The holidays are in full swing here at Chateau Montelena and our tasting room is lit up and looking as festive as ever – but goodness, where has the year gone?! That Indian summer we had certainly didn’t help me adjust. So, needless to say, I find myself writing this with hardly half my shopping done and Christmas just two weeks away. Funny, because it seems every year I tell myself “next year will be different” and I vow never to do last minute shopping again…sound familiar? Or, are you just having an impossible time finding that perfect gift? (As lovely as another sweater is, sometimes I’m looking something a little more…er unique.)

May I suggest tickets to our 2nd annual HOUSE PARTY Saturday, January 26, 2013? Once again, we will open up the Chateau so that our guests can have the run of the place for one fantastic night filled with dancing, fine food and wine. The theme this year is Fire and Ice - we will be serving culinary adventures at tempting temperatures that you can enjoy with Montelena classics, special wines from our library collection and even a few limited-production winery-only wines. We are also adding a “Salon de Vin” this year where you can stock up on special wine bottlings and larger formats.