Where is the REAL Chateau Picard?

When the Star Trek: Picard trailer dropped months ago – I was more than excited to see the vineyard setting. There has always been subtle mention of wine throughout the series – I mean on Deep Space Nine much of the series takes place in a Quark’s bar. Given that there are discussions taking place now about the future of winemaking on the planet due to pressures from climate change, it’s nice to see that there may be some hope for the future. In anticipation of Picard I watched through some highlights of Patrick Stewart’s performance as the character. I had completely forgotten that the opening scene to Star Trek: Generations involves a bottle of Dom Perignon 2265 christening the launch of the USS Enterprise B. And while Star Trek is completely fictional – at least there’s a bit of optimism that two hundred years from now Champagne will survive.

Now I try to leave the nit picky sci-fi fandom bullshit at the door when I’m watching anything in the genre. I don’t have the time of day for people who talk about how poorly the concepts of time travel are handled in virtually every sci-fi series ever. Nor do I have the time of day for continuity errors – I prefer to sit down and let myself be entertained… Now that being said – I have quite a few questions about how Chateau Picard is portrayed in the show. And, I fully realize that all my observations are the nit picky sci-fi fandom bullshit I just claimed to loathe. So let me preface this by saying – none of this will ruin your enjoyment of the show. I enjoy having a glass of wine while watching television – and it adds a layer of enjoyment to have a bottle to go with what’s on the screen. Try watching The Founder without craving a McDonald’s burger – I dare you.

Is Chateau Picard real?

Jean-Luc Picard’s family vineyard is located in Burgundy, France. So the first detail that is interesting is the fact that the winery is called Chateau Picard. Not unusual to find wineries named Chateau all over the world – Chateau Montelena in California, Chateau des Charmes in Niagara, and a large majority of wineries in Bordeaux are all called Chateau. This is a little unusual as most of the wineries in Burgundy are called Domaines. 

As it turns out there already is a real Chateau Picard that exists in Bordeaux. It is located in Saint-Estephe. This winery was classified as Cru Bourgeois in 1932 – which will mean something to you if you’re a wine nerd. It’s hard to find anything else out about this winery – they don’t have a website. But, if you’re just here for the Star Trek – you just need to know that Cru Bourgeois means this winery is considered to be of high quality. In conjunction with the powers that be who are in charge of Star Trek – the Bordeaux Chateau Picard has produced a special bottling with a label that mirrors that of fictional Chateau Picard’s label as portrayed on the Television series. Unfortunately for us in Ontario this wine is only available in the US. And while this is a very exciting collectors item for fans of the show – I’m still not sure it’s the right wine for this show. You see, the wines that are made in Bordeaux are vastly different than those from Burgundy. Bordeaux is well known for its full bodied red wines that can sit in a wine cellar for decades before being enjoyed. Burgundy is known for its medium bodied, elegant, and floral Pinot Noirs – that while they can also sit in a cellar for decades to be enjoyed, are much softer and less aggressive than Bordeaux. 

Furthermore Star Trek: Picard is not filmed in France – the location where the vineyard scenes were shot at Sunstone Winery in the Santa Ynez Valley. The location was likely chosen because the estate has a pretty French looking villa on the property. In the first episode there is plenty of time spent in the scenic vineyard. But as someone who has spent a fair bit of time in vineyards I couldn’t help but notice how the vines were spaced – in Burgundy you are far more likely to find densely planted vineyards – 1 metre between vines and rows. So – this had me asking questions about what is planted in Picard’s vineyard? Do we exist in a future where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are still king in Burgundy? Or has the climate changed so much that something else is growing there? Another clue to Chateau Picard is the fact that Captain Picard’s wine is kept in the high shouldered Bordeaux style bottles – In Burgundy the wine stored in bottles that are more sloped on the sides. While there really are no practical reasons why these bottles have different shapes beyond tradition – I don’t imagine the French changing their bottle shapes anytime soon – and if we’re really being nit picky you can find variations on shapes and weights of all these different bottles.

What wine should I drink while watching Star Trek: Picard?

So here’s the deal – as I said – nit picky sci-fi bullshit aside – none of this should ruin the series for you. The bottles, vineyard, and wine inconsistencies are a bit fun to point out. But who cares? It’s pretty cool to see Captain Jean-Luc Picard tending his family vineyards in the future. The only real problem for us oenophiles now leads us to what we should be drinking while watching the show if we’re truly going to drink like Captain Picard. 

Drink Bordeaux if … having the name Picard on your bottle is important to you. I have never tasted Chateau Picard – but the wines seem to be pretty reputable. If you can find a shop near you that carries these wines you can expect to spend between $25-$40 for a bottle. Which isn’t that much for a decent bottle of Bordeaux – (top bottles can easily go for thousands of dollars). Otherwise you can look for bottles labeled Saint-Estephe, or Medoc and you’ll be drinking wines from the same neighbourhood as the real life Chateau Picard.

Drink California if … you can’t decide whether to tip your glass to Bordeaux or Burgundy. Given that this is filmed at a winery in California why not open a bottle while catching the newest episode? Although choosing Californian wine will present its own dilemma – the State is well known across many of its regions for Pinot Noir and Bordeaux style blends. Affordable options that I love when it comes to Pinot Noir are wines from La Crema, or Birichino. Getting into your Bordeaux style blends (although these wines are more likely to be Cabernet Sauvignon heavy vs. The Merlot blends of France) – getting top bottles can get quite pricy but if you don’t usually spend a lot for a bottle of wine may I suggest grabbing a bottle of Robert Mondavi Napa Cabernet Sauvignon for close to $40?

Drink Burgundy if … you want to drink like me! I’ll be honest, I got more excited than I should have when I heard Captain Picard say he was concerned with the spittlebugs on his Pinot. At the very least this confirms that the Chateau of the Picard grows Pinot Noir. Getting a great bottle from Burgundy does present a challenge if budget is your concern. This prestigious region of France has led to the sky being the limit in terms of pricing. But, when I hosted my premiere party a bottle of Louis Latour Pinot Noir graced my coffee table, and for $25 it was a delicious pick. And while I am generally budget minded when looking for my bottles – I plan on splurging for the Picard finale.

And the honourable mention… given I am not independently wealthy to afford top tier wine from Bordeaux, Burgundy, or California on a regular basis – and given that I focus much of my writing on the Ontario wine scene – you can expect some local bottles to grace my table during the run of Picard. Bottles from Flat Rock, 16 Mile, Back 10 Cellars, Bachelder, Rosehall Run, Westcott, and Chateau des Charmes may all make an appearance. Pinot Noir from Ontario offers much that their burgundian counterparts do in terms of Quality but generally don’t cost as much.

Oh… and if wine isn’t your bag you could always go for a cup of Tea, Earl Grey… Decaf.