A History of the Project: Part II

By 1994, I had the person willing to teach us medieval building techniques, Fritz Gruber from Austria, and I had the quasi-experienced builder from Italy, a Dane named Lars Nimskov, who understood what I wanted to do and was willing to stay the duration.  

Monastero di Coriano, Dario Sattui's home base for researching medieval buildings. (Photo: Dario Sattui, 1995)

Gruber also sold ancient, handmade European bricks.  Further, I had spent years, even before I knew I was actually going to build something, researching where to get raw materials.  I searched in South America, Israel, and in much of America and Mexico and throughout Europe.  Over a duration of many years, I had acquired a wide source-list of addresses for the materials I needed to build my castle.

In the 1980's and 90's, I was going to Italy for as long as three months at a time.  In fact, in 1989, I moved to Rome for six and a half months.  While there I made a promise to myself, a promise I had considered for years, to purchase an Italian property before departing to Rome.  With little time left, I made a frantic search over the remaining weeks.  I decided I didn't want a property in Lazio, the region of Rome, instead deciding on Umbria or Tuscany, which I found to be infinitely more beautiful.

My First Castle ... In the Florentine Hills

I went with several realtors day after day, from morning to night, looking at properties.  Finally I found it, a small 12th century castle, Castello di Panzalla, just 12 miles outside of Florence in the hills of Chianti Classico and that had once belonged to the cousin of the King of Italy.  I bought it, along with 220 acres and four farmhouses that came with the property.  I negotiated the entire transaction in Italian with out a lawyer, relying on the German realtor living in Chianti.

I was full of exhilarating ideas to restore the castle to its former glory.  But, a short time after I returned to the U.S., the castle was severely vandalized and burglarized.  Ancient, dated plaques were ripped out of walls, old roof tiles and all the 300 year old interior doors stolen, virtually every window smashed, ancient coat of arms torn from walls, the entrance door destroyed, hand-chiseled pavement stones dug up.  Anything of value and portable was hauled away.  I was devastated.  My dream had been destroyed; and I didn't want Castello di Panzalla any longer.  I put it up for sale.  I thought selling the property would take ten years.  There are not a lot of buyers for castles.

The following year, 1990, I went looking for more property with the German real estate agent, whom I wholeheartedly trusted, never believing him to be absolutely disreputable as I was later to discover.  For three weeks, night and day, I searched.  One day I came upon a 10th century, fortified, Augustinian monastery dominating the hillside in the countryside just 23 miles east of Siena on the road to Perugia. I knew within a half an hour that I would buy it.  The only question was the price.  It was totally run down, with mounds of garbage everywhere.  My wife hated it, but I could envision what it had been and what it could be; and I loved it.  Out of what was to become my bedroom window, I had the most perfect view in the world -- golden fields, stone farm houses, lush vineyards, rolling hills, two castles and another monastery.  I was in heaven.

After buying my monastery and naming it Monastero di Coriano, my dog Pipo and I set about restoring it.  I could have written "Under the Tuscan Sun," myself, but with some different twists.  It was by using Monastero di Coriano as a home base that I began diligently researching medieval buildings.

Main gate and tunnel to the interior Courtyard. (Photo: Dario Sattui, 1992)

View from Courtyard. (Photo: Dario Sattui, 1992)

Old kitchen door (Photo: Dario Sattui, 1992) 

 The wine cellar deep under the Monastery.  (Photo: Dario Sattui, 1995)

300 year old church door.  (Photo: Dario Sattui, 1992)

I would get on my motorcycle or in my car before dawn, day after day, with a backpack containing a hammer, a tape measure, camera and film and sketchpad and pencils.  I would return home after dark having seen and thoroughly inspected, studied, measured, sketched and photographed every detail of what I had discovered.  The hammer was used in case I had to break in.

It must be remembered that twenty years ago there were a lot of abandoned farm houses, palaces, churches and castle in the countryside of Umbria and Tuscany.  The rural population had left en masse in the late 60's and 70's to escape the tedious and uncomfortable agricultural life without amenities to live in modern rented cement boxes called apartamenti in the cities, where they'd have wall-to-wall carpeting, running water, and central heating.  Here they found work in factories such as Fiat or Olivetti.

Dario Sattui in the entrance to the Monastery in 1995.

As a result, there was a plethora of medieval buildings, great and small in the countryside waiting to decay or be restored. The Italians seemed to want no part of restoring them; they were happy to part with them for a song. It was mostly the English, the Germans and the Swiss who discovered these treasures and began buying them up cheaply to restore. In short, it was foreigners who saved the countryside of central Italy.

When I couldn't walk or pry open a door or window, my insatiable thirst for knowledge about these buildings forced me to be clever.  I would dress up in a suit and tie and go to prominent realtors pretending to be a wealthy person wanting to buy a castle on the market.  I was even given ancient building plans, but of course, I bought none of these properties.  I only wanted to study these masterpieces, and I had no idea why.  Something inside me compelled me to do it.

Without realizing it, I was slowly acquiring the knowledge that would enable me to build my own castle....

To be continued...

After more than 15 years of research, I was ready to build my castle in the Napa Valley.

And I had my first paying customers, Peter Thomas.  They love the Napa Valley.  Photo taken April 29, 2006.

I had accumulated a wealth of knowledge on medieval architecture, a huge library of books, photos, plans and detailed sketches.  I couldn't wait to get started.  The renovation of my historic Victorian at the bottom of the hill on the same property would have to wait.  I was going to build my castle first.

Within a short time of acquiring property on which I would build, Lars Nimskov, the naval architect from Denmark, came from Italy and we began working on plans which were submitted and approved by Napa County a year later.

Lars Nimskov (in red jacket) oversees construction of Castello di Amorosa in 1998. 

We would build the underground cave and cellars first.  Then we would build the castle walls, towers and all above ground structures.  I had been saving my money for years.  I was sure that with my savings coupled with current earnings I could manage financially if I were prudent in other areas.  Construction I figured would take about five or six years.  Boy, I was wrong on both accounts!

Dario Sattui, September 18, 2006. The Drawbridge is under construction. (Photo: Pat Daniels)

On January 5th, 1995, we began construction of 900 linear feet of caves.  We hired a firm that used a Welsh mining bore which excavated horizontally into the hillside at a rate of 15 feet per day.  In five and a half months, the caves were finished; the perfect environment for aging wine with cool, constant temperatures and high humidity.  The problem was we now had a mountain of excavated, poor-quality soil we didn't know what to do with.

And the excavating was just starting.  We had three more underground levels (originally one level until I expanded the building) of cellars to excavate and then build.  The mountain of dirt became progressively higher.

Fritz Gruber, the master builder from Austria and one of the few persons in the world who knew medieval building techniques, agreed to come for three months with six men.  They were to build the first two rooms and show us how it was done. Shortly thereafter, seven men arrived and moved into my house along with Lars.  None of them, save Fritz, spoke any English.  My home had been turned into a boarding house. But I knew I had to skimp monetarily to see this project to completion.

Master builder, Fritz Gruber pictured with one of his works of art in Europe.

Three months later, Fritz and his men left for Austria.  I was really concerned we would not be able to do complex medieval ceiling vaulting ourselves and we would have to stop building or construct ceiling which were not authentic.  But Lars was very capable and, by observing for three months, figured out how to do it.

Through rain, occasional snow, cold, heat and heavy winds, we built Castello di Amorosa, working six days a week, usually ten or more hours a day.  Over the years, we employed builders from eight different countries and materials from five.

I kept changing and enlarging the plan, carried away with this obsession to build ever better and ever more.  When things weren't done absolutely authentically and correctly, we tore them down and started again. Along the way we kept referring back to source materials and photos, making sure that every minute detail was done properly.

