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

Domaine Carneros Reminds Me of a Mini Palace of Versailles

Domaine Carneros

Napa Valley is mile upon mile of hundreds of hillside vineyards and beautiful estates nestled between the Vaca and Mayacamas mountain ranges. At its southern end, the Carneros region is influenced by the cooler winds of San Francisco’s San Pablo Bay. The grapes of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for sparkling and still wine are king. It is home to over 20 wineries. Domaine Carneros is one of them. The winery’s impressive main structure was inspired by the historic Louis XV style Chateau in Champaign, France.

18th Century Chateau de la Marquetterie was the country retreat of famous writer and father of French fantastic fiction Jacques Cazotte from 1760 to the French Revolution. He wrote the book entitledThe Devil in Love published in 1772. It was a story about a Spanish nobleman who is seduced by the Devil disguised as a beautiful woman named Biondetta. He was guillotined during the Reign of Terror for opposing the revolution and Martinist mysticism.

18th Chateau de la Maquetterie

Château de la Marquetterie would become the venue at harvest time for a glittering gathering of the French literati of the 18th Century, Voltaire and André Chénier to name but two. Two centuries later, young calvary officer Pierre-Charles Taittinger would become captivated by Château de la Marquetterie, which he discovered on joining the command of Marshal Joffre who made his headquarters here in 1914. Pierre-Charles acquired the chateau in 1934, placing a precious piece of Champagne heritage in the safe-keeping of the Taittinger family whose emblem remains to this day.

Domaine Carneros, a breathtakingly beautiful Château, was established in 1987 when Claude Taittinger selected a 138-acre parcel in the heart of Carneros, Napa Valley. It is a singular Napa Valley winery best known as a small grower-producer of méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine, with distinctive styles ranging from the classic vintage-dated Brut cuvée to its luxury Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs. In 1992 they added rich, complex Pinot Noir to their portfolio and its passion for exceptional sparkling and still wines continues to grow. 100% of their wine’s fruit comes from their six estate vineyards comprising 400 acres.

Claude Taittinger wisely chose Eileen Crane, often referred to as America's doyenne of Sparkling Wine, to oversee the development of the Taittinger style in Carneros. In 2020, after 33 years, Crane passed the torch to a new CEO, Remi Cohen, whose role carries on the Taittinger tradition of visionary female leadership. Ushering in a new era of Domaine Carneros, Cohen brings two decades of experience in all facets of the wine industry to the Château.

Domaine Carneros majestically towers over its surrounding Napa landscape. Through the welcoming gate and from the parking area, you ascend a terraced stairway flanked by sculptured bushes and colorful flower plantings. Near the top you arrive at a cemented patio with a decorative concrete wall where two large plaques present a brief history of the Chateau and its vineyard. One more flight beyond, you reach its sprawling front terrace with umbrella covered tables filled with wine lovers soaking in its ambiance and stunning views.

Step through the double door entrance into the chateau’s foyer, you are engulfed in decorative elegance. A welcoming desk overshadowed by a huge portrait painting greets you with the necessary information. Beyond the foyer, a gift shop full of tempting chocolate products, hats, trinkets, and bottles of wine leads to a large, glass enclosed salon filled with white tables. Outside the glass windows was a side terrace with a large fountain in the middle. Around back, you will find a huge fireplace and two tall wooden doors leading into its wine producing facility lined with its giant, stainless steel vats.

There is one thing you need to know before you make the trip to Domaine Carneros, and it is key if your objective is to sample their appellation of champagne and wine products. You need to make a reservation to sit at one of their tables. I was unaware of this. You can walk around and marvel at the beauty of its chateau. You can purchase its delectable wine imbued chocolates and signature bottles of wine to go in its gift shop, but without that reservation, their tables are off limits.

Daily hour long tastings are offered for a minimum of $40 per person accompanied by your choice of local artisan cheese, charcuterie, or caviar. There is also a Bubbles and Bites for a Mediterranean-like experience at $99 per person. Other tastings are The Art of Sabrage and The Ultimate Caviar Experience $125 and $175 per person.

Anyone can tell you, the Domaine Carneros Château is a stunning landmark. It produces some of the finest sparkling and still wines. From its expansive terrace, the view of its stairway gardens and sprawling vineyard to the Napa landscape beyond is picturesque. It reminds me of a mini Palace of Versailles.

1240 Duhig Road

Napa, CA

(707) 257-0101