Napa Valley Castle Among Top 10 In The World: Tripadvisor List

NAPA VALLEY, CA — A castle in Napa Valley was recently recognized as one of the 10 most beautiful castles in the world by Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel platform.

Castello Di Amorosa, an authentically built Tuscan-style castle and winery situated near the Napa Valley Wine Country hamlet of Calistoga, came in at No. 9 on the list.

Here is what Tripadvisor had to say:

"Experience the idyllic countryside vibes of California at Castello di Amorosa, the youngest castle featured in this guide. In 2007, winemaker Dario Sutti completed this Napa Valley castle which was inspired by 14th-century Tuscan medieval castles. The 121,000-square-foot castle winery houses antiques from around the world and consists of eight levels in total—four above and underground respectively. With so much to uncover, join a small-group tour for an exclusive look into its Great Barrel Room, Great Hall, Chapel, and—true to its medieval influence—its very own torture chamber.

"Travelers recommend visiting during the harvest season from August through October when you can enjoy the full wine-making experience from farm to table."

The Castle Of Love: 'Truly A Labor Of Love'

In the 17 years since it opened, Castello di Amorosa has grown in popularity, both in customer visitation and online. With 5,859 reviews on Tripadvisor and a 4.5 out of 5 rating, Castello is one of the top destinations in California's wine country.

The castle's owner and creator, Dario Sattui, is a fourth-generation winemaker. He is the great-grandson of pioneering vintner Vittorio Sattui, an Italian immigrant who founded St. Helena Wine Cellars in 1885. As a child, Sattui dreamed of reviving the family winery in St. Helena where the Sattui family lived for generations, even when Prohibition closed the business in 1920.

"I built the castle to honor my Italian heritage, to create a setting in which guests could make life-long memories and relationships and to make great Italian-style wine in a unique setting," Sattui said. "It truly was my labor of love. I really put my heart and soul into it and, if the truth were to be known, I got a little carried away with this project and I am honored that we were recognized by Tripadvisor."

He kept his childhood dream alive even when he fell in love with European architecture during several trips to Italy after college and became a medieval history enthusiast. He spent several years exploring and documenting castles in Italy and throughout Europe. He didn't know then that the hours he spent sketching medieval castles, monasteries, palaces, farmhouses and wineries would one day inspire the blueprints for a visionary undertaking.

Sattui grew up in San Francisco and Fairfax in Marin County, where he attended Drake High School and then College of Marin. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree from San Jose State University and a master's from Cal Berkeley, where he graduated in 1969.

After traveling Europe for three years, Sattui returned to the United States in 1972. In 1975, he launched V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena, fulfilling his childhood dream.

In 1993, his labor of love commenced with a 15-year construction project. During this time, he created Castello di Amorosa, the Castle of Love, on a 171-acre parcel near Calistoga.

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, defensive towers with battlements, 1,000-pound hand-hewn doors from Italy, and a great hall with a 22-foot coffered, hand-painted ceiling inspired by medieval Italian frescoes.

A master visionary, Sattui created Castello di Amorosa using materials such as antique, handmade bricks and roof tiles, hand-hewn timbers, hand-forged iron gates, lamps and hardware and medieval construction techniques and over 8,000 tons of hand-chiseled local stone to create this architectural gem. Sattui designed most of the winery himself; it is not a replica of a medieval castle but rather a uniquely conceived one-of-a-kind building.

The 12,000-square-foot Grand Barrel Room features 40 Roman cross-vaults in its brick ceiling. The ironwork was hand-forged onsite by Italian artisans over open flames during the construction. Over 170 containers of handmade antique bricks, roof tiles and antique furniture were brought from Italy for the building. Additional authentic features include courtyards, a chapel, a drawbridge, a watch tower, a torture chamber and secret passageways.

The modern winery contrasts Castello. It contains advanced crushing and fermentation facilities, five underground levels and 24,000 square feet of caves for barrel aging. Winemakers Brooks Painter and Peter Velleno have a wide range of equipment available to them, from custom-designed triple-jacketed cooling fermentation tanks to concrete/ceramic eggs.

The winery owns 164 acres of estate vineyards throughout Napa Valley, Mendocino County and Sonoma County, ranging from its home estate in the Diamond Mountain District to Coombsville, Rutherford, Russian River Valley and Anderson Valley.

Castello di Amorosa sells its entire production of wine exclusively at the winery and on its website.

The castle is open 10 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. seven days a week for winery tours and wine-tasting by making a reservation online or by calling 707-967-6272.

10 Most Beautiful Castles In The World

Curious about which other castles made the Tripadvisor list? Here it is:

1. Schloss Neuschwanstein, Bavaria, Germany

2. Château de Chambord, Loire Valley, France

3. Windsor Castle, Berkshire, United Kingdom

4. Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland

5. Chapultepec Castle, Mexico City, Mexico

6. Himeji Castle, Hyogo, Japan

7. Alcázar of Segovia, Segovia, Spain

8. Prague Castle, Prague, Czech Republic

9. Castello di Amorosa, Napa Valley, United States of America

10. Osaka Castle, Osaka, Japan

Read about the castles.