Castello di Amorosa

I walked through the dungeon, weaving through the tunnels of the winery in Castella Di Amorosa's castle. The sweet scent of wine permeated the stonewalls that echoed my footsteps. The modern day transformed to another time, where knights fought with swords, ladies wore gowns, and banquet tables were covered with gluttonous feasts. Deeper I went, into the belly of the earth, as I came to a room filled with wine barrels. Here I sipped the elixir, the juice of the grape almost ready for bottling. I climbed to the tower, listening to minstrels singing in the courtyard. I looked across the golden vineyards, took in the sunlight and for a moment felt like a princess.

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Move over, Francis: For sheer grandiosity, nothing—not even Niebaum-Coppola beats Castello di Amorosa, a replica of a 12th-century southern European castle. Built entirely by hand over the course of 14 years, every detail is perfect, from the stunning secco-fresco murals painted by imported Italian artisans, to the Roman-style, cross-vault brickwork of the catacombs. There’s even a torture chamber with actual period equipment, including an impaler and an iron maiden. Owner Daryl Sattui sketched an Italian castle so extensively that he was thrown off the grounds, and as the story goes, he raised a fist and said, "I’ll show you! I’m gonna build this in America!" Such a New World thing to say, but he actually did it. The only modern details are plumbing and fire sprinklers. Tours and tastings cost $25, a worthy investment.

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