As the years of building continued on, I divorced, lost my hair, became more wrinkled, was struck by a car crossing a San Francisco street and endured a major flood and a slowdown of my energy. But I always kept building. The 5-6 year project expanded from the original 8,500 to 121,000 square feet and 107 rooms, all different.  I went through my money- all of it. Then I sold all my stock to raise cash, often when the market indicated to do the contrary.  When that money didn't suffice, I sold my castle in Tuscany.  I fired my housekeeper, then the gardener in an effort to save money to use in construction.  I skimped everywhere I could to keep building.  And the years of construction kept slowly rolling by. Instead of semi-retiring to Italy in 1994 as I had envisioned doing, I was working harder than ever at both V. Sattui, my original winery, and on building Castello di Amorosa.  But I loved it.  I couldn't wait to get out of bed in the morning and hurry to the construction site.

Finally in 2005, I realized that I might not finish the project in my lifetime.  I replaced Lars Nimskov, with whom I did not get along, but endured his bad temper because he understood what I wanted and was capable of doing it.  I thought of hiring an American contractor, but those whom I had met lacked the knowledge of medieval construction and were intimidated by the project with no idea how to build it.

But through a friend, I found an Italian builder, Paolo Ardito from Bologna.  We met at a freeway off ramp in Italy.  We were wary of each other at first, but we both took a chance. He spoke virtually no English which complicated things, and out of necessity I communicated in my bad Italian.  But somehow it worked.  He brought over seven master masons whom I quickly sent back to Italy upon discovering that master builders they were not.  I quadrupled the construction crew to 64 and we kept building.

Dario Sattui and Paolo Ardito reconnect on the Drawbridge (with Dario's dog, Lupo) in 2010. (Photo: Jim Sullivan 2010)

We worked over 10 years building underground, often seeing daylight only at lunchtime. We completed more than 80 rooms underground, each different, using all the ideas I had discovered after researching for many years in Europe.  The square footage of the underground rooms alone, built on four separate levels, was nearly 80,000, or two acres.  These rooms were to be barrel aging cellars and our wine tasting rooms.

Construction of the cellars under the Tasting Room in 1998.

In 2004, we finally finished the underground portion and began building above.

The Great Hall, entrance to Courtyard and North Tower under construction in 2005.

We constructed a dry moat, high defensive fortified walls, five towers, courtyards and loggias, a Tuscan farmhouse and other outbuildings.  We erected archways, a big kitchen, a Great Hall that took one and a half years to completely fresco.  We built stables, and apartment for the nobles, wine fermenting rooms, a church and chapel, secret passageways and even a prison and torture chamber. I was bent on being totally authentic incorporating every element of a real 12th - 13th century Tuscan castle.  I attempted to depict how castles evolved over time, by erecting doorways and niches and then bricking them up. We built a partially destroyed tower.

Entrance to the Courtyard from the Crush Pad in 2004.

Construction of the Drawbridge steps. The entrance to the Castello can be seen in the upper left.  Photo taken in 2003.

View from the South Tower. Great Hall on the left, Upper Terrace on the right.  Walkway to Great Hall in center.  Photo taken in 2005.

Battle-damaged tower under construction in 2005. Farmhouse (far right) and fermentation rooms taking shape. 

Castello di Amorosa appears to be an authentic castle for one reason only.  It is an authentic castle, though fancified.  We either used construction methods and materials that would have been used 1,000 years ago, or we used very old hand-made materials that had survived up to modern times.  A fireplace predating Christopher Columbus adorns the Great Hall, and Iron Maiden from the late Renaissance dominates the torture chamber.  A wrought iron dragon from the times of Napoleon hovers over the massive main door. More than 8,000 tons of stone were chiseled, not sawed, by hand to be absolutely authentic.  Nearly 200 containers of old, hand made materials were shipped from Europe to lend authenticity. 

We spent years sourcing old materials.  Where we couldn't find authentic handmade materials, we created them by using the same methods and materials of long ago.  Fritz Gruber supplied me with nearly one million handmade, antique bricks from torn-down Hapsburg palaces.  Georgio Mariani of Assisi in Umbria, along with his father, brother and uncle, made all lamps, iron gates and decorative iron pieces by hand over an open forge. Every nail, every chain link, every hinge and lock was hand-done by the Marianis. Their friend, Lucio, made all the leaded glass windows by hand.  The Nanni brothers hand-carved all the ceiling beams.  Loris Vanni and his brother-in-law Marino hand carved most of the door and window surrounds and the well. Dario Ruffini hand-carved the stone crests depicting my family's coat of arms.  There were many others, mostly from Italy, too numerous to name, who lent a hand to create the only real medieval castle in the United States. Even an Italian architect specializing in the restoration of medieval buildings, Frederico Franci, lent advice.

There were problems, from containers full of materials not arriving on time to the Country making us re-grout virtually all the walkways and rebuild all the stairs, as they didn't quite comply with local codes.

I kept declaring larger dividends than I normally would have from V. Sattui to keep afloat. But finally, in late 2005, I ran out of money.  Enter Wells Fargo Bank-- from which I secured a large loan.  By mid-2006, I was nearly in a panic about going bankrupt and losing my entire property.  I simply couldn't continue to expend large sums of money I had invested in the Castle, the winery equipment, the vineyards and the wine inventory.  It had been nearly 14 years without one penny back.  I started selling some of the Castle wine cheaply just to raise money.  I borrowed from V.Sattui as well as the bank.  I was desperate.

Just as with the Castle, I had endeavored to make no compromises with the wines.  We planted vineyards in 1994 through 1996. Yet we waited to make the wines until we had older vines to produce the highest quality.

Today Castello di Amorosa produces some of the best wines in the world from it's Diamond Mountain District vineyards surrounding the Castello. (Photo: Jim Sullivan 2010)

Ramparts, towers, the guard tower and a variety of Castle defensive positions overlook the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese and Primitivo vineyards. (Photo: Jim Sullivan 2010)

Finally, we were able to open on April 7, 2007.  I had no idea if the project would be well-received or not.  Would I be laughed at or would people respond positively? The first few days after opening gave me hope. The response to both the Castle and our wines was overwhelmingly positive.

The Chapel overlooks the Napa Valley, a perfect spot to pause and relax, a welcome sign that you're nearing the Castello di Amorosa. (Photo: Jim Sullivan 2010)

Castello di Amorosa: A History of the Project

Nearly twenty years ago, I purchased the spectacular property upon which I built Castello di Amorosa.  It sat on a hundred-seventy beautiful acres of forest and hills with a stream, a lake, one of the first houses built in Napa County and a great Victorian home where I chose to live.  It was my dream property, culminating a search of many years.  The purchase also came with a great building permit for a large winery building which had taken the previous owner thirteen years to obtain.

At first, I had no intention of starting another winery- I already had V.Sattui.  My plan was only to replant historic vineyards there.  However, throughout my adult life, I had been fascinated with Italian medieval architecture; and, because of my passion- some would say obsession- I had already bought a handful of ancient properties in Italy, including a small castle near Florence (now sold), a medieval monastery near Siena (now being refurbished) and a Medici palace in southern Tuscany, which we are remodeling into a period hotel.  You get the picture- it's an incurable malady.

My Ideas began to crystallize.  I would specialize in making small lots of primarily Italian-style wines, showcase them in an authentic, medieval castle setting and sell them directly to the public, not in stores or restaurants.  Since I have never had a television, I had a lot of time on my hands.  In early 1994, I embarked on my project.  Concurrently with replanting thirty acres of vineyard on the property Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot, I began drawing plans for the winery building.

Paolo Ardito and Dario Sattui review Castello di Amorosa building plans in December of 2010. (Photo: Jim Sullivan)

My initial intent was to build an 8,500 square-foot building without cellars. (Gradually it morphed into 121,000 square feet with 107 rooms with four separate levels underground and four levels above!)

As a hobby, I had spent years visiting and studying medieval architecture, collecting thousand of detailed photos and measurements.  I obtained building plans of Italian castles; I even pretended to be an interested buyer, dressing in suites to get realtors to show me through castles I would have never seen otherwise.  I was determined to bring a slice of Italy I loved to the Napa Valley.

