Wine Grape Juice Mocktail Recipes | Mocktails with Grape Juice
Castello di Amorosa Explores the Versatility of Wine Grape Juice in Mocktails
When we think of white wine grape juice, our minds often drift to thoughts of rich reds or crisp whites enjoyed in a glass. However, beyond its role as a standalone beverage, wine grape juice holds immense potential in the realm of mocktails, offering a flavorful and sophisticated base for non-alcoholic creations.
The Essence of Wine Grape Juice
Wine grape juice captures the essence of the grape varietals from which it is derived, carrying the same distinct flavors, aromas, and complexities found in wines. Whether it’s the boldness of Cabernet Sauvignon, the fruity notes of Chardonnay, or the floral hints of Riesling, each grape variety contributes its unique characteristics to the juice.
Brooks Painter, Director of Winemaking has been making wine grape juice with no alcohol for many years. “I have a passion for making grape juices that use the same grapes used to make our wines,” said Painter. “The making of quality grape juice that truly expresses the fruit and flavor of the grape is a challenge, and now we’ve mastered how to make these juices true to their varietal aromas and flavors,” he adds.
Peter Velleno adds that “our grape juice is made in much the same way as our wine. We harvest a few days early to provide a base of acidity. The clusters are hand-harvested and delivered to the crush pad where they are destemmed, pressed and then the juice is chilled to about 32 degrees. The big difference is that we don’t add yeast to convert the grape sugars to alcohol. We skip that step, and the result is a great alternative to wine which has surprising ageability, of up to 4 years.”
Crafting Mocktails with Wine Grape Juice
Mocktails, or non-alcoholic cocktails, have gained popularity for their ability to provide a refreshing and enjoyable drinking experience without the presence of alcohol. The Castello’s wine grape juice serves as an excellent base for mocktails due to its depth of flavor and natural sweetness. Here are a few delicious recipes created by Castello di Amorosa staff that incorporate wine grape juice into delightful mocktails: Mocktail Recipes
The Art of Mocktail Mixology
Creating mocktails with wine grape juice is not just about mixing ingredients but also about balancing flavors and textures. Consider incorporating herbs, spices, and other fruit juices to enhance the complexity of your mocktails.
Additionally, the presentation plays a significant role in elevating the drinking experience, so don’t hesitate to garnish with fresh herbs, citrus twists, or edible flowers.
Wine grape juice opens up a world of possibilities for crafting delicious and sophisticated mocktails. Whether you’re hosting a gathering, enjoying a relaxing evening, or simply seeking a flavorful non-alcoholic option, experimenting with wine grape juice in mocktails is sure to delight your taste buds and elevate your beverage repertoire. Cheers to the art of mocktail mixology!
The Castello di Amorosa Grape Juice
Imagine picking a grape cluster from the vineyard, pressing the juice, and putting it in a bottle to drink; no fermentation so there is no alcohol. The result is the delicious flavors and aromas of the individual grape varietals:
Gewurztraminer white wine grape juice:
With aromas of rose pedals and lychee nut, this stunning white wine grape juice is bursting with exotic flavors of passion fruit, pear ginger and honeysuckle. Just add some crushed mint leaves and fresh lime and you’ll think you’re drinking a Mojito! It’s a super delicious grape juice mocktail recipe…. With no alcohol.
Castello’s VGM or Virgin Gewurztraminer Mojito. A vibrant and refreshing white grape juice drink.
Sparkling Red wine grape juice:
This red wine grape juice is a wonderful expression of fruit-driven aromatics and luscious flavors of ripe watermelon and red berries. With a pleasing interplay of enticing acidity, balanced sweetness and a touch of effervescence, this grape juice can be combined with a touch of lemon juice and fresh herbs, like thyme to create an evocative red wine grape juice mocktail.
Known as the sparkler, this red grape juice mocktail has the added twist of thyme to pair with the sweetness of the grape juice. Perfectly balanced.
Muscat Canelli white wine grape juice:
Sourced from vineyards in Santa Barbara County and Solano County, this Muscat grape juice is beautifully aromatic with characteristics of exotic spices and orange blossoms. Light and refreshing on the palate, it’s bursting with stone fruit flavors like pear and nectarine.
Try this honey-laced Muscat Mingle grape juice mocktail. It’s on another level.
