Entering This Hidden Northern California Castle Will Make You Feel Like You’re In A Fairy Tale
How many of us love stories about knights riding stallions and kings and queens ruling a kingdom or princesses in stone towers? We enjoy fairy tales and wish like anything that life were like a Disney movie. If only we could step inside a real castle and live happily ever after. Would you believe me if I told you there’s a castle you can actually enjoy and it’s smack dab in Northern California?
Castello di Amorosa is part medieval castle and part winery. Open since 2007, it was built on a foundation of love between a grandson and grandfather.
Grandson Dario Sattui is a 4th generation vintner and also owns and operates the V. Sattui Winery (named after his great-grandfather). It was this grandfather who left Italy and came to America and opened a winery in San Francisco in 1885.
The courtyard is the location for corporate events. While you can't get married here, you are able to be your gal's Prince Charming and pop the question...more on that later.
The stonework, woodwork and iron are incredible to see. Would you believe over 8,000 tons of local stone and paving stones, terra cotta tiles for the roof, along with 850,000 bricks imported from Europe were used? Gorgeous!
You can tour a torture chamber with a guide. There are replicated torture devices to peruse, but the Iron Maiden is authentic. Purchased for $13,000 in Pieza, Italy, it's over 300 years old.
A Tuscan style castle sits in a vineyard. What a backdrop, along with the closest some of us will ever get to visiting Italy. Vintners in Napa have been known to pay homage to their homeland by the styles of the buildings on their acreages. This is such a precious tribute to family.
They produce around 8,000 cases of wine a year. 17 Italian-style wines, including Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Super Tuscan Blends and dessert wines.
There’s nothing like a good old fashioned fairy tale. If you aren’t coming here to go wine-tasting or to propose, then take your kids for a castle tour to experience 12th century medieval times like no other!
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Joanne is a fourth-generation Northern Californian. She knows good sour dough bread when she tastes it and understands the best parts of the Golden State are nowhere near Los Angeles.