Tell me I can't do something and, if it is important to me, I will try to prove you wrong.  My greatest incentive to do this project came in Beaune, France, in 1984 when the idea was still germinating.  I was in Burgundy visiting the greatest wine cellar I had ever seen, that of Patriarch cellars, built over two hundred years in the 13th and 14th centuries.  It contained over seven acres of underground cellars and rooms.  I was in heaven.

Wine barrels in Patriarch Cellars (Photo: Blanca & Ian's Travels)

I was the first person to arrive one day, equipped with a camera, plenty of film, a tape measure, my sketch pad and plenty of sharpened pencils.  All day I studied the cellars, essentially drawing and photographing with precision every room that moved me.  I didn't know why I did it.

About every hour, the elderly watchman would walk by me, observe my actions and continue on.  Finally, late in the day, he came up behind me, grabbed me roughly on the shoulder and forcibly threw me out, the while haranguing me loudly and coarsely in French.  I was shocked and embarrassed.  As he finally let go of me at the outer door, all I could sputter was something like, "I'm going to do something like this in the United States one day, you.... No, even better!"

I doubt he understood me; and of course I had no intention of doing such a thing at the time.  I only knew that I wanted to and I never forgot that man or the motive he gave me to eventually embark upon this project.  I've always thought of going back and showing him what I had accomplished, but I'm sure he is long gone.

Now, I had only built a dog house, a chicken coup and a rabbit hutch in my life; so I needed an accomplished builder who understood what I wanted and could implement my dream.  I not only found one, I found two of them.

I was on my motorcycle, doing what I did virtually every day I was in Italy, searching for castles, monasteries and palaces to study, measure and photograph. (If someone accompanied me, they never came twice!)  I'd start each day before dawn and travel road after road until I found something of interest, usually returning after dark.

On this particular day I was trespassing on someone's property, taking a shortcut to a castle I had seen in the distance.  I always ignored "Private Property" signs, and, when confronted, would feign that I didn't understand Italian. The owner came out of the house.  "You are trespassing," she said.  "Were I in a bad mood, I would throw you off the property.  But I'm in a good mood... would you like to taste the wine we make here?"

Her accent told me she was not Italian.  She explained that she and her husband had first emigrated from Denmark to the U.S., then moved to Italy to realize their dream of a small winery and olive orchard.  During our conversation, though, three salient points were made: her husband was a naval architect, he had built their two houses (which I could see were new but appeared centuries-old) and, as importantly, he'd always talked about returning to the U.S.

After lunch, I decided  to telephone this man, knowing the chance was slim that he would share my vision.  We talked an hour and a half and I finally asked him point-blank, "How would you like to come to the United States and help me build a castle?"

He suddenly blurted, "I'll come."

"But you haven't even consulted your wife," I said.  And he loudly and sternly responded, "I said I will come!"  I was too taken aback to probe further.

A lot of people talk and do very little. I was not at all convinced that he meant what he said; and, although we spoke several more times over the next few weeks, I had my doubts about him showing up.  Unbelievably, on the appointed date, Lars Nimskov arrived at my home in Calistoga; and we set to working on plans immediately.

The Grand Barrel Room at Castello di Amorosa (Photo: Peter Menzel)

To really pull this project off, we needed more help.  Luxury Tuscan-style homes are currently the rage in California and I have seen countless attempts to reproduce them authentically; but most have failed to a lesser or greater degree.  You either understand how to build them, using old, handmade materials and ancient techniques, or you don't, in which case they look fake.  Either people don't want to spend the money, the architects and builders don't have the skills or they use modern techniques and materials to attempt a medieval look.  I vowed to build a castle as I made my wines, without compromise.  It would be done as realistically as possible; but to do it right we needed someone who actually had a lot of experience with medieval construction.

I found him, too.

Fritz Gruber, a master builder from Austria, had, like me, grown in love with medieval architecture and spent countless hours studying how to do it.  He built small wine cellars for friends, using old world materials and techniques.  He then decided to expand his business.

In 1988, I'd received a simply illustrated wine cellar brochure from Austria.  I loved what I saw; but I had neither the money nor the property, so I filed it away.  Shortly after I purchased the Calistoga property in 1993, I traveled to Austria and took along the then-worn brochure, hoping to find Gruber, which I finally did in a small village near Vienna.  He opened the door, speaking only in German, but doubled over in laughter when he saw the brochure.  He explained to me that he had sent 2,000 brochures to winery owners in the U.S., hoping his business worldwide, but received no replies.  Five came back postmarked, "wrong address."

Gruber saw immediately that I was as passionate about medieval architecture as he was.  We started talking and I told him of my dream.  "A wine cellar I can understand," he said, "but a whole castle?"

He said I was as crazy as he was and we instantly took a liking to each other.  He showed me underneath his house where he had built a labyrinth of medieval vaulted cellars.  I loved them. I stayed at his house and we talked for three days.  He agreed to come with six of his Austrian masons and stay for three months building the first two rooms, so our crew could learn from them. "But you are absolutely crazy!" He declared as I finally left.

I was naive enough to think I was ready to begin.  My plan was to incorporate all the ideas and details that I had assembled from my first trip to Italy in 1965 in my 8,500 square-foot winery.  I would create a fantasy, a maze where every room and space opened into a new and different adventure as one traveled throughout the building.  I would include all the elements of a true medieval castle- a moat and drawbridge, high walls and towers on a hillside, a great hall, courtyards and loggias, an apartment for the nobles, a big kitchen, an outdoor brick oven for baking bread, a church, a horse stables, secret passage ways and, of course, a prison and torture chamber. 

I was determined to erect the most beautiful and interesting building in North America for showcasing great wines; for it must not be forgotten that, aside from being defensive fortifications , throughout history and in modern times, many of the great wines in Europe have and are being made in castles.

The only problem was that 8,500 square feet would only contain a fraction of my ideas....  (To be continued...) 

Castello di Amorosa was the backdrop for photographer, Anthony Wallen who took this shot of the 2012 Lexus LFA:

Special thanks to the Napa Valley Vintner's Association (NVV) and Mark Egger, Western Area Customer Service Operations Manager for Lexus for bringing this rare LFA to the Castello.

According to Lexus, the LFA brings a distinctively different flavor to Lexus, however, on this sun-drenched morning in the Napa Valley, Lexus brought a whole new flavor to the Castello!!

Lexus is a strategic partner with the NVV and a friend of the Castello.

Castello di Amorosa's "Capture the Flavor" video contest on our Facebook page is in full swing.  One of the recent entries can be viewed by clicking:

http://youtu.be/JhziZB_bwU4

Click on the link below to go to Castello di Amorosa's "Capture the Flavor" video contest page:

http://apps.facebook.com/captureflavorcontest/contests/178426

Famous Italian Winemaker from Sassicaia Joins Castello di Amorosa Team

Georg Salzner, Sebastiano Rosa and Brooks Painter celebrate at Castello di Amorosa

Napa Valley's Castello di Amorosa today announced that Sebastiano Rosa, winemaker at Tenuta San Guido- producer of Sassicaia- one of Italy's leading Bordeaux-style red wines has joined the winemaking team of Brooks Painter, Peter Velleno and Laura Orozco.  Sebastiano will travel from his home in Bolgheri, Italy to consult with Painter's team on all aspects of Castello's Italian-style red wine program.

"From the vineyard to the glass, the addition of Sebastiano Rosa will bring an international perspective to our program," said Georg Salzner, President of Castello di Amorosa. "Our history is Italian; our winery is Italian style so it's natural that we partner with Sebastiano to create unique, Italian-style wines."

Rosa, the stepson of Nicolo Incisa della Rocchette whose family owns Sassicaia, brings an extensive wine background to the team.  Upon graduating from U.C. Davis in 1990, Sebastiano participated in the 1991 harvest at the storied Chateau Lafite Rothschild.

