Castello di Amorosa is the realization of an all-consuming passion. Fourth generation winemaker Dario Sattui built an authentically styled 13th century Tuscan castle winery to honor his Italian heritage and deep love for medieval architecture.
In my mind, everything had to be authentic, or it wouldn’t be worth the effort. Faking it in any way might be all right for others, but I would know the difference, making it a failed attempt to explore my passion for medieval architecture. You simply can’t build an ‘old structure’ using modern techniques and tools. It would look fake, and everyone would realize it’s an imitation. Rather, we were going to build the structure – within the limits of the current building code – using the same techniques medieval builders had relied on eight hundred years ago.
But it all started with wine.
Dario is the great grandson of pioneering vintner 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 was always fascinated by the stories and photos of the old winery. As a child, he would play in the winery's underground cellars and dream of reviving the family business.
Castello di Amorosa produces classically structured Italian-style wines that reflect California's unique climate, soil, and growing conditions.
Our philosophy is to make elegant, intensely flavored, and well-balanced wines that showcase the "terroir" of each unique vineyard site. In this way, we can experience the flavor and aromas of the vineyard itself.
We are committed to using traditional approaches to the craft of winegrowing and winemaking, but also incorporate modern techniques and equipment when it improves quality.