A Fabulous Afternoon Wine Tasting at Castello di Amorosa in Napa Valley

Calistoga, California

Beginning the day with a light lunch in the town of Calistoga, California in Napa Valley was a great start to the day! We cruised through their main street, filled with shops and eateries.

Actually, every corner had a different style of building. Each block had a variety of shops and tasting rooms in addition to choices of food. We had limited time to explore the town thoroughly as we had reservations but rest assured future trips will certainly make time for exploration in this truly cute destination.

Palisades Eatery in Calistoga

We chose Palisades Eatery since it offered a nice variety of options. Our little crew had numerous preferences from light fare to the devout meat eaters. The manager displayed an incredible sense of humor as one of crew loves to chat up anyone in his line of sight. Now, importantly, everything was delicious and the freshness reflected their local, farm to table ingredients approach.

I particularly enjoyed eating outside under umbrellas on a sunny day. After being cooped up for the winter and post COVID restrictions, it was good for the soul!

Click here or click the logo for their website which provides their menu and their history.

Do you want a unique experience that takes you to Tuscany via a castle? On our first trip following the COVID lockdowns, we visited close friends who knew the Napa Valley area well. Our only request was a wine tasting experience where we could catch up and spend time together. Beyond just being amazing hosts, they are full of life and chose Castello di Amorosa with the fun factor in mind.

This winery is a Tuscan inspired landscape with a castle built with imported materials from Italy. The winery is complete with beautiful halls and turrets, courtyards, and murals all surrounded by vineyards. There are even dungeons but they were still closed during our visit.

I was expecting a rather cheesy version of a Tuscan inspired castle but I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of materials brought in from Italy to create this winery in Napa. It felt authentic albeit on a smaller scale than something you might find in Italy.

So on to the good stuff! Wine tasting is an experience that can be totally fun, especially as a small group or on an afternoon date. We were lucky to have members bring us along for a VIP experience but our host really showcased the wine, was well-versed on every single option and the history. He really made our day truly enjoyable.

In different California wineries, wine tasting is handled in a multitude of ways. Especially with COVID, there are now even more variations. My husband was lucky to have his first experience in Napa, at a castle, on a VIP experience pass with close friends. As a result, it was certainly something special. He may not realize that yet, but he will someday.

Most memberships at wineries include at least three bottles shipped to you a few times a year, usually quarterly. Each shipment is based on your preferences. Whether you like the reds, sparkling or sweet, a winery will usually offer families of wines like reds or Chardonnay for example. Many will also a variety option, which would include one of each category.

There is not generally, a membership fee. They are selling you their wine at a discount, shipped directly to your door. You will receive information about special vintages or bottles, perhaps limited varieties available only to members.

Since many wineries have gift shops filled with wine related items or have hotels, spas and restaurants you also get a heads up on special events and sales.

After a long afternoon of “catching up” with old friends and feel quite filled with warmth from friends, and wine of course, my husband actually opted to take home his favorites of the day!

Yes, I almost fell over in utter shock. He is notorious for not being much of a drinker, even rarely beer or mixed drinks. He got it out of his system in his younger days. Today, however, he really enjoyed the location, his host and especially the selection of wines.

So what did he take home? We took back to San Diego the Vermentino Chardonnay for our daughter and a few family members. For himself, La Fantasia was the hands down winner, picture in the darker pink bottle, Moscato il Raggio del Sole, Simpatico, and finally his second favorite, a late harvest Gewurztraminer.

For myself, I did a little early Christmas shopping at their gift shop. With a collection of infused grapeseed oils, candles and other goodies, I should be able to stay off the naughty list this year!