From 1992 until 2002, he was General Manager at Tenuta di Argiano in Montalcino where he worked with legendary winemaker Giacomo Tachis, considered by some to be the father of the renaissance of Italian wine.  While Sassacaia was the first wine in the renaissance, his other label, Solengo, was the number 8 wine in Wine Spectator's Top 100 and received 96 points in only it's second vintage.

"We are excited about Sebastiano's collaboration and contributions to our winemaking," said Brooks Painter, Castello's Director of Winemaking.  "At Castello di Amorosa we are only interested in producing top quality wine.  Sebastiano will help us continue to craft exceptional wines with distinct character and structure while respecting the unique Napa Valley terrior."

Rosa, the Technical Director of Tenuta San Guido from 2002 until 2011, managed the Sassicaia cellar where he started the second and third labels for Sassicaia- Guidalberto and Le Difese.

“

Castello di Amorosa's 2009 Il Passito - Best of Show White Wine

Castello President, Georg Salzner and Director of Winemaking, Brooks Painter celebrate. (Photo: Jim Sullivan, 2012)

Twenty four judges tasted their way through 660 wines from across the country and found Castello di Amorosa’s 2009 Il Passito - a late harvest blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon that sees 20 months in French Oak- the top white wine of the competition.  Gold medals were awarded to the 2008 vintages of Il Barone and La Castellana and the 2009 Bien Nacido Vineyards Chardonnay.

“We only enter a couple of wine competitions a year,” said Castello di Amorosa President, Georg Salzner. “We were honored to be invited to this invitation only competition and very pleased with the final results.”

Held at the prestigious Boca Country Club in Boca Raton, Florida, the American Fine Wine Competition is rapidly becoming the premier wine competition in the country with an all-star judging panel of recognized professionals as wine educators, wine writers, restaurateurs and sommeliers all with top qualifications in the their field.

It’s tough to win this competition-- 100 percent of the panel of judges must agree that any particular wine is worthy of a Gold Medal.  To win Best of Show, the consensus standards are even greater.

Castello di Amorosa’s award-winning wines will be poured at the American Fine Wine Competition Gala at the Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton, Florida by 50 volunteer Wine Angels.  Five courses will be served with the main course being prepared live on stage by Chef Emeril Lagasse.

Benefiting the Diabetes Research Institute and the Golden Bell Education Foundation, the Lifestyle live auction will be presided over by Alan Kalter announcer for Late Night with David Letterman. The Silent Auction features all 600+ award winning wines each signed by the winemakers themselves.

Napa Valley's Castello di Amorosa wins San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition:

Sweepstakes awards were given for Sparkling, White, Pink, Red and Dessert. The 2010 Late Harvest Gewürztraminer, the only wine from the Napa Valley to win a Sweepstakes title, was the best of 66 other Dessert wines submitted by wineries from across the U.S.

In addition to the Late Harvest Gewürztraminer, our 2010 Mendocino County Gewürztraminer received a Double Gold and the 2008 Merlot was a Gold Medal winner at this prestigious wine competition.

The 2012 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition set a new American wine competition record with an astounding 5,500 entries, surpassing its previous record of 5,050 last year.

For complete results, see http://www.winejudging.com

The winning treo of Late Harvest Gewurztraminer, Dry Gewurztraminer and Napa Valley Merlot. (Photo: Jim Sullivan, 2012)

Castello di Amorosa hosted The Pagan Ball, a wine club event, on October 30, 2011.  The sold-out event included a VIP reception followed by The Pagan Ball which included haunted underground tours through the Castello's lower 81,000 square foot labyrinth of cellars and caves.  Even the revered Great Hall took on a haunted twist and served up some savory delights while guests danced to the sounds of VJ Kid Karter.  Hay Ball Hell was the perfect lounge for those waiting to have their photo taken in the Truncated Guard Tower and the Il Passito Reserve Wine and Wine Club Member Lounge was packed with ghouls, goblins and those looking for Castello's Il Barone Cabernet Sauvignon, a 94 point wine by Robert Parker.

Please enjoy the video and the photos that follow.  The event will sell out early again in 2012.  Please see our website http://www.castellodiamorosa.com  for details.

The Pagan Ball Photos

 

Castello di Amorosa's Crush Pad is the center of harvest activity during this time of the year.  For one night, Saturday, September 24, 2011 it became the Great Grape Stomp Stadium with happy Wine Club members covered head to toe in grape juice.

Pizza served hot from the Great Hall's Outdoor Oven.

Healthy food paired perfectly with Castello di Amorosa wine.

The wine is ready.  Are you ready for the wine?  2007 Il Brigante; great wine, legendary vintage.

Castello staff, smiling and ready to serve.

Some started the grape stomping early-- a warm up for the competition to follow.

The Courtyard-- always the center of the party.  Great food, live band and dancing!

Let the Grape Stomp Competition begin.

Stomp, Stomp, Stomp.

Now these are some happy Napa Valley grape destemmers.

Fast hands filled the basket for the team to destem the grapes before stomping.

She is ready.  Notice the lack of grape stains.

The result of efficient destemming.

The Crushpad:  The Stadium of Stomp!

Great Napa Valley grapes about to get stomped.

Most of the scenes in this photo are, well, priceless.

 Time to party.  We won.

Love in the barrel.

Dancing in the Courtyard to the sounds of "The Special Guests."

Wine, up close and personal with Castello Lab Technician, Jose Basulto.

Hey, that bunch of Chardonnay grapes is Zeke Perez, our Castaldo Manager.  Priceless fun!

Nadalie, USA cooperage. Toasting the inside of a French Oak wine barrel.

Scott Webster from Portocork talks to guests about cork.

Castello di Amorosa Cellar Master, Ron Lilly, talks to guests about wine futures.  Here he's pouring 2010 Il Barone Cabernet Sauvignon.

Director of Winemaking, Brooks Painter (L) and Associate Winemaker, Peter Velleno (R) in the Fermentation Room.

A beautiful Napa Valley evening for the Harvest Celebration.  See you next year, September 22, 2012.

Dario Sattui welcomed the guests to the Hot Havana Nights party.

The Castello's doors were wide open!

Castle President, Georg Salzner; Dario Sattui and V.Sattui President, Tom Davies.

A beautiful evening in The Courtyard- Dancing by the World Latin Dance Team:

Kat Kresch and Nick Lau

A beautiful evening turned into a magical night.

Hot Latin music by the Carlos Herrera Trio kept us off the chairs and on the dance floor.

Carlos Herrera.  Awesome!

The dancing was, well, fantastic.

Better than fantastic-- captivating!!

Billy Kader from Hemingway Cigars, Palo Alto provided complimentary cigars for our guests. 

Noel Garza pictured "lighting" his cigar!

World Latin Dance Team member, Kat Kresch got into the action on the dance floor.

There were plenty of great cigars thanks to Bill Kader of Hemingway Cigars.

 Billy Kader showing us just how to light up! Thank you, Billy!

The perfect pairing- Great Castello wine and fine cigars!

This what happens when the Carlos Herrera Trio strikes the right notes!

Have you ever been in a man cave?  Jack Grant brought his Mobile Man Cave,

the CigaRV.  Thank you, Jack.

Knickerbocker's Catering served up some great Cuban eats!

Castello's Winemaker, Brooks Painter with Cinquecento Wine Club Member, 

Matt Wainwright enjoy the Future Release Tasting in The Grand Barrel Room. 

How about that 2010 Castello di Amorosa Il Barone Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

It's showing beautifully, right out of the barrel.

Meanwhile, back at the Courtyard, Castello's Joshua Meyer pours more than

enough 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Things got even hotter as night descended on The Courtyard...

That's right- a fire performance!!  

