Napa Valley's own Castle of Love, Castello di Amorosa

Castello di Amorosa, Napa Valley

I get asked quite often about which wineries to visit here in the Napa Valley. Today, I am going to feature Castello di Amorosa which I often hear is the most visited winery in the Napa Valley. I wasn't able to find any proof of this for many wineries don't advertise the number of visitors they get each year, but I have heard it to be so by many who work here in the various wine tasting rooms I have visited lately.

This undertaking to build an authentic castle here in the Napa Valley was a quest of Dario Sattui, owner of very popular Sattui Winery on White Lane about a mile south of downtown St Helena. It took 15 years to construct this 13th century Castle of Love, this is the translation of the name, and the 121,000 square foot complex boasts a drawbridge, secret passage, torture chamber has an authentic 300-year-old iron maiden plus 121 rooms.

Please visit this special place when here in the Napa Valley and tell them Curtis sent you.

If I can help you find the perfect Napa Valley property, please email me

Curtis@NapaValleyAddress.com

From Wikipedia Castello di Amorosa, Napa Valley

Here are a list of the Castle's Features from the Castello di Amorosa website:

• ƒAuthentically-styled, 13th century medieval Tuscan-style castle
• 15 years under construction
• Medieval designs and construction methods were employed to create the Castle
• 121,000 sq. ft. castle / winery
• 5 defensive towers with battlements
• 1,000 pound hand-hewn doors from Italy
• 107 Rooms (95 devoted to winemaking)
• 8 levels (4 levels underground and 4 above)
• Great Hall with a coffered ceiling (22 ft. high), featuring hand-painted frescoes inspired by Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s “Buon Governo” (Good Government) in Siena, Italy and 500 year-old fireplace
• 12,000 sq. ft. Grand Barrel Room featuring 40 Roman cross-vaulted brice ceilings
• ƒItalian handmade state-of-the-art triple-jacketed fermentation tanks
• All ironwork hand-forged by Italian artisans over open flame
• Over 170 containers of handmade antique bricks and tiles brought over from Europe
• Additional authentic features include a Church, Drawbridge, Courtyard, Watch Tower, Torture Chamber, Loggia, Deep-Well, Secret Passage Ways, and Outdoor Oven

Tours and tasting info from the Castle's website:

GENERAL ADMISSION

Includes a tasting of five Premium Wines in our Main Tasting Bar and access to our two main levels including the Front Ramparts, Chapel, Great Hall, Courtyard, Stables, Main Tasting Bar and Knight’s Hall.

$18.00 per Person.

$8.00 Per child and young adults 5 years to 20 years of age – (includes juice)

Free for Wine Club Members. (maximum 2 per membership)

From Castello di Amorosa website, Napa Valley

STANDARD TASTING AND TOUR

Enjoy a guided tour deep below the Castle. See the Wine Caves, Old Vintage Rooms, Armory, Torture Chamber and the Grand Barrel Room. Taste wine from the barrel followed by a tasting of 5 Premium Wines in one of the Castle’s private tasting bars. Includes General Admission. Tours for minors are restricted to children over the age of 5 years.

$33.00 per person

$23.00 Per young person – (ages 5-20 – includes juice)

Children and young adults ages 20 and under may enter the Castle only when accompanied by an adult over the age of 21.

$16.50 Active Club Member Price (maximum four per membership)

Additional discounts apply to higher club levels when member is present. Contact our Reservation Desk for more information and to book 707-967-6272.

CHEESE PAIRING IN THE IL PASSITO ROOM

Served in the Il Passito Room only, not available daily

Taste the diverse, exotic and unmistakabley European cheese. From French Brie to Scottish Shropshire Blue, tour tasty peices of Europe paired with a selection of castle wines.

$40 per person (Includes General Admission and reserve tasting, not avaialable on tours)

UPGRADE YOUR EXPERIENCE

RESERVE WINE UPGRADE

Upgrade your wine tasting from five premium wines to a tasting of six of our wines, including low production, high-end reserve wines.

$10.00 per person

$5.00 Active Wine Club Member Price (maximum four per membership)

Additional discounts apply to higher club levels when member is present.

CHOCOLATE PAIRING UPGRADE

We can't offer you Venice, but, perhaps, we can offer the next best thing! A wine and chocolate pairing Castle style! Learn how your good taste technique for wine goes hand in hand in tasting chocolate and wine together. Let our handmade Belgian Chocolate enhance your wine tasting experience.

$4.00 additional per person