SINGAPORE — Before Hollywood star Chris Pine became Captain Kirk in Star Trek, he played a charming hippie Californian winemaker from Chateau Montelena in Napa Valley called Bo Barrett in the 2008 movie Bottle Shock, that also starred Bill Pullman and the late Alan Rickman.

It’s a fictionalised retelling of Chateau Montelena’s historic win over French wines during a blind taste test in the 1976 Judgment of Paris wine competition. But while that movie is partly fiction, the real Bo Barrett is every bit as charming as his celluloid counterpart.

“You never think growing up that you will one day be portrayed in a movie by a guy like Chris Pine, whose next role would be Captain Kirk,” shared Barrett, who is now the CEO of the winery.

“The film is a fanciful telling of our story and the Bo Barrett character (in the movie) is a composite of not only myself, but of a few other guys who worked at the winery during that time. The spirit of Bo is there, but it is not a documentary by any means.”

Barrett will be in Singapore to host a wine dinner at Shang Palace and revealed the movie boosted Chateau Montelena’s standing internationally.

“The funny part about it however, is that we have always considered ourselves to be a cabernet sauvignon-focused winery, but following the Paris tasting in 1976, the public spotlight shifted to chardonnay, and that’s what usually brings a first-time visitor in the door. To be honest, our success doesn’t surprise me. We make a consistent, quality, California first-growth wine that isn’t overpriced, and has no problem selling itself,” he added.

The proud Napa Valley resident said the best thing about working in the region is not just (the wines they produce) or the fantastic weather. “I love that I get to work in a place where many people go for their vacation,” he quipped.

More importantly, he appreciates the diverse close-knitted community, citing how everyone has a desire to work together to keep Napa as the most sustainable concise agricultural area in the world.

Wines aside, Barrett is an avid traveller and a pilot. His all-time favourite destination is Italy, where he recently returned after a visit to the Ligurian Coast to celebrate his 30th anniversary with his wife, Heidi Barrett, an acclaimed winemaker in her own right, who’s behind the creation of cult wine Screaming Eagle and started the respected La Sirena brand.

“We just went from village to village with no plan whatsoever, and enjoyed the amazing food and wines,” Barrett said, adding that Italy is simply wonderful even for wine newbies.

“The area is wonderful, the people are great, and it’s a country where you don’t really need to know about wine to enjoy it. The restaurant proprietors do such a great job putting the correct wine on the table with your meal, you just can’t go wrong.”

Personally, Barrett looks for wines that are “more artisanal, creative, and have a very strong sense of place” even “unpolished” as he feels that that’s the way to learn about a certain person or a place. It’s one reason why he appreciates the table wines — not port, mind you — of Portugal, calling the Douro Valley the most underrated wine region.

As for his own special spot, Barrett said there’s no place like home, which in this case, is in Calistoga.

“It is at the very top of the Napa Valley, and still very much has a small town feel to it,” he said. “The hike up Mount St. Helena (which Chateau Montelena is named after) is just behind our winery, and once you get to the top, you can see the entire valley and it’s just spectacular.” Serene Lim

Bo Barrett will be hosting a six-course Chateau Montelena wine dinner at Shangri-La Hotel Singapore’s Shang Palace on April 11. For more info, call 6213 4398 or email dining.sls [at] shangri-la.com.