Chateau Montelena on Tubbs Lane in Calistoga
Wine Country Backroads – Tubbs Lane
This is the third in a series of articles on great wine country backroads. Today we feature the wine country backroad of Tubbs Lane in Calistoga. The town of Calistoga is a great place to lodge and dine, and is a slower pace than the rest of the Napa Valley. It is more laid back and looks much like it did 50 years ago. To get to Tubbs Lane: At the Stop Sign on Highway 29 in Calistoga, where one turns right onto Lincoln Avenue and the downtown, head straight towards Highway 128. It is clearly marked. Drive north 3 miles and turn right onto Tubbs Lane. There are three wineries to visit along Tubbs Lane. Summers Winery and Envy Wines are just about across the street from one another. Summers winery is small and family owned. Our favorite wine here is the Summers Charbono. There are only a handful of Charbono vineyards left in Calistoga, and very few wineries produce this delicious food-friendly red wine. Envy wines is a collaboration between two famous winemakers, Mark Carter and Nils Venge. Down Tubbs Lane to the east from Summer and Envy is one of Napa Valley’s most famous wineries, Chateau Montelena. It is historic, not only because of the beautiful Chateau, but its 1973 Chardonnay came in first in the “Judgement of Paris” in a blind tasting of Chardonnay wines from California and France. Chateau Montelena also has a fantastic pond and setting. Hopefully, you’ll be allowed to have a picnic lunch near the pond. The setting is beauitful, even more so sipping a class of Chateau Montelena Riesling or Chardonnay.