Castello di Amorosa, Calistoga

I'm so glad we came here during our tour of the vineyards. This place came highly rated when we were researching our winery tour. I can see why given that it feels like you're walking in Tuscany instead of California. Lovers of architecture would have a grand time here as there are many things to see! We paid for guided tour of the castle and reserve wine tasting. We specifically chose the earliest tour to avoid the rush and were glad we did. The tour was very educational and ends with wine tasting. We tried many different kind of wines and went home with some dessert wine! Love the taste of the late harvest as it tastes very honey-like.

This is a great wine venue. I'm actually rating my visit last summer (2017) before the fires hit the area. I did the full tour and tasting and loved it. Even though the castle is relatively new construction, it's quite beautiful and appears much older than it really is. Our tour guide was excellent and our tasting was expert. I'm not a true wine connoisseur but I know what I like, and I liked every wine we tasted. I was there on a weekday and missed the crowds. That makes the visit much more enjoyable.

My two boys, ages 14 and 10, and I stopped here on a recommendation from a friend. I'm SO glad we did! We came on a Tuesday around 3pm. Once I saw 'armory' and 'torture chamber' on the Guided Tour, I knew I needed to upgrade! We had Tommas (I believe that was his name), an Italian, as our tour guide. He was wonderful! The group we ended up with was fun. The castle is amazing! Despite it being built with influences from several different centuries, you really do feel like you're in a Medieval castle! I kept having to remind myself that it was completed the same year my little guy was born. My boys enjoyed the tour as well. The 'wine' part wasn't so boring that their attention waned. They, of course, loved the armory and torture chamber. They also loved the architecture of the castle - all the different materials used, the paintings, the furnishings, the details. The tasting at the end was wonderful. Our tour guide had my boys taste the grape juice. Seriously, I had no idea grape juice could taste so delicious! We loved it and I ended up taking a case home. I do wish that we would have looked around more. I believe we could have wandered more after the private wine/juice tasting, but I didn't consider it before we paid and then we were out of the castle and, for us, it was too late. Wonderful place! Not crowded at all on a Tuesday afternoon. I'd highly recommend it to anyone - wine lover or not.

We were a group of 4 and we made a reservation for a tour around the castle, including wine tasting at the end. We had very high expectations before visiting, given all the positive comments and our friends' recommendations. The experience turned out to be OK, but not *that* impressive. First of all, the castle is actually a modern construction in the 2000s, although it looks old. Those who like "real" history may be disappointed. As one who lived in Europe for 5 years, I didn't find it particularly exciting. The tour was well organized and in general very informative. I'd love it more if the guide could spend more time on the basics of wines and wine tasting, instead of boasting about why their wines are worth buying. Lastly, the tasting session was a bit rushed. We couldn't hear the guide clearly as there were a bit too many visitors and the guide could barely handle everyone. I could have learned much more about these wines if the guide could spare more attention to us. Overall I think it's a OK place to visit, especially for those who haven't been to Europe very often. Otherwise, it may be a better idea to skip the tour and just do wine tasting.

Great start to the day in Napa. Did the 1030 am guided tour with Thomas. He was funny and informative. We kept a good pace with about eleven people in our group. The tour was exactly 2 hours which was more than enough time. We stopped at the courtyard, hall, tasting room, cellar, torture chamber, armory, and Ava room. The tasting room we did the gold ticket nice array of different styles. Tasted several reds some reserve and sweet. Sweet is my favorite. I took home a bottle of the Fantasia. Will be back