Winery Adventure: Exploring Napa Valley’s glorious Castello di Amorosa

Napa Valley’s spectacular Castello di Amorosa is a bit like Alcatraz. Oh, not in appearance, of course! But this re-created medieval castle and the infamous federal prison are icons. They’re places you send out-of-town visitors to be wowed — but somehow never really go to yourself. We set out to fix that on a recent sunny Saturday, winding our way north to Calistoga to explore Dario Sattui’s famous winery.

With its massive crenellated stone towers, its drawbridge and moat and expansive grounds, the castle is a stunning sight as it comes into view. It’s even more stunning on the inside, where Tuscan-style frescos and period pieces would make a Medici feel right at home.

The backstory: The Sattui family is a Napa Valley wine legend. Dario’s great grandfather, Vittorio Sattui, founded St. Helena Wine Cellars in 1885. And Dario Sattui, a fourth-generation winemaker, has always been passionate about wine, about the family business — which he relaunched in 1975 as V. Sattui Winery — and about his Italian heritage.

He even spent his post-college travels back in the early 1970s sketching European wineries, palaces and medieval castles. Those sketches came in handy in 1994, when Sattui began building what can only be described as his passion project. The Castello di Amorosa wasn’t just inspired by 14th century Tuscan castles, it was built like them — with 8,000 tons of hand-chiseled, hand-placed stones, one million antique bricks sourced from throughout Europe, imported Italian lead glass and even hand-carved gargoyles. The portraits of knights and medieval jousting scenes in the Knights Hall were painted by Luca Ferrotti, an Italian artist. And the chapel frescoes were done by medieval religious art specialist Monika Limart, who flew in from Chile for the commission.

When it opened in 2007, the finished castle was a 121,000-square-foot extravaganza with 107 rooms, dramatic vaulted wine cellars, five towers, a Great Hall, an armory and a chapel. Today, emus, peacocks, goats and geese greet you as you arrive. The crowds that throng the grounds and ramparts speak every language. (All those out-of-town visitors!) And the small lot wines you’ll sample here are available only at the castle, not in shops or restaurants.

The sips: Tastings ($60 and up) are by reservation only and include non-alcoholic grape juice as well as wine — plus H2O from an amusingly labeled bottle of “Moat Water.” The primarily Italian-style wines range from a 2019 Sangiovese ($39) and a 2016 La Castellana Super Tuscan ($106) to a delightfully fizzy 2020 Spumante ($45).

The most surprising sips were actually the grape juices, one made from muscat canelli wine grapes and the other from gewurztraminer ($16). Banish any thoughts of Welch’s. These flavorful juices were startlingly delicious, nicely balanced and not too sweet.

But it didn’t matter. We were there to experience the castle. The very nice wine was just a bonus.

The details: Timed, tasting reservations include a self-guided tour and access to the castle’s main two levels, which include the courtyard, the truncated tower, the chapel, the Great Hall, the Knights Hall and main tasting room, so allow plenty of time for wandering. You can add on tasting extras, such as Belgian chocolates or cheese and charcuterie, or take a guided castle tour, too. Find the winery at 4045 St. Helena Highway in Calistoga. Make reservations at https://castellodiamorosa.com.

Nearby: You can spend hours exploring this one winery, but if you’re looking for more tasting experiences to fill out your day, here are a few Calistoga options nearby. Sterling Vineyards, which was hit hard by the 2020 Glass Fire, hopes to open its newly renovated winery, tasting room and stunning aerial tram to the public this fall. But Clos Pegase, at 1060 Dunaweal Lane, is open now for tastings ($40 and up) and cave tours by reservation; www.clospegase.com. Prefer a sparkling lineup? Schramsberg Vineyards is open daily at 1400 Schramsberg Road for tastings ($65 and up) and cave tours by reservation; www.schramsberg.com.