WHERE TO TASTE

Castello di Amorosa, the only authentic medieval (12th-century) Italian Tuscan castle and winery built in America, officially lowered its drawbridge for business in April 2007. Castello di Amorosa Winery 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, Daryl Sattui, a successful 4th-generation Italian winemaker and entrepreneur, began building Castello di Amorosa in 1994, thirteen years ago. Over the course of building this marathon project, the Castello has evolved to include over 121,000 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.

A must for wine lovers seeking excellence, the setting is one of the most peaceful in the Napa Valley - a stone castle carved into a hillside overlooking a Chinese garden and lake and vineyards reaching out to the base of Mt. St. Helena.