Napa Valley
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Description
Castello di Amorosa, the only authentic medieval (13th-century) Italian Tuscan castle and winery built in America, officially lowered its drawbridge for business in April 2007. Castello di Amorosa is nestled in the western hills on 171 acres just minutes south of The Napa Valley town of Calistoga. After several decades of personal adventure visiting and studying medieval castles and wineries throughout Italy and Europe, Dario Sattui, a successful 4th-generation Italian winemaker and entrepreneur, began building Castello di Amorosa in 1994. Over the course of this marathon project, the Castello has evolved to include over 136,000 square feet, including 107 rooms (90 of which are devoted to winemaking and wine storage); an enormous Great Hall with 2-story replica Tuscan frescoes painted by Italian artists and a 500-year old fireplace; 8,000 tons of hand-chiseled stones; 8 levels (4 above ground and 4 below); a drawbridge, dungeon and torture chamber; medieval church; and arguably the single most impressive wine barrel room in the U.S., with ancient Roman cross-vaulted ceilings.
Castello di Amorosa produces classically structured Italian-style wines that reflect California’s unique climate, soil, and growing conditions.
Our philosophy is to make elegant, intensely flavored, and well-balanced wines that showcase the “terroir” of each unique vineyard site. In this way, we can experience the flavor and aromas of the vineyard itself.
We are committed to using traditional approaches to the craft of winegrowing and winemaking, but also incorporate modern techniques and equipment when it improves quality.
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. The construction took 15 years and opened to the public on April 7, 2007.
Today, Castello di Amorosa is considered an architectural masterpiece with 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. 107 rooms in total, no rooms alike.
Containing some of the most beautiful vaulted wine cellars in the world, Castello di Amorosa has fulfilled Dario’s dream of producing superior quality wines with the same love and attention to detail that went into building his castle.
Wine Education Events at the Castle are executed by our seasoned team with full-service event offerings. From the wine to the cuisine to the décor – we are available to create a bespoke event for you or your clients.
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