to learn more about this wonderful wine.
And if you happen to be in our neck of the woods, be sure to check-in to the winery on Foursquare, Yelp or Facebook to redeem special offers for winetastings.
Life of a Vine
If you read George’s recent post on the subject of vintage, you might be interested to see the entire vintage of 2007 – the current release of Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – through the “eyes” (as it were) of one particular vine. Life of a Vine presents a monthly summary, in three installments, of what actually transpired that year. Take a look.
New Connecticut Distributor
We’re pleased to announce that Slocum & Sons is now distributing our wines in Connecticut!
John Slocum and Bo Barrett
For more information, visit our distributors page.
2010 Riesling; Killer
Have you ever tried our Riesling? If so, hopefully you can back up my blog. If not, you’re missing something special. When we do have it in stock (only about 1600 cases made; sold out in December), we have it in our tasting room lineup for tasting. A lot of people see our flight, and say, “you know, let’s just skip the Riesling.” After insisting they try, 9 out of 10 are amazingly surprised! It’s not the sweet, boring wine that gave Riesling a bad rap over the past 30 years. Germany, France, Austria, and even Australia have been making some wonderful off-dry Rieslings the rest of the world has appreciated far more than us Americans.
Well, mark your calendars! We release the 2010 Riesling in May, and after previewing it, this stuff is gonna fly out of our tasting room. The good news: we made more. The bad news: only 300 cases.
You can get the Riesling: at the Chateau, if you’re a club member, from some of our select restaurant and hotel accounts, or at our tasting room at the St. Francis in San Francisco. Perfect Summer wine (assuming we have a “normal” warm Summer here!); don’t let the initial press on 2010 as a vintage fool you. More on that next week.
Sneak Peak: Franc&Blanc
We’re really looking forward to our upcoming #Franc&Blanc party, here at the winery, on June 25th. What’s not to love about delicious wine, fantastic food, great music and plenty of entertaining games?! We can barely contain our excitement. We’re encouraging guests to wear red (franc) or white (blanc) to declare their wine preference, but we’re also encouraging guests to dress up with fun props, let loose and have fun in our photobooth. The event is still a few months away, but Nyk is already getting ready for his close-up:
What’s your favorite part of a party? The food? The drinks? The games? Tell us what makes an awesome party.
Are You Franc or Blanc?
Have you ever wanted to taste the wines that we make just for the fun of it? Now you can. The winery will host a first-of-its-kind party called Franc&Blanc on Saturday, June 25, 2011 from 3:00 to 7:00 pm where we’ll be pouring two of our limited-production wines – Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc – along with other wines such as our Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Napa Valley Chardonnay. There may even be a few other surprise wines here and there.
We’ll have a DJ, food trucks providing plenty of bites that pair with the wines, barrel tasting, a photobooth, vineyard tours, wine classes, games and prizes and much, much more! The Montelena Family will be there too (because we love a great party) and we’re closing the winery down just for this special event.
Tickets are on sale now for general admission and VIP (*note that VIP tickets include transportation to/from the winery and access to a private VIP lounge). Come and join us and declare your preference by wearing red (franc) or white (blanc).
New Digs in SF
If you can’t make it all the way to Calistoga to see us, come check us out in the historic lobby of the Westin St. Francis on Union Square in the City! We’re there representing the Chateau on behalf of the hotel Wednesdays through Saturdays, 1pm-8pm. Say “hi” to Jenn or Ryan, our Chateau Associates, who are there pouring all the good stuff.
…and, if you buy a bottle, you can take it to the Oak Room Restaurant with no corkage! (and don’t pass up on their 3 course prixe fixe menu; if you do the simple math, you’ve made out like a bandit…)
