Driving up to Castello di Amorosa was a breathtaking experience. Pulling up the driveway, my older daughter shouted that she saw a castle. We were all dumbfounded by the impressive sight of a medieval castle in Napa Valley.
After easily parking the car, were wandered up to the front gate and were greeted by the gatekeeper who checked us in for our tour. The friendly and knowledgeable tour guide, Thomas, started the tour promptly on time, and began my most favorite experience in Napa Valley. Over 1.5 hours, we were led through the incredible castle, that was a labor of love for owner Dario Sattui, who imported building materials and furnishings from Europe to build his masterpiece. For example, the stones were cut by hand, and laid by hand for fifteen years to build the castle in the traditional way.
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From chapel, to great room, to armory, torture chamber and labyrinthine system of barrel rooms, this castle is an exquisite replica of a 13th century Tuscan castle. My 8 and 10 years old daughters, as well as my husband and I, were entranced by our tour and our entire experience. The girls enjoyed the peacocks, sheep, hens and other animals that live on the castle grounds. We also learned about the wine-making process and were led through the fermentation rooms and barrel rooms. We enjoyed wine from the barrel, as well as from the bottle in our private tasting area, where our daughters were served grape juice.
We had heard that the wine at Castello was not the best but after tasting many wines in the club member tasting room, I feel that the wine was high quality and delicious. Chiara, our personal tasting hostess, was knowledgeable and attentive. Some of the stand outs were IL Barone (Cabernet Sauvignon), La Castellana (Tuscan Blend) and La Fantasia (Soft Sparkling Wine). We purchased one bottle of each to take home. The private tasting at the castle, and the tour, were my absolute favorite tasting experience in Napa Valley.
By: Christine Carr, March 29, 2017
Address:
4045 N. St. Helena Highway
Calistoga, CA 94515
http://www.castellodiamorosa.com/
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