See all the Castello grape juice based mocktails here.
Fall in the Vineyard
Fall in the Vineyard
Fall is here. It’s an especially significant time in the wine world—the time of grapes reaching maturity and being harvested and starting their cycle of becoming wine. Leaves are changing color, there’s a coolness in the air, we start to crave heartier foods. It’s also the time when our wine palate evolves into seeking out the best fall wines.
What’s a fall wine? It’s probably red: one great example is our Il Barone. This reserve wine is typically a blend of approximately 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot. The majority of the grapes were sourced from the Rutherford AVA, known for the complexity in its terroir. Our winemakers aged this vintage for 22 months in French oak barrels. The name is a nod to our Italian heritage and the nobility, if you will, of the wines we craft. In this case, Il Barone suggests refinement and elegance as well as power and nuanced strength, all great attributes for a big, bold and delicious Cabernet Sauvignon.
Fall in the Napa Valley is one of the most magical times of the year. Here at the Castello we welcome visitors who come intentionally to enjoy the aromas of fermenting grapes and glimpses of grapes being processed on the crush pad of the castle with state-of-the-art equipment and French Oak wine barrels sourced from the center of France.
The autumn is a time when all of us look forward to sitting down to lots of food and deeply flavored foods, like roasts and rich cheeses and long-simmered stews. We offer a number of ‘fall wines’ to pair with those choices.
Because of the crispness in the air during the fall in the Napa Valley, visitors often enjoy longer visits at the Castle, making sure they’ve climbed all the stairs, surveyed the countryside beyond our moat, maybe even peeked into the torture chamber or the chapel.
All of that exertion does open up your taste buds to a range of great fall wines which are primarily our small production single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons, such as Morisoli-Borges Cabernet Sauvignon as well as traditional Italian varietals such as Sangiovese, Pinot Bianco, Vermentino and Pinot Grigio.
Fabulous fall! Come visit us during this great time of year or re-create our romantic setting at your home—light some candles, settle in by the fireplace or around an outdoor fire, open some wonderful autumn wines along with hearty food and enjoy!
The Story of Quattro
The Story of Quattro: Fortune & Fate From Four Vineyards
Quattro represents the harmonious result of a winemaker’s instinct, quick thinking, and a touch of serendipity. It all began on October 15 during the 2012 harvest, there remained a small quantity of grapes from 4 outstanding Napa Valley Cabernet vineyards, and it looked as though the fermentation vessels were already full. With limited tank space remaining, Winemaker Peter Velleno found himself in a jam. Recognizing the exceptional quality of the fruit, he made a bold decision – to ferment these precious remnants together in a single small tank.
When the time was right, just as the fermentation was nearing its completion, the winemakers gathered to taste the wine. In that moment, it became evident that an ideal blend had taken place. This prompted them to christen it “Quattro,” in honor of its origins from the 4 distinct vineyard sites across the Napa Valley.
Ever since that fateful day, no further blending has been done with this wine, preserving its unique and authentic character that arose from the different vineyards. Quattro remains a testament to the artistry of winemaking and the importance of nature’s elements.
The vineyards last utilized for this unique Cabernet are Gerlach Hammond, Perata, Rocca, and Villa Amorosa; vineyards typically used in the final blends of our Barone Cabernet Sauvignon and La Castellana Super Tuscan Blend. Quattro’s powerful, structured tannins are backed by hints of blackberry, cassis and leather. This bold Cabernet Sauvignon pairs perfectly with filet mignon.
Past Awards & Accolades
Explore our past awards and accolades for our Quattro, Cabernet Sauvignon.
♦ 94 Points – American Fine Wine Competition 2021- Gold Medal
“More than 550 wines from 125 wineries vied for top honors at this invitation only event. The Judging was conducted by a 28-member blue ribbon panel from across the wine industry, included educators, restaurateurs, retailers, journalists, and top sommeliers from across the country.”
♦ 93 Points – Owen Bargreen
“The outstanding, deeply-colored 2018 Castello di Amorosa ‘Quattro’ Cabernet Sauvignon spent 20 months in 65% new French oak before bottling. Ripe dark currants and huckleberries mark the nose, alongside wet gravel and graphite notes. The palate is soft and very seamless, creating a weightless effect. Drink 2022-2034.”