Photos from the 2011 Midsummer Medieval Festival

Photo gallery: The Midsummer Medieval Festival-2010

Peter Velleno Promoted to Associate Winemaker at Castello di Amorosa

Castello di Amorosa, Dario Sattui’s authentically-styled 13^th century Tuscan castle and winery in Calistoga, is pleased to announce that Peter Velleno has been promoted to Associate Winemaker from Assistant Winemaker.  He will have overall responsibility for crafting all wines in collaboration with Brooks Painter, Director of Winemaking.

”Pete has shown himself to be a skillful and creative Winemaker who excels in managing our wine quality and Production Team” said Painter. “His background in technical winemaking is matched both by his talents as an artistic blender and his determination as a manager to seek out the best wines we can possibly produce.”

Before joining Castello di Amorosa in 2008, Velleno worked at William Hill Winery as Assistant Winemaker.

“We are very pleased with the direction of our winemaking,” said Castello di Amorosa President, Georg Salzner.  “Peter’s focus is on crafting wine of exceptional quality, balance and style that truly reflects the terrior of the Napa Valley.”

Velleno holds a B.S. in Fermentation Science from the University of California, Davis.  He was born and raised in San Francisco where he and his two older brothers were the fifth generation of their family to the born in the city.  Today, Velleno, his wife, Lauren and their daughter make their home in Napa where they enjoy playing tennis, biking, cooking and spending time in the Napa Valley.

Following fourteen years of construction, Sattui opened Castello di Amorosa on April 9, 2007.  Situated in the hills above Calistoga, Castello di Amorosa- a family-owned business- produces world-class wines which are sold only at the winery direct to the consumer.  The castle winery was made with brick, wood and iron imported from Europe and combined with over 8,000 tons of local, Napa Valley stone.  Today, Castello di Amorosa, a popular Napa Valley destination, offers a variety of wine tasting and touring options in a unique Tuscan castle setting.

Castello di Amorosa Promotes Jim Sullivan to Vice President, Public Relations and Marketing

Jim Sullivan has been promoted to Vice President, Public Relations and Marketing at Castello di Amorosa, Dario Sattui’s authentically-styled 13^th century Tuscan castle and winery.  Sullivan will spearhead the Castello’s publicity and marketing initiatives. He will report directly to Georg Salzner, President of Castello di Amorosa.

 “I’m proud to congratulate Jim on his promotion to this new position and look forward to his continued professional growth in the wine industry,” said Georg Salzner, president of Castello di Amorosa. “He is an asset to our winery, and I know he will continue to provide exemplary leadership for our organization.” 

With over 20 years of marketing, public relations and business development experience with professional motorsports teams and in a variety of healthcare organizations in Southern California, Sullivan first joined Castello di Amorosa in 2008 as Public Relations and Marketing Manager. 

Sullivan holds an MBA from the University of Redlands and a Bachelor of Science from Central Washington University.

He resides in St. Helena, Calif.

Castello di Amorosa and the Napa Echelon Gran Fondo

Castello di Amorosa invites you to join Team Castello di Amorosa for the Napa Echelon Gran Fondo on May 21.  It's a European-style, mass start event -- benefiting local charity-- beginning in downtown Napa and then traversing up and down the legendary Napa Valley.  

Join the team by visiting: https://ssl.charityweb.net/echelongranfondo/napa/castellodiamorosa.htm

The ride benefits local charities including St. Helena Hospital Martin-O'Neil Cancer Center, the Queen of the Valley Cancer Center and The Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition.  

I can see it now, 30 riders dressed in yellow and blue on the start line in downtown Napa, ready to conquer either the 30, 60 or 100 mile course.  You'll look sharp in a custom, Team Castello di Amorosa kit (custom pro jersey and bib shorts) designed by Dario Sattui.  The yellow and blue signify his University of California colors (Go Bears!); the sleeves are adorned with the colors of the Italian flag- the right sleeve and chest is a perfect spot for the Sattui Family crest.  We've deeply discounted the kit for those riding on Team Castello di Amorosa - $115 for both the jersey and bib shorts, but act fast as quantities and sizes are limited.

On the starting line, you'll feel like you're in the Tour de France as a helicopter hovers overhead taking photos of us all.  And then comes the best part-- the Silverado Trail is closed to vehicular traffic for several miles and becomes the Napa Echelon Gran Fondo bike path!!

You are invited to have your photo taken, dressed in yellow and blue, on the steps of the Castello di Amorosa Drawbridge on Friday at 3:00 p.m.  Don't miss this opportunity!

Follow the link below to register to ride for or donate funds on behalf of Team Castello di Amorosa:

https://ssl.charityweb.net/echelongranfondo/napa/castellodiamorosa.htm 

RSVP: jims@castellodiamorosa.com

ENTRY/FUNDRAISING AWARDS

Thank you for joining Team Castello di Amorosa!

Castello di Amorosa's 2007 Il Barone Tops in Blind Tasting

The St. Helena Star Napa Valley Vintners Association tasting panel assembled for a blind tasting of the best Cabernet Sauvignon in the Napa Valley, priced $95 and up. Panelists, comprised of local winemakers and others in the wine trade, split into two groups, tasted 18 wines in three flights of six-- a total of 36 wines.   Castello di Amorosa's 2007 Il Barone ($95) was in the top 6 best wines along with Joseph Phelps Vineyards 2007 Insignia ($225), Merryvale Vineyards 2007 Profle ($150), Barnett Vineyards 2008 Spring Mountain District ($125), Hall Wines 2007 Rutherford ($165), Groth Vineyard & Winery 2007 Oakville ($125).  And in the final taste-off of these six great Napa Valley wines, Castello di Amorosa's Il Barone was third.  Joseph Phelps and Merryvale tied for first.

We knew the Il Barone was great when Robert Parker praised it's quality and awarded it 94 points and now comes this great result from a prestigious blind tasting by local winemakers.  This wine won't last long so get a bottle or case in your cellar today!  

Il Barone Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, vintages 2003-2008 now available in the tasting room.

Large format bottles in the Tasting Room.

Reserve Wines Score with Robert Parker

Leading international wine critic, Robert Parker was back in the Napa Valley recently at the invitation of the Napa Valley Vintners Association to taste and rate Napa Valley wines.  Castello di Amorosa wasted no time in sharing our best  2008 wines (not yet released in the tasting room), including a barrel sample of the 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  The results, published in his influential, "Wine Advocate" journal, proved Mr. Parker continues to like our wines and reflected it in his scores, rating each wine 90 points or greater for the second consecutive year.

The comments, or tasting notes, that accompany the scores are very important, perhaps even more important than the score itself.  "The written commentary that accompanies the ratings is a better source of information regarding the wine's style and personality, its relative quality vis-a-vis its peers, and its value and aging potential than any score could ever indicate," states Parker in the "Wine Advocate."

The results of his tasting of Napa Valley wines were published in Wine Advocate #192, December, 2010.  Il Barone receive a rating of 92 points. In his written commentary, he noted, " The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Il Barone (91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot) is a selection of the estate's finest lots of Cabernet Sauvignon.  Graphite, creme de cassis, black currant and spice box aromas jump from the glass of this opaque ruby/purple-colored 2008.  Expansive, rich, authoritative and elegant, with impressive texture and length as well as sweet tannin, it will be even better in 3-4 years, and should last for 15+."

The 2008 La Castellana Super Tuscan Blend received a similar outstanding review and a 90 point score.  He wrote, "The 2008 La Castellana (71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 14% Sangiovese) is a supple-textured, dense plum/ruby/purple-tinged wine offering notes of high class, unsmoked tobacco, sweet cherries, black currants, earth and spice.  Medium to full-bodied, silky textured, complex and already delicious, it is ideal for drinking over the next 7-8 years."

