Fourth generation winemaker Dario Sattui built an authentically styled 14th century Tuscan castle winery to honor his Italian heritage and deep love for medieval architecture.
But it all started with wine.
Dario is the great grandson of Vittorio Sattui, an Italian immigrant who founded St. Helena Wine Cellars in 1885. The Sattui family lived at the winery, even after Prohibition closed the business in 1920.
Dario returned to the U.S. in 1972, with plans to re-open the family winery that had been dormant for more than 50 years. In 1975, he launched V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena.
He spent the next two decades searching for a dream property in the Napa Valley. In 1993, he finally found the ideal parcel — 171 acres of beautiful forest and hills.
Dario began construction of Castello di Amorosa winery in 1994. He first intended to build an 8,500 square foot building without cellars. But gradually the project morphed into a 14th century Tuscan castle spanning 121,000 square feet (three acres) with 107 rooms, four underground levels, and four above-ground levels. It took more than 8,000 tons of hand-chiseled local stone and nearly one million antique bricks imported from Europe to complete the castle. More than 200 containers of old materials and furnishings were shipped over from Europe to decorate the interior. The construction took 15 years and opened to the public on April 7, 2007.
Today, Castello di Amorosa is considered an architectural masterpiece with all the elements of an authentic medieval castle: a moat, drawbridge, five towers, high defensive ramparts, courtyards and loggias, a chapel, stables, an armory, and even a torture chamber. 107 rooms in total, no rooms alike. Containing some of the most beautiful vaulted wine cellars in the world, Castello di Amorosa has fulfilled Dario’s dream of producing superior quality wines with the same love and attention to detail that went into building his castle.
Castello di Amorosa produces classically structured Italian-style winesthat reflect California’s unique climate, soil, and growing conditions.
Castello di Amorosa is recognized the world over for our quality wines, heartfelt hospitality, and stunning location.
We enjoyed a great tour and wine tasting!
