Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/299622
castello Di amorosa s u m m e r 2 0 1 4 | g o i n g p l a c e s 31 farmers, people who are just as passionate about growing the products as I am about cooking them." And the by-products of all those meals? More than a third of what can't be recycled is diverted from landfill through the train's organic waste program, with a local company collecting food scraps twice a week to turn them into compost. MacDonald is also involved in community outreach through the train and received his second Hands Across the Valley Award in 2012 for providing 4,000 meals to those in need, including the homeless and senior citizens. D isembarking near Calistoga 30 km later, I and a dozen other passengers then board a motorcoach for the train's newest winery excursion. The Castle Winery Tour visits Cas- tello di Amorosa, built in 13th-cen- tury Tuscan style and surrounded by estate vineyards and mature olive trees. Wine educator and tour guide Joe Kunchick greets us in front of the moat and leads us up the stairs, over the drawbridge and into the chapel, where we take shelter from the sun and learn about the castle's history. I'm fascinated to hear about the lengths that owner and fourth-generation winemaker Dario Sattui went to when he built his 121,000-square-foot castle, which took nearly 15 years to complete before opening in 2007. Everything from the fi ve defensive towers and four underground levels to the sprawling courtyard was constructed just as it would have been hundreds of years ago. Many of the building materials were salvaged from Sattui's travels to castle ruins across Europe. "Dario brought in 225 shipping containers with bricks, roofing tiles, flooring tiles and timbers," says Kunchick. "If anything in the castle wasn't built from original materials, they used the same tools they would have used 500 to 800 years ago to build them with." For example, skilled artisans from Italy taught local labourers how to square some 8,000 tons of imported stone with hammer and chisel, each piece taking two hours. It's easy to picture myself somewhere in ancient Europe as I walk by these hand-hewn surfaces. Still, the Great Hall impresses me most, with its vivid, hand-painted frescoes, detailed coff ered ceilings and 567-year-old fi replace. " e fi re- place actually pre-dates Christopher Columbus," says Kunchick. "It's from the year 1447. Dario found it in Tuscany and brought it over." Sattui also imported artifacts to adorn the Torture Chamber. "This is a rack," explains Kunchick. "It's about 325 years old." He points at other objects around the room. "Swords for executions, flogging instruments, shackles. The Iron Maiden is about 400 years old. I believe Dario found it in a castle in Northern Germany." I shudder and happily move onto lighter subject matter when we step outside and look down at some of the castle's animal inhabit- ants in the garden below. "Did you guys meet our cats today?" asks Kunchick. "We have two: one is Lady Guinevere, and the big orange one is Sir Lancelot. ey're the pest control for the castle." We're also introduced to Giacomo, the goat, and a sheep by the name of Juliette. Gesturing beyond, Kunchick says: "Our cabernet vineyards are on the top of the knoll over here. Some of the most sought after, some of the most expensive grapes in the world are here in the Diamond Mountain dis- trict." He adds that only 12 hectares have been planted on the 69-hectare property, then leads us downstairs to one of 25 tasting rooms. Of course, I opt for the upgraded reserve tasting so I can try the crème de la crème of the castle's award-winning Italian-style wines: the 2011 Bien Nacido Chardonnay, Best of Class winner at the 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition; and the 2009 Il Passito, which won the 2012 American Fine Wine Competition in Boca Raton. Big, smooth and robust, they don't disappoint. I head back to the station via motorcoach along the Silverado Trail, which traces the east- ern side of the valley, off ering even more views of Napa's vineyards and wineries. Gazing out the window, I take in every last bit of this jour- ney – already hungry for my next adventure to this radiant and abundant place. winetrain.com, castellodiamorosa.com GP Exclusive Travel Tips from CAA City of Love. "While you're in the area, tag on a couple of days in San Francisco to see some iconic sites, like the golden gate Bridge or Fisherman's Wharf. and don't forget to ride one of the historic cable cars." –Rosemarie herscovitch, Caa Travel Consultant Visit Rosemarie at our McPhillips service Centre or call 204-262-6200 for more travel tips. The Castle Winery Tour explores Castello di Amorosa, built in 13th-century Tuscan style; (left) a 567-year-old fi replace from Tuscany anchors the Great Hall. p26-31NapaValleyWine.indd 31 14-04-10 2:25 PM