For most tourists, a planned trip to California conjures up images of Hollywood boulevard, Disneyland, Universal Studios, Silicon Valley and the sprawling, dreamy cities of LA and SFO. For the wine-lover though, Napa Valley’s vineyards have a unique appeal.

Napa Valley’s 150-year history of wine-making makes it a relatively young terroir compared to the haloed regions of Europe where Enology has been practiced for millennia. But, Viticulture has quickly taken root in Napa and the surrounding counties, and more varied and complex wines have been produced in addition to the region’s famous Zinfandels and Cabernet Sauvignons.

My travel plan to Napa was going to be short and so I had to be rather reluctantly choosy with the vineyard I was going to visit. With about 600 wineries at the famous Napa and Sonoma Valley vying for attention with interesting tours, tastings and pairings, picking out a handful is in itself a tough task. Advisers were aplenty. The popular labels were among the top for tastings. For a more engrossing winemaking rendezvous, the boutique wineries with smaller tour groups were the ones that are often recommended.

And then there was one, which everyone agreed was a must-go. For its wines, well, maybe, but a thumping yes, for its sheer whimsical beauty. A vineyard, a medieval castle and some serious wines in its cellars sounded like the perfect combination. Ah, the famous American ability to package an experience. I am from New York, a city that revels in this talent.

I hopped over to LA and then drove up to Napa. My proverbial jaw-dropping moment came when I was on the driveway that led to the splendid castle. I had heard and read about the medieval European castle recreated in the heart of California’s wine county. But standing in front of the grand façade of Castello di Amorosa or the Castle of Love, I knew I had chosen well.

The 13{+t}{+h} century inspired Tuscan-style castle complete with secret passage ways, a draw bridge and stony towers was built merely five years ago, and is the home for some delectable hand-crafted Italian style wines.

Dungeons and chambers

Spectacularly designed by Dario Sattui, the owner himself, along with Lars Nimskov, Castello di Amorosa has two beautiful tales to share. One, the exciting story of its creation – starting from the 1,000 pound hand-hewn doors shipped from Italy, along with 170 containers of handmade antique bricks and tiles from Europe. The hand-painted frescoes that adorn the coffered ceiling of the Great Hall, inspired by Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s Buon Governo. Of course, I can’t miss mentioning the eerily well-packaged, spooky torture chamber. There are many other nuggets that you learn along the way through the maze of towers, courtyards, drawbridges and secret passages.

The second part of the exploration leads me to how this seemingly medieval castle doubles up as a boutique winery with elegant spaces carved for winemaking, storing and entertaining. I was fortunate to have wine expert Stephen Koetzner at hand to guide me through the vineyard’s stocks. While he walked us through the highlights of the 1,21,000 sq feet property I learnt about Napa Valley’s topography, the winemaking process and how their wines were crafted in Italian handmade state-of-the-art triple-jacketed fermentation tanks. What won me over was the delicious, unlabelled red wine I tasted right out of the barrel in the 12,000 sq ft Grand Barrel Room, a vintage that will be revealed and released only a few years from now!

Tasting some specials

Castello di Amorosa lays out quite a spread for its wine tour guests with options of upgrading to a Beligian chocolate pairing session and a Reserve wines tasting. I started the tasting with some white and rose wines: 2011 Anderson Valley Pinot Grigio, 2010 Napa Valley Chardonnay, 2011 Los Carneros Pinot Bianco, 2011 Anderson Valley ‘Dry’ Gewürztraminer and 2010 ‘Gioia’ Rosato di Sangiovese. These were followed with the Napa specialties, the 2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and 2009 Napa Valley Merlot.

The Reserves, however, deserve a special mention. The 2009 Il Barone was an exceptionally flavourful Cabernet Sauvignon. Intense and lush, the wine exhibited abundant aromas of licorice, black currants and cherries. Pairing it with dark chocolate brought out a burst of delightful notes. Another favourite was the award winning 2009 Il Passito. Deep, yellow-gold hued, with a bouquet of honey, sweet vanilla, apricot nectar and fragrant flowers, the wine boasts toasty notes with viscous body and a lingering sweet aftertaste. It is a perfect wine to sip post dinner along with farm cheeses and fresh fruit desserts to bring out its luscious spice.

I wrapped up the tasting session with the Italian-style sweet and sparkling, 2011 La Fantasia. Packed with flavours of black raspberry, plum and strawberry, the wine was a fitting finale. A rich mousse or cheese platter to compliment that creamy, round finish will be just right, thank you!

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