Looking to the future, we submitted a barrel sample of 2009 Il Barone and 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley knowing full well these wines would not be receiving a score.  Nonetheless, we were interested in what Mr. Parker thought about some of our best barrels of wine as selected by Dario Sattui, Brooks Painter, Winemaker; Assistant Winemaker, Peter Velleno, and President, Georg Salzner.  Knowing the importance of his recent commentary, we are extremely excited about wines that will be not released in for another 2-3 years.  Parker stated,"Barrel samples of the 2009 Il Barone and 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley revealed well-endowed, deeply colored wines with sweet tannins.  They both possessed all the components needed to be as good as their 2008 and 2007 counterparts, but it's too early to pass judgment." 

2007 La Castellana and Il Barone, available for purchase in the tasting room or on our website. 

While the 2008 wines are not yet released, we are pleased to offer the 2007 Il Barone, 94 points, and La Castellana, 92 points in the Il Passito Room, our reserve wine tasting and wine club member room.  Situated above the Courtyard, the Il Passito Room offers comfortable leather seating in which to enjoy our award-winning wines.

It was good times for friends and family at Castello di Amorosa as Amici del Barone Wine Club members and their invited guests enjoyed some good old fashioned Holiday Season cheer.  

After traveling through the stunning Napa Valley, guests were greeted in the Castello's frescoe-adorned Great Hall with a glass of elegant Castello di Amorosa Cabernet Sauvignon.

Salute!

The Royals!!!

Castello di Amorosa's, Thelma Garcia pours 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley.

The stars came out to play.  This is 2006 Il Barone Cabernet Sauvignon, a great Castle wine; it's 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and Dario Sattui's favorite wine.

The Castello's very own, Lance Selmin, a former baker felt right at home at the Outdoor Oven cooking fresh flat bread for the guests.  With garlic, rosemary and an olive oil produced from the Castello's 100 year old olive trees, this bread was a perfect pairing for the newly-released 2007 Sangiovese Napa Valley.

This is one hot oven!

The Royal Apartment was home to our finest reserve reds, La Castellana, the Super Tuscan Blend and Il Barone.

A vertical selection of Il Barone 2003 - 2008, a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

 It was their first return visit to the Castello since recently joining the Wine Club.

From the top left, Sandra Witmer, Arlene Greener, Chrystal Acker, Kelly McDonald.

Next stop, the Il Passito Reserve and Club Room.

Enjoying some elegant Napa Valley wine in the Il Passito Room.

Rene Lawrence and Frank Mesta smiling for the camera in the Il Passito Room.

Mike Ochoa, Annette Hagen brought Randy and Kristy Gresh (originally from North Dakota) to the party.

Gailyn and Neil Riley came to Castello di Amorosa and heard we about our New Year's Eve Masquerade Ball so they asked, "How can we ring in the New Year here at the Castle?"  They quickly joined the Wine Club and now they'll be here to help celebrate 2011.

Castello di Amorosa's 2008 Bien Nacido Vineyards Chardonnay Scores 92 Points with Wine Spectator

Utilizing grapes sourced from Bien Nacido Vineyards in Santa Barbara county, Castello di Amorosa Winemakers, Brooks Painter and Peter Velleno crafted an elegant Chardonnay worthy of 92 points in a recent edition of Wine Spectator.

American wine critic with particular expertise on California wines, Wine Spectator's, James Laube, commented, "A real treat in exotic Chardonnay.  Firm, rich and creamy, with a mix of tropical fruit flavors built around guava, pineapple, fig and melon.  Full-bodied, with spicy oak and a long, lingering finish.  Drink now through 2017."

The 2007 vintage of this wine was Double Gold, Best of Class in Chardonnay at the 2010 American Fine Wine Competition in Florida and besting over 50 other Chardonnay's from around the country.  Painter and Velleno will submit the 2008 vintage to Florida to defend it's well-earned title as one of the top Chardonnay's in America.

It's great paired with rich herb-roasted chicken and rich seafood dishes.  Thinking of BBQing salmon? Aged in oak and full bodied this Chardonnay made at Napa Valley winery, Castello di Amorosa, is silky and mouth-filling and our recommended pairing for the bbq salmon all year round.

Calistoga's Winter in the Wineries:

A passport provides access to world-class Calistoga wineries and great Napa Valley wines

Castello di Amorosa joins world-class Calistoga wineries for the 2010 Winter in the Wineries passport weekend held December 3, 2010 through February 6, 2011.  All you will need to participate is a Winter in the Wineries passport; they're only $50 and it will provide you access to participating wineries where you'll taste great Napa Valley wines this winter.

With a bountiful harvest now completed, our focus now turns to relaxing and enjoying the fruits of our efforts.  Make Castello di Amorosa your first stop as you taste great wines from some great wineries including Chateau Montelena, Sterling Vineyards, Bennett Lane Winery, Clos Pegase, Envy Wines, Lava Vine Winery, Madrigal Vineyards, Rios Wine Company, Summers Estate Wines, T-Vine Cellars, Twomey Cellars, Vermeil Wines and Von Strasser Winery.

Here's how it works.  Purchase your passport by calling 707-967-6274; it's one (1) passport per person required (no split tastings).  Visit each winery once during the program period.

With a variety of wineries participating, we suggest you come back often.  Enjoy the cool days of winter while you're wine tasting and treat yourself to world famous hot springs, shopping in downtown Calistoga or dining in one of the local restaurants.  That's plenty for one day so bring your family and check out the many hotels and B&B's in Calistoga.

Calistoga's Winter in the Wineries- 12/3/10 -- 2/6/11

Passports are on sale now!  Call 707-967-6274

Castello di Amorosa, Calistoga, Napa Valley, November 2010

Fall and winter in the Napa Valley is a simply spectacular.

Taste incredible wine.

Tour the Castello.

Find a hot spring.

Go for a hike.

Relax and enjoy the scenery.

The Amici Del Barone, Castello di Amorosa's Wine club gathered to celebrate the fruits of the harvest.  It is common that celebrations at the Castello often take on a life of their own and last Saturday's Festa del 'Uva was no exception. 

While the Grape Stomp Competition was the featured event of the evening, there was plenty more to see including demonstrations featuring cooperage, hand-waxing of Il Barone bottles and cork manufacturing demonstrations by Scott Webster of Portocork.  The entire Castello was open and alive with celebration.

Wine club members came from as far away as Hawaii to the Festa to eat the great food, drink great wine and stomp the heck out of some real nice Napa Valley grapes. Teams were formed with names like, FOTY, Nutmeg Alohas, Grape Nuts, Janie's Jumpers, First Crush, Oceans 11, The Grapes of Wrath, Just Juicin', The Grape Ape, The Big Squeeze, Buffalo Warriors, Purple Grape, Grape Crush, Team Squeeze-a-lot, Grape Gatsby's and Polish Power.

A picture is worth a thousand words so please enjoy the photo montage below.

The Grape Stomp Competition

First, grab as many grapes as you can and put them in huge baskets!

And then dump the Napa Valley grapes into the destemmer... carefully.

Hey, watch your head.  And turn that crank, fast.

For most it was all about stomping the grapes, and for others, well....

Stomp, stomp, stomp and keep stomping.

Smiling, stomping, laughing, smiling, stomping... I think you get it.

Some stomped so hard, they lost their shirt, so to speak.

When you're done stomping, pour the Napa Valley grape juice into a bottle.

And look out for this team; obviously, they've done this before!  Look at those beautiful faces of experience and the power in them legs!

However, the team with the most juice- the Grape Nuts pictured with Castello di Amorosa owner, Dario Sattui.

Hungry? How about some pizza from the Outdoor Oven

Shannon Kelly of Knickerbockers' catering putting the finishing touches on the pizza. http://www.knickerbockerscatering.com

Making a French Oak Barrel by Nadalie Cooperage

It takes great skill to make a French Oak barrel. http://www.nadalie.com/

And the perfect amount of heat provides the toast necessary to make great Castello di Amorosa wines.

