Visiting Chateau Montelena

About Chateau Montelena

A stone château from the 1880s set beside a Chinese-style garden and lake at the north end of the valley. Its 1973 Chardonnay won the white-wine category at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, a blind tasting that put Napa on the international wine map.

Tip: Walk around Jade Lake and its pavilions after your tasting; it is one of the most peaceful spots in the valley.

Plan your visit

• Time needed: 1.5 hours.
• Cost: Expensive.
• Book ahead: Tastings are by reservation.
• Where: Calistoga, laid-back hot-springs town at the top of the valley.

Best time to visit Chateau Montelena

To avoid the biggest crowds, aim for the quietest of the good months:

• March: 19°C (66°F) highs, about 8 rainy days, quiet crowds.
• April: 22°C (72°F) highs, about 5 rainy days, moderate crowds.
• November: 19°C (66°F) highs, about 7 rainy days, moderate crowds.

When to visit Napa Valley has the full month-by-month picture.

Fit it into your trip

Chateau Montelena is not on our short itineraries, so plan it as an extra once you have seen Napa Valley Wine Train and Hot-air balloon flight.

• No. 8 of the 18 sights in our Napa Valley things-to-do list.
• One of the picks in historic sites in Napa Valley.

Near Chateau Montelena

Also in Calistoga, so you can walk between them:

• Schramsberg Vineyards — 1.5 hours, expensive
• Castello di Amorosa — 2 hours, expensive
• Calistoga mud baths and hot springs — 1.5–2 hours, expensive

If you like Chateau Montelena

• Napa Valley Wine Train — Downtown Napa, 3–6 hours
• Downtown Napa tasting rooms — Downtown Napa, Half a day
• Beringer Vineyards — St Helena, 1.5 hours
• Inglenook — Oakville and Rutherford, 1.5–2 hours

Staying near Chateau Montelena

Stay in Calistoga ($$$) to walk here: laid-back hot-springs town at the top of the valley. All areas to stay in Napa Valley.

Questions travellers ask