Patrick Creek Historic Lodge
Patrick Creek Historic Lodge
Nestled in the Six Rivers National Forest in Northern California, your relaxing weekend get-a-way awaits! Come stay at the Patrick Creek Historic Lodge, located minutes from the Oregon/California border on Highway 199 in Gasquet, California. Just a short drive from the Pacific Ocean, you’ll find yourself pampered by gourmet cooking, mystified by enormous Redwoods, and thrilled by the trout, salmon and steelhead fishing accessible immediately outside the Lodge doors. Located less than 100 feet away from two rivers, Patrick Creek & Smith River.
Scenic drives, fishing, hiking, biking, kayaking, swimming, relaxing, reading, nature watching, animals, fine dining and good times. Guests can enjoy rafting & kayaking, biking, swimming, fishing, hiking on the many trails, wildlife viewing, wilderness, giant Redwoods, scenic drives or relaxing in this beautiful wonderland. The tallest Redwood in the world was recently discovered only few miles away from the lodge.
Fish Salmon & Steelhead in the famous Smith River, available throughout the fall and winter. Cutthroat trout fishing is available throughout summer! The Smith River is the last wild river in California and the fifth cleanest river in the world. Its breathtaking crystal green color provides one of the best kayaking & rafting rivers in California! It offers thrills for everyone – from novice to expert. Swimming opportunities abound. Ocean fishing is only 25 miles to the west in Crescent City.
The first lodge was built in the late 1800’s and called Patrick Creek Stage Station. The present lodge was built in 1926 and became a popular stopping place for travelers. Regular patrons come from Crescent City and southern Oregon and all over the U.S. to enjoy the area. Patrick Creek Lodge serves a wonderful Sunday brunch, boasts a huge stone fireplace and log beams. It offers private cabins and caters outdoor weddings and receptions.
San Francisco to the lodge is six hours along the spectacular Hwy. 101. Portland is five hours away. Only a day trip from Reno, Yakima or Boise. Come experience Patrick Creek Historic Lodge and have a fabulous time along the way.
Snow Day
Snow Day!
A rare snowstorm hit Napa County early Friday morning! The occurrence marks only the second time it snowed at the Castle since opening in 2007. The snow made for a marvelous winter scene in the early morning hours.
Besides our animals staying in their pens for a bit longer in the morning, not much was effected at The Castle. At this time of year, snow poses no risk to our grapevines. Vines are dormant in their annual hibernation between fall’s harvest and the bud break in spring. During this time, the snow is just another form of water to the grapevine.
Napa Valley’s average elevation is just a few hundred feet above sea level, making the snow that much more of a rarity. Some wineries located in the higher elevations got up to a foot of snow. A drive through Wine Country looked more like a trip through Tahoe than wine country.
Freezing Temperatures
While there were record low temperatures posted across California. The storm caused both power outages, fallen trees, downed power lines and road closures across Napa Valley. A low temperature of 27 degrees was reached on Thursday the 23rd, turning the Napa Valley into a winter wonderland.
Chocolate Lovers Only
For The Love of Wine & Chocolate
Few Napa Valley wineries are committed to producing top quality chocolates. Our elegant assortment of chocolates is hand-crafted, made exclusively to pair with our wines. When paired correctly Wine & Chocolate can elevate your tasting experience into something miraculous.
Our Napa Valley chocolates are the perfect gift for any occasion, an easy way to elevate any Valentine’s Day or Christmas celebration.
A Match Made in Heaven
Chocolate and wine are two of life’s greatest pleasures, but pairing them can be a difficult. Both offer intense flavors and complexity, which can lead to challenges when pairing the two. Cocoa beans, like wine grapes, undergo the fermentation process in order to remove tannins and create a more complex end effect.
A successful chocolate and wine pairing is vivid; producing enhanced sensations and tastes across the palate. Often revealing hidden flavors in both wine & chocolate for the first time. When in doubt, pair chocolates and wines that have a similar style and weight. Less intensely-flavored chocolates go well with lighter-bodied wines, while chocolates with more intense flavors can stand up to fuller-bodied wines. While it might sound counterintuitive, a wine that is “sweeter” than the chocolate itself actually works quite well. These characteristics provide a nice balance to the bitter flavors of cocoa.