Scott Webster of Portocork demonstrating the origin of cork. http://www.portocork.com/

The Torture Chamber -- Il Barone 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and chocolate

Castello di Amorosa's Il Barone was poured in the Torture Chamber that featured chocolate- tons of it.  It was affectionately know as "Death by Chocolate" although no one actually died

.

You see, she survived "Death by Chocolate."

One of favorite comments on the Castello di Amorosa Facebook page summarized it best:

"It was the best thing you could do, with clothes on.  My thanks to Dario and all the great staff at the castle."

Race to be the winner at the first annual Grape Stomp team trials.

Enjoy the aromas of freshly toasted French Oak!

The Castello's wood-fired outdoor oven cooks some awesome pizza served hot and paired with the Castello's Sangiovese.

The Castello in all of it's 13th century Tuscan glory!

Elegantly crafted Italian-style wine paired with gourmet food.  Let your palate guide you from one tasting to another.

For more information or for reservations, please call Chelle at 707-967-6274.

Veraison in the Vineyard:

Time to ramp up preparation for harvest

Veraison, or "the onset of ripening,"  is the time of year in the vineyards when those hard green grape berries we've been watching for weeks begin changing color and softening.  It's natures producing a beautiful display of color in the vineyard as she delicately ripens the grapes.  Once veraison sets, expect about six weeks until harvest begins.

The 2010 growing season started slightly wetter and cooler.  March and April saw significantly lower average temperatures, a trend that continued well into May.  June finished near historical averages. And in July, a pattern of onshore flows resulted in cool, foggy mornings in the Napa Valley.   Due to continued cooler weather, it looks like harvest will be slightly later than previous years.

Cabernet Sauvignon grapes at Castello di Amorosa vineyards.

Expect about six weeks until the start of Harvest of 2010.  A perfect time to enjoy Napa Valley.

Pruning the Primitivo block at Castello di Amorosa in the Napa Valley.

Bien Nacido Vineyards chosen "Vineyard of the Year" by California State Fair.

In January of 2010, Castello di Amorosa's 2007 Bien Nacido Vineyards Chardonnay was awarded Double Gold, Best of Class at the American Fine Wine Competition in Florida; it was the top Chardonnay of over 50 Chardonnay producers from around the U.S.

And now comes confirmation of the quality of the grapes that comes from this historic, vineyard-- Bien Nacido Vineyards of Santa Maria -- it won a the prestigious "California Vineyard of the Year" at this year's California State Fair.  This award recognizes a California vineyard which has consistently - over several growing seasons - produced grapes that have contributed directly to wine of superior quality and marketability within commercial sales systems and among fine wine judges. 

Congratulations Bien Nacido Vineyards.

Fog descends on Bien Nacido Vineyards near Santa Maria, California  (Photo courtesy of Bien Nacido Vineyards)

Hit Broadway Musical Cast of "Young Frankenstein, The Musical" Visits the Castello

The cast of Young Frankenstein in the tasting room at Castello di Amorosa. (Photo: Jim Sullivan)

The cast of the highly-acclaimed, hit Broadway Musical, "The New Mel Brooks Musical: Young Frankenstein, The Musical," were in the Napa Valley and dropped by the Castello recently for a tour and tasting during one of their rare days off.  Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, Elizabeth, Inga, The Monster, Frau Blucher, Inspector Kemp, Igor, Villagers and Ensemble- they were all here and in rare form.

Based on Mel Brooks comedy masterpiece, the story follows bright, young Dr. Frankenstein (that's Dr. Fronkensteen) as he attempts to complete his grandfather's masterwork and bring a corpse to life. (Now I see why we spent so much time in the Castello's Torture Chamber!) Together with his oddly-shaped and endearing helper Igor (that's Eye-gor), his curvaceous lab assistant, Inga and in spite of his incredibly self-involved madcap fianc, Elizabeth, Frankenstein succeeds in creating a monster-- but not without scary, and quite often hilarious complications.

There were no scary complications, no real monsters and, heavens, no corpse when they toured here.  Just plenty of comedy.  And I mean plenty.

Click on the link below to purchase ticket to the show and watch the video which includes Mel Brooks.

To purchase ticket and view the video

Let the games begin.  The Midsummer Festival at Lake Mario.

Jousting, falconry, archery, bocce and wine at the Midsummer Festival.

Merrymaking in the Castello's Courtyard where the games continue and...

... the feast begins.  Seating is available at this premiere Castello di Amorosa

Amici del Barone wine-club event.  Not a wine club member?  Not a problem.

Come to the event and sign up for the club on the spot.

Headlining this year's events at Castello di Amorosa include International stars Jean- Yves Thibaudet, Nina Katova; jazz-pop prodigy Nikki Yanofsky, Francesco Demuro and conductor, Omer Wellber.  Also appearing is actress, singer and dancer, Rita Moreno.  A recipient of the National Medal for the Arts, and an Oscar, Emmy Grammy and Tony award winner, Moreno opens the program with a special reading.  The Festival runs July 16 through July 25 at other venues around the Napa Valley.

Jean Yves Thibaudet and Nina Katova (below) will join the Rossetti String

Quartet for chamber music on July 20. (Photo credit: FdS website)

Cellist, Nina Kotova (Photo credit: FdS website)

Jazz-pop prodigy, Nikki Yanofsky performs at

Castello di Amorosa on July 21. (Photo Credit: FdS Website)

On July 22, tenor Francesco Demuro (not pictured) and cellist Nina Katova headline a

concert with the Russian National Orchestra (pictured above)

Rene Fleming performs at the 2009 Festival del Sole in Castello di Amorosa's revered Courtyard. (Photo: Vi Bottaro)

"Festival del Sole is a great event." said Dario Sattui.  "The Castle is a perfect backdrop to the immense talent performing throughout this great international summer music festival.  This year is no exception.  Once again, the lineup of international stars is incredible."

All performances take place in the Castle's outdoor Courtyard built with handmade, antique European bricks.  It provides an ideal acoustical venue for world-class music.

Festival director, Richard Walker says, "Five years ago we set out to create a festival combining the best in music, art, food and wine.  And we have done just that.  Today Napa Valley Festival del Sole has become one of the country's leading music festivals."

The schedule at Castello di Amorosa is as follows:

Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Nina Kotova join the Rossetti String Quartet for chamber music on July 20.  Renowned for its sophisticated, sensual sound, the Rossetti String Quartet is a frequent collaborator of the virtuoso French pianist.

Jazz-Pop prodigy Nikki Yanofsky performs at the Castello on July 21.  The 16-year old sensation who recently sang Canada's national anthem at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics, is also poised to release her first studio album.

On July 22, tentor Francesco Demuro and cellist Nina Kotova headline a concert with the Russian National Orchestra under the baton of Omer Wellber at Castello di Amorosa.  Also appearing is actress, singer and dancer Rita Moreno.  A recipient of the National  Medal for the Arts, and an Emmy, Oscar, Grammy and Tony award winner, Moreno opens with a special reading from Master Class , Terrence McNally's award-winning play based on the life of Maria Callas.

The ten-day schedule for Napa Valley's world-class Festival del Sole is packed with events for every taste and budget --- from classical music to tango and jazz, from exclusive gourmet meals to free family-friendly concerts, from wellness programs and art exhibitions to wine tastings and after-parties, and a first-ever croquet match between artists and vintners.

Festival del Sole operates under the umbrella of Festival Association Napa Valley, a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization.

For tickets and Festival Packages, please call 888-337-6272.

The Midsummer Festival

June 26, 2010

6:15 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

You won't want to miss the most popular Wine Club event of the year. 

We are clearing a path just for you.  Call 707-967-6274 for more details.

Spring is in the air at Castello di Amorosa. 

New sheep, ducks, frogs and coming soon,

new baby chickens.

Juliette and her new lamb, Bella enjoying a moment on the grounds.

 Mallard and her baby ducks in the Castello's Moat!

Mr. Frog in the Moat.  He needs a name, any suggestions!

Spring has arrived in the Napa Valley.  Make your plans to come up today.  We'd love to see you!!

