A Monumental Event in Napa Valley Wine History
This year marks a momentous time in the history of American wine. We are wine enthusiasts here at our Napa Valley bed and breakfasts and are proud to learn of exciting times that made Napa Valley wine what it is today – we think you will appreciate this too!
On May 24, 1976, Stag’s Leap’s Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Calistoga’s Chateau Montelena Chardonnay beat out the very best of Bordeaux and Burgundy at a blind tasting event in France. The judges? France’s best wine experts. The results rocked the wine world and started Napa Valley down the path to being recognized as perhaps the world’s finest wine growing region.
Why are we particularly thrilled by this? Not only does it speak to why Napa Valley is so greatly known as a beloved wine country, but the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay was the winning white at the Paris Tasting and Chateau Montelena is right around the corner from our Napa Valley inns! Less than three miles down the road you will find the gorgeous winery. Visit on your next Napa Valley getaway and experience the winery that produced the award-winning Chardonnay and put Napa Valley on the map! Soak up the culture and enjoy a tasting or two.
Chateau Montelena has a philosophy… “Make the best. Period.” And that’s what they do. Napa Valley’s unique soil type produces some of the best wine. The multiple layers of gravel, sand, and silt are deep and well draining which leads to intensely concentrated grapes that make the deepest, richest, most flavorful wines. Spending time at Chateau Montelena will be an experience you will never forget. From the peaceful Napa Valley setting to the stone castle and Chinese garden, to the wines made by the same family that produced that award-winning Chardonnay back in 1976, you will love this stunning winery. Enjoy the best wine in the greatest location. Savor sips of the world-renowned wine in the tasting room daily, 9:30 AM to 4 PM. Get more information about visiting Chateau Montelena.