The texture contrast between the two can make the difference between an amazing pairing and a quickly forgettable experience. Is the chocolate silky, luscious, palate-coating, crunchy? The fruit flavors and tannins combine with chocolate to create a lush mouthfeel. The characteristics that work best for these pairings, lay in the contrasting elements of the wine & chocolate relationship.
Don’t forget to experience our chocolate & wine pairings, available during any Castello tour and tasting experience.
Our Favorite Wine & Chocolate Pairings
Milk Chocolate
Pairs well with Merlot, La Castellana, Super Tuscan Blend, Pinot Noir
Milk chocolate is usually sweeter and creamier with flavors of brown sugar, vanilla, and cream. It requires a wine that is light to medium in body, with a ripe fruit character.
Dark Chocolate
Pairs well with Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, La Fantasia, Il Passito, LH Gewürztraminer
Bitter to semi-sweet chocolates that are 50 to 100% cacao have intense, bitter flavors, and earthy to fruity undertones. The dark fruit from red wine and the fine tannins combine with dark chocolate to create a lush mouthfeel. Match the intensity of the chocolate without adding more dryness by pairing these chocolates with full-bodied wines.
White Chocolate
Pairs well with Riesling, Sweeter Rosè, Chardonnay
White chocolate, which is made with cocoa butter, sugar, and milk, has a sweet, buttery flavor with notes of honey and cream. Sweet white and rosè wines help cleanse the palate of the rich flavors from white chocolate, as does as sparkling spumante. White wines can really work great with white chocolate. Riesling or a buttery Chardonnay will complement the vanilla, caramel and honey flavors in the chocolate.
3 Piece Chocolate Box
Bring our wine & chocolate pairing experience home with our trio of chocolate truffles from Le Belge Chocolatier! Try our smooth and creamy milk chocolate truffle with our Napa Valley Merlot, our luscious dark chocolate crown truffle with our Napa Valley Cabernet or Il Barone, and our beautiful raspberry-filled heart chocolate with our La Fantasia. A favorite for any lover of wine and chocolate!
Each box contains:
- 1 red dark chocolate hearts with raspberry gelate & dark chocolate ganache
- 1 dark chocolate crowns w with dark chocolate and sea salt ganache
- 1 creamy milk chocolate truffle
6 Piece Chocolate Box
Bring our wine & chocolate pairing experience home with our chocolate truffles from Le Belge Chocolatier made exclusively for the Castello! Featuring two creamy milk chocolate truffles perfect to pair with our Napa Valley Merlot, two luscious dark chocolate crown truffles crafted to pair with our Napa Valley Cabernet or Il Barone, and two enticing raspberry-filled heart chocolate truffles that pair beautifully with our La Fantasia. A favorite for any lover of wine and chocolate!
Each box contains:
- 2 red dark chocolate hearts with raspberry gelate & dark chocolate ganache
- 2 dark chocolate crowns w with dark chocolate and sea salt ganache
- 2 creamy milk chocolate truffles
Fantasia Truffle Box
Satisfy your heart’s desire with this lovely box of 6 chocolate heart truffles from Castello di Amorosa. Each hand-crafted milk chocolate piece is filled with a smooth and silky raspberry ganache. Delicious on their own or when paired with our La Fantasia soft-sparkling rosé.
Each box contains:
- 2 red dark chocolate hearts with raspberry gelate & dark chocolate ganache
King’s Ransom Truffle Box
Tempt your taste buds with the “King’s Ransom” of chocolates, a jewel box containing 12 assorted pieces of our artisan chocolates. Your heart is in the right place when you purchase this for friends and family, but we wont hold it against you if you keep it!
Each box contains:
- 2 passion fruit cups with white chocolate truffle
- 2 dark chocolate crowns w with dark chocolate and sea salt ganache
- 2 dark chocolate shells with coconut truffle ganache
- 2 red dark chocolate hearts with raspberry gelate & dark chocolate ganache
- 2 white chocolate shells with key lime truffle ganache
- 2 milk chocolate truffle shells with vanilla milk ganache
Assorted Chocolate 4-Pack
Includes one bar each of our Dark Chocolate Sea Salt, Belgian Milk Chocolate, La Fantasia Raspberry Chocolate, and Hazelnut Almond Milk Chocolate. Produced by local Napa Valley chocolatier, Le Belge, exclusively for the Castello.
