Napa Valley's Impressive Castle Winery Near Calistoga--Castello di Amorosa

Castles are fascinating structures of antiquity that have withstood the test of time. Their battery towers and massive walls were constructed from one of earth's more durable materials, stone. The landscape they dominated, was its kingdom. Due to these attributes, they became symbols of protection, wealth, and power. On the outskirts of Calistoga in Napa Valley, you are offered an opportunity to tour a modern-day castle patterned after a medieval-style Tuscan castle, which also happens to be a winery.

Castello di Amorosa is the realization of an all-consuming passion for fourth generation winemaker Dario Sattu. Dario's interest in medieval architecture inspired the blueprints for his visionary undertaking. He spent two decades searching for a dream property in the Napa Valley, and in 1993, he finally found an ideal parcel consisting of 171 acres near Calistoga. The parcel contained acres of beautiful forest and hills, a stream and a lake, and a great Victorian home. His vision to specialize in making small lots of primarily Italian-style wines and showcase them in an authentic, medieval castle setting where they would be sold directly to the public, not in stores or restaurants, was now ready to materialize.

Dario began work on his architectural masterpiece. It took more than 8,000 tons of hand-chiseled local stone and nearly one million antique bricks imported from Europe to complete the castle. More than 200 containers of old materials and furnishings were shipped over from Europe to decorate the interior. There are 2,000-pound hand-hewn doors. All ironwork including lamps, gates, and door hardware was hand-forged by Italian artisans. The construction took 15 years. Upon completion, Castello di Amorosa had all the elements of an authentic medieval castle: a moat, drawbridge, five towers, high defensive ramparts, courtyards and loggias, a chapel, stables, an armory, and even a torture chamber. It contains 107 rooms in total with 95 devoted to winemaking, no rooms alike.

The sprawling castle grounds have a genuine Tuscan feel, beautifully landscaped with views of its expansive vineyards. To enter the castle, you ascend a long run of stone stairs, where at the top you cross through an arched entry and immediately step back in time on the noble quest of finding the perfect wine. Its majestic courtyard is surrounded by walls of hand-squared stone and ancient brick, Tuscan-style breezeways and loggias, and table settings for wine tastings. The Great Hall is the highest-appointed and most sought-after room with hand-painted Italian-style frescoes and a 500-year-old Umbrian fireplace. The impressive Grand Barrel Room is 12,000 square feet of 40 ribbed, Roman cross-vaults all constructed from ancient brick shipped from Europe. Other notable rooms include the Chapel, Royal Apartment, Terrace, Wine Library, and Torture Chamber.

Castello di Amorosa offers five tastings and tours. We chose the Seated Tasting Experience for $60 per person featuring five highly acclaimed Reserve and Current-Release wines. We were free to explore the castle on our own with roaming access to the Courtyard, Truncated tower, Chapel, Great Hall, and Knights Hall Gift shop. Although not on the list, we did get to see the torture chamber. The wines were all very good. The list of Italian style-wines includes Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Pinot Bianco, Sangiovese, La Castellana, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Access to the castle, tours, and tastings are open to visitors with reservations only.

Castello di Amorosa means Castle of Love. Ascend the stone stairs, cross through the castle's arched entrance, and step back in time where you will be surrounded by the aura of the 14th century. Experience winemaking and wine tasting at its best while royally soaking in the opulence and mystery of castle life. You will love your visit to Dario Sattu's impressive Tuscan-style winery in Napa Valley near Calistoga.

4045 Saint Helena Hwy, Calistoga, CA

Sky’s The Limit for Charleston’s Latest Waterfront Brainstorm

While standing on the end of Waterfront Park’s long pier outfitted with picnic tables and wooden swings and looking north to the shoreline just a few hundred feet away, you will see rising six stories into Charleston’s steeple-dotted skyline the city’s latest mega-complex. It will be comparative to Charleston Place with one distinctive difference, it will be home to the only luxury hotel on the historic French Quarter waterfront.

Carnival ships, Ecstasy and Sunshine, dominated this view when they were in port. The scene is changing. December 30 will be the final cruise to set sail from Charleston for the Bahamas. Say goodbye to the Carnival Cruise line and say hello to the soon-to-open Cooper Hotel.

The historic district of Charleston was anything but historic before the 1980s, and King Street was a real estate of empty storefronts. Something needed to happen to rekindle the historical flame that once burned in this cosmopolitan coastal port city. Joe Riley began the construction of Charleston Place and set in motion the beginning of the city’s revival. Charleston was back on the map as a travel destination.

The Cooper complex is slated as “the first extraordinary step in the reimagining of Charleston’s storied waterfront.” Its diverse amenity offerings are world class, and like Charleston Place, will be open to residents, visitors, and world travelers wanting to experience the charm and hospitality of Charleston’s commercially and recreationally welcoming spirit.

The Cooper’s amenities will include a ground-floor retail space with boutique shops, a 12,000 square-foot full-service spa and fitness center, and a nearly 20,000 square-foot event space. Its four restaurants will consist of a waterfront diner, coffee shop, seafood restaurant, and a rooftop lounge with a dedicated public elevator with entrance from the park. The rooftop bar will be enclosed in floor-to-ceiling glass doors and overlook both the Arthur Ravenel bridge to the left and the waterfront park’s pineapple fountain to the right.

The hotel will have a compliment of 191 accommodations with options to choose sun-bathed guest rooms and suites with waterfront views of the harbor. Room-paying guests will be able to lounge around or swim in the hotel’s jaw dropping outdoor infinity-edge pool, also overlooking the waterfront. It is proclaimed as one the best pool experiences in the Southeast, possibly rivaling anything on the East Coast. The pool will have its own bar.

The Cooper’s green space along the waterfront will be integrated with the Joe Riley Waterfront Park, extending the park’s pathway beginning at the north entrance on Concord Street over 400 feet to the Fleet Landing Restaurant and Bar at Cumberland Street. As part of the extension, there will be a new dock and marina facility, which will allow for boat dockage.

The Cooper Hotel will have three different boats available for its hotel guests including a yacht for dinners and events, as well as a water taxi service to Daniel Island. Guests in BHC-affiliated locations, like the Charleston Place, will also have access to the boats.

Uneventful and seldom traveled Concord Street between Cumberland and Vendue Range will soon be transformed into a mecca of five-star accommodations and world-class amenities with the opening of the Cooper Hotel complex in late 2025. It will exponentially change the French Quarter waterfront in an excellent way. I, for one, look forward to soaking in the waterfront views through the rooftop bar’s floor-to-ceiling glass doors sipping on one of its signature cocktails. Who knows, I just might book a room just to take a swim in its jaw dropping outdoor infinity-edge pool.