Castello di Amorosa receives the "Reader's Choice" award for "Best Wine Tasting Room"

The readers of the North Bay Bohemian selected Castello di Amorosa as the best wine tasting room in the Napa Valley.

Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Gary Stoffers entertains guests in

Dario Sattui's Castello di Amorosa. Built over a 15 year period, the tasting 

room is replete with Roman cross-vaults made with European bricks that are

are centuries old. Bring a friend, enjoy the wines, shop in the retail room

and relax in the one of the best tasting rooms in the Napa Valley.

In many parts of the country, winter is still hanging around, but not in the Napa Valley and certainly not at Castello di Amorosa's vineyards where budbreak, the first emergence of shoots that will ultimately bear fruit, occurred earlier this week.  Sangiovese showed it's buds first; Primitivo, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon vines will budbreak next. Budbreak occurs when the vines wake from their winter dormancy and begin to show signs of life.  Water drawn up through the extensive root system appears on the cuts made by pruning. This is followed by the emergence of tiny buds. Leaves eventually unfold- a fresh start to a new growing season.

Working in the vineyard is a labor of love.  Pictured below is Mario Martinez, Vineyard Crew Leader.  His gentle hands prepare the Primitivo vines for the growing season.

  Strong hands, gentle touch.

 Budbreak in the Sangiovese vineyard.

Mario Martinez tends to the Primitivo vines.

A Medieval Evening at Castello di Amorosa

-- A Wine Club Member Only Event --

Enjoy an evening of great jollification, feasting and merrymaking at the Il Banchetto Medioevale -- a Medieval Banquet.

Join us as Castello di Amorosa, Dario Sattui's 13th century Tuscan-style castle steps back in time on April 24, 2010 for a spectacular evening of food, music and wine.  Come view the latest 13th century dances after you've indulged in a  unique, VIP tasting of our newest-released wines.  Feast in the Castello's Italian Frescoe-adorned Great Hall as you are serenaded with wonderous, live medieval music and entertainers.

This is an event you won't want to miss, but you need to be in the wine club to attend.  To join the club or for more information, please call Chelle at 707-967-6274.

The band, All Star Weekend , released their first music video and single, A Different Side of Me.  The video which premiered on the Disney Channel on February 21, 2010 was shot on location at Castello di Amorosa.  On a cold winter day in the Napa Valley, the young Hollywood Records quartet displayed talent, charm and endless enthusiasm needed to take them to the top!

That's Zach on vocals and guitar; Nathan (the superhero) playing guitar and vocals; Cameron on bass and  Michael on drums. 

The Napa Valley, a premiere wine-region with world-class wines, is a beautiful place; a great place to take visitors.

We are were humbled when we heard that Castello di Amorosa was honored with the distinction of "2010 Best Place to Take Visitors" in the Best of Napa & Sonoma Valleys magazine-presented by 1440 KVON & 99.3 THE VINE.

With voting conducted by ballot and online, Castello di Amorosa, Dario Sattui's 13th century Tuscan-style castle and winery, joins a select group of establishments considered by locals as the best place to eat, drink and stay in the Napa Valley.

Robert Parker, a leading U.S. wine critic with international influence can literally make or break wineries with his judgments.  He was in the Napa Valley at the invitation of the Napa Valley Vintners Association and posted the following in his newsletter, The Wine Advocate.

2007 Reserve Il Barone 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Robert Parker score: 94

"The brilliant 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Il Barone boasts an opaque purple color as well as a beautiful sweet nose of blackberries, black currants, camphor, subtle toasty oak, and espresso roast. Rich and full-bodied with sweet tannin, a hint of smoked meats, deep fruit, and an impeccable balance, purity and texture, this stunning wine should drink nicely for 15-20 years."

2007 La Castellana Super Tuscan

Robert Parker score: 92

"The 2007 La Castellana is a proprietary blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 6% Sangiovese.  An outstanding, hedonistic, complex red, it reveals notes of wild strawberries, new saddle leather, black currants, cherries, cedar, and smoked herbs. Full-bodied, lush, and seductive, this beautifully mouthfilling, supple wine should be enjoyed over the next 7-10 years."

Castello di Amorosa wines are sold only at the winery, directly to the consumer. The 2007 vintages Il Barone and La Castellena Super Tuscan will be released in 2012.

Dario Sattui's Castello di Amorosa, a 13th century Tuscan-style castle and winery, provided an intimate backdrop on ABC's14th edition of The Bachelor.  This season's The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love Stars the handsome commercial pilot from Dallas-and fan favorite-Jake Pavelka.  Tune into ABC on Monday, February 8, 2010 at 8 pm Eastern and Pacific/7 pm Central to see scenes from Jake's date at Castello di Amorosa which aired on February 1, 2010. Watch the full episode at www.abc.go.com.

After a series of romantic and adventurous dates, Jake Pavelka's search for love led him and some lovely ladies to the Napa Valley and Castello di Amorosa, the "Castle of Love."  At 121,000 square feet and with four levels of wine cellars and caves below ground, Jake Pavelka and his dates searched for love in one of the most unique venues in America.

The Bachelor is a primetime reality series, where one lucky man is offered the chance to find true love.  The Bachelor embarks on a romantic journey, getting to know a bevy of beautiful bachelorettes and gradually narrowing the field to the one woman to whom he may propose marriage in the dramatic season finale. Hosted by Chris Harrison, The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love is produced by Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television.

Waiting for more La Fantasia?  Well, the wait is finally over; La Fantasia is back in the tasting room and we're so excited we're throwing a party.  Wine club members and up to five of their guests are invited to Castello di Amorosa for a complimentary tasting of our wines including, the super-popular and now, "just released," Fantasia.  It's at TheCastello (also our Twitter handle) Sunday, January 31, 2010 from 11:00 a.m. 'till 4:00 p.m.

Castello di Amorosa's La Fantasia is an Italian soft-style wine which is lower in alcohol, naturally sweet and refreshing with bright aromas of cherry, exotic flowers and wild berries.  It sells out every year, so come by the tasting room to place your order.

The view from the north tower at Castello di Amorosa looking at snow on the Vaca Range. This is the Napa Valley- an officially recognized American Viticultural Area or AVA.  The actual Napa Valley floor is 5 miles wide and 30 miles long.  The Napa Valley currently contains 15 recognized sub or "nested" AVA's.

Castello di Amorosa's 30 acre vineyard of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese and Primitivo is in the Diamond Mountain District AVA.  Covering 5,000 acres in the Mayacamas Mountains on the northeast side of the Napa Valley, this region has over 500 acres under vine. The cool fog that influences the valley floor is not a factor here due to our up-valley location and higher elevation vineyard. Lack of topsoil, porous volcanic soil and extended exposure to the sun are reasons why world-class wines, Cabernet Sauvignon in particular, are described as bold and powerful with chewy textures and firm tannins.  

Castello di Amorosa's 2006 Merlot was recently judged the best Merlot in a blind taste test sponsored by the Napa Valley Vintners Association and the St. Helena Star.

Judged by veteran Napa Valley winemakers, the Castello's Merlot was the least expensive of the five finalists. 

Here's the link to the St. Helena Star article:

http://sthelenastar.com/articles/2009/12/07/business/local/doc4b170819e12bf105329273.txt

The following is an excerpt from the article:

"Castello di Amorosa Napa Valley Merlot 2006 ($34) is a bowl of ripe cherries, currants, raspberry and dark plum with dusty tannins.  Crafted by winemaker Brooks Painter, this wine is 100% Merlot.  Visiting the incredible castle, between Calistoga and St. Helena on Highway 29, would be a fun way to share the holiday with friends and family.  While there won't be sleigh rides in the snow, Castello di Amorosa has horse-drawn carriage rides through the vineyards."

Visit Castello di Amorosa to taste the award-winning Merlot.  Our wines are only available at the Castello or online.