Sea Salt Dark Chocolate
Revel in the salty sweetness of our locally made dark chocolate sea salt bars. Enjoy all on its own for a taste sensation or serve with our Late Harvest Gewürztraminer or Il Passito for an unforgettable paring! Each bar is 64% dark chocolate blended with pure sea salt. The sea salt intensifies the bright acidic notes of the chocolate while highlighting its earthiness with a crunchy texture for a pairing that is simply divine. Produced by local Napa Valley chocolatier, Le Belge, exclusively for the Castello.
Pair With: Il Passito, Late Harvest Gewürztraminer
La Fantasia Rasberry Chocolate
Indulge in your wildest chocolate fantasies with our La Fantasia Raspberry Dark Chocolate bar. Artisanally made by a local chocolatier, this dark chocolate bar contains a delicate raspberry ganache inside; the perfect accompaniment for our La Fantasia soft-sparkling rosé wine.
Pair With: La Fantasia
Hazelnut Almond Milk Chocolate
Revel in the smooth & rich flavors of our locally made hazlenut-almond chocolate bars. A delicious nutty, toasted and earthy experience sure to wow your palate. Produced by local Napa Valley chocolatier, Le Belge, exclusively for the Castello.
Pair With: Late Harvest Gewürztraminer
Belgian Milk Chocolate
Artisanally made by local gourmet chocolatier, Le Belge, exclusively for the Castello. The chocolate exhibits everything you want in a silky, melty milk chocolate. Pair this with a soft red wine like our Merlot or La Castellana for a chocolate paring delight!
Pair With: Merlot, La Castellana, Super Tuscan Blend, Pinot Noir, Moscato, Simpatica
Wine & Chocolate Packs
Our hand curated wine & chocolate packs make the perfect gift for any Valentines Day or Christmas. Our Castello wines hand paired with an elegant assortment of chocolates hand-crafted by Le Belge Chocolatiers exclusively for the Castello, excellent to pair with your favorite Castello wines.
Featured Packs:
- The Fantasy Wine Pack – Our La Fantasia Wine Pack, available for a limited time featuring our fan favorite rosé, is guaranteed to make fireworks. This rosé wine pack features 3 bottles of 2020 La Fantasia, 4-Pack of authentic La Fantasia Raspberry Chocolate bars, 6 pc. Fantasia Truffle box & our Fantasia wine bottle magnet.
- Liquid Gold Wine Pack – An elegant take on excellence, our patience allows for a superior late harvest wine. When paired with our sea-salt chocolates this sweet wine comes to life like never before. The wine displays bright aromas of honey, vanilla bean, and citrus zest with rich butterscotch-caramel undertones. The rare late harvest varietal grown in the Yountville AVA of Napa Valley.
- Cabernet & Chocolate Wine Pack – Few things in this world go together like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chocolate. Explore the depths of taste and luxury with our limited time wine pack. An elegant assortment of chocolates hand-crafted by Le Belge Chocolatiers exclusively for the Castello, excellent to pair with your favorite Castello wines. Cabernet and chocolate are a match made in heaven! The chocolate mellows the tannins in the wine, but the rich Cabernet Sauvignon has enough structure to withstand the boldness of the chocolate.
Trenta
French Oak Barrels – The Inspiration
Introducing Castello di Amorosa’s newest Cabernet family addition, Trenta—a wine aged for 30 months in French Oak barrels. Grown in the best vineyards in Napa Valley, this powerful blend was aged 1 year longer than any other Castello Cabernet. This extended aging deeply integrates the oak to complement the intense black fruit profile of the wine, elevating the aroma, flavor, and texture.
The brainchild of winemaker Peter Velleno, Trenta carefully illustrates the close relationship between the wine & barrel. The 30 months provides this Cabernet blend with depths not normally seen with 18-month barrel cycles. Our winemakers chose to experiment with 30 months in French Oak barrels, which provide 1 extra year in barrels.
30 Months Aging in French Oak Barrels
Barrel aging is the step between fermentation and bottling, which matures the wine and gives it distinct flavors. Barrel aging begins after five to eight days in fermentation tanks. The juice is pressed from the skins and seeds and pumped into French Oak barrels for aging in our extensive underground cave and cellar system. This process normally takes between 6 to 18 months (shorter times for white wine, longer for red wine). Ultimately, wine is aged in barrels for flavor development, maturity, and longevity after bottling. The oxygen that slowly comes through the oak barrel helps the wine mature, and tannins develop the structure of wine over time.
Only the highest quality barrels with tight oak grains and medium-plus toast levels are used. With our Trenta wine, we always use 100% new oak. The medium toast and new oak help to retain the wine’s natural elegance and balance. The toasting level of a barrel is created by exposing the wood to flames, thus creating a char within the wood. The more that wood is exposed to the flame, the more charred the wood becomes. This greatly affects the flavors imparted to the wine. Barrel production is science as well as art.
French Oak barrels have long been preferred by us because of their subtle ability to compliment the wine without overpowering the natural flavor profiles of the fruit. When examining French oak, we find the highest tannin of the oak types. Logs sourced from the Office National des Forêts make for more expensive timber. This results in a more expensive barrel that is appreciated by winemakers for its unique flavor characteristics. We are sure that Trenta will provide all these great characteristics of high-quality French oak barrels.
Wine Profile
Trenta is made from a blend of the Castello’s top high-end Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards from the best growing regions of Napa Valley. The majority of the fruit is sourced from the Rutherford AVA, Coombsville AVA and Yountville AVA. All famed regions for producing beautifully structured complex Cabernet Sauvignon. Trenta is the only Cabernet blend that features Melanson and Don Thomas fruit, two extremely limited single vineyard wines.
Every year the blend used to make Trenta is unique. Each year before bottling, we select a few Cabernets to incorporate into a new blend that we think will improve even further with another year in barrels.
Limited Production
Each bottle of wine is 750 ml, so for each gallon of wine you have, you will be producing five bottles. If you have a large 60-gallon barrel, it holds approximately 300 bottles of wine. Meaning that we only made a few barrels worth of this wine, making it one of our most limited productions.
A wine unlike any other with luscious, velvety soft tannins and intense black cherry and currant flavors. Dense and complex with toasted oak notes that carry these fruit forward flavors throughout the finish, this well aged wine is beautifully presented now, but can easily age for years to come. The barrel also provides soft finishing touches which showcase the Cabernets deep flavor. The additional time in the barrel provides the Cabernet with rich depth and deeper complex flavors of Caramel, Light Smoke & Hazelnut.
Our 2018 Trenta is for sale now, made is extremely limited number. We are proud to present Trenta: a wine symbolic of our winemaking team, a crowning achievement.
Cooking with Team Castello
Cook with The Castello Team
Go inside the homes of the Castello team as they share their favorite recipes paired with their favorite Castello wines. Included in our cooking series is Owner Dario Sattui, President Georg Salzner, Tasting Room Legend Vincenzo Coppola and newly married couple Tommaso & Carly.
Dario & Irina
Owner Dario Sattui & Fiance Irina Yartseva share their favorite Pasta Recipe Pasta Alle Vongole. The pasta is paired with Pinot Grigio, a lively and crisp dry white wine with zesty citrus and melon aromas, bright acidity, and a refreshing, fruity finish.
Pasta Alle Vongole
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President Georg Salzner
Castello di Amorosa President, Georg Salzner shares his favorite recipe Cotoletta Alla Milanese. The Schnitzel is paired with Pinot Noir from our Morning Dew Ranch estate.
Cotoletta Alla Milanese
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Tasting Room Legend Vincenzo
Watch & follow along with tasting room legend Vincenzo, as he takes you back to his Italian roots. Vincenzo welcomes you into his home as he shows off his favorite recipe. Our outstanding Rosato, is used to pair with the squid ink pasta.
Squid Ink Pasta
Click for Vincenzo’s Wine Pack
Carly & Tomasso
Watch & follow along with Castello di Amorosa’s finest couple, newlyweds Carly & Tommaso. The new parents invite you into their kitchen to cook Italian style Rissoto.
Italian Style Rissoto
Click for Carly & Tommaso Wine Pack
Introducing The Castello Fire Team
Introducing “Cavalieri del Fuoco,”
After experiencing the devasting effects of the Glass Fire in October 2020, the team at Dario Sattui’s Castello di Amorosa vows to be ready when the next Red Flag Warning is raised in the Napa Valley. Announced today was the formation of a newly assembled fire watch team, which will provide additional defense against fires during fire season and is equipped with fire protective gear and thousands of feet of fire hose, which attach to the Castello’s 3 fire hydrants on the property.
“The Glass Fire hit our Farmhouse so fast,” said Georg Salzner, President of Castello di Amorosa. “We were on site when it struck in the early morning hours, and we did what we could but felt like we could have done more to limit the damage. We could have been more of a resource to the firefighters who were stretched thin that night,” he added.
Salzner organized a fire defense team of 8 long-term employees who know the intricacies of the Castle, its grounds and Dario Sattui’s Victorian home just outside the main Castle gates. This team is known as the “Cavalieri del Fuoco,” which means the Knights of Fire in Italian. This team will establish a fire watch and be ready to respond during Red Flag Warning conditions and will provide support for firefighters. On an ongoing basis they will establish and maintain a defensible space around all structures by removing as much threat from those structures as possible.
“It is critically important that we implement fire defensive measures now,” Salzner explained. “We’ve outfitted this team with the proper equipment. The entire perimeter of the Castello can be reached by the thousands of feet of fire hose that we purchased which will allow us to support the fire department’s efforts,” he continued.
The Cavalieri del Fuoco is led by Salzner, Tim Dexter, Maintenance Manager and Josh Fairbanks, owner of Fairbanks Mechanical (manages all mechanical systems at the Castello including the fire safety equipment). Long-time employee Carlos Perez is the official Fire Chief of the Cavalieri.
“Our main goal,” explains Tim Dexter, “is to have and maintain a defensible space of 150 feet from all structures to flammable vegetation. Smaller brush, tree trimming (branches lower to the ground) and tree clearing will be done using our newly acquired wood-chipper. This process will eliminate fire fuel sources which will prevent fires from becoming a threat. Regular gutter cleaning will take place in the summer and fall to eliminate fuel sources near roof lines. The new hoses will allow us to water down roof tops as well,” he adds.
To make the property less susceptible to fire, the Castello invested nearly $100,000 in gear for the fire defense team and equipment which includes a portable water pump that obtains water from the lake, adaptors for the existing fire hydrants, thousands of feet of high-pressure fire hose and nozzles plus custom firefighting gear for the employees.
Each hydrant can be outfitted with dual 4” hose attachments, which allow the use of 1.5” fire hoses. The fire defense team then attaches the hoses to the fire hydrant and can begin to extinguish the fire with a strong water stream which can reach distances of 150 feet.
Castello di Amorosa is one of Napa Valley’s most recognized wineries and welcomes visitors by appointment seven days a week.
Glass Fire Part I
Read Part 1 of our Glass Fire Blog, featuring a message from Dario Sattui.
Glass Fire Part II
The Clean Up Is Complete
After 1,800 hours of work, the Farmhouse that was burned in the Napa Valley Glass Fire is clean and ready for rebuilding- a 2-to-3-year process- that will utilize same painstaking process that led to the building of Castello di Amorosa, also know as the Napa Castle
Dario hired Zucco Structural Engineers of Santa Rosa to evaluate the existing 10-inch cement walls that are faced with stone and bricks. Zucco were the engineers that produced the original structural plans for the Farmhouse. We are hopeful that the structural report confirms that the walls were not damaged to the extent that they will need to be razed.
Once we have confirmation, we will need to obtain a permit from Napa County to rebuild. We will need thousands of handmade, antique roof tiles, bricks, doors, and metal work from Italy as well as timbers. Artisans from Europe will need to come to Castello to perform the work, to recreate the Farmhouse exactly as it was before the Glass Fire.
In rebuilding the Farmhouse, Dario will reaffirm the two of the original guiding principles used in the building of the Castello. First, the building will be rebuilt authentically. Second, it will be authentic which means it will take time. The rebuilt Farmhouse will not be a contemporary building that mimicked the medieval style. As he would say, you cannot build an “old structure” using modern techniques and tools and it cannot be fake! So, like the Castle itself, you will see hand-shaped bricks, stone, roof tiles and wood used as the building materials.
Fritz Gruber, a master builder, who furnished most of the bricks from Austria will be called on once again in the Farmhouse rebuilding project.
Much of the stone will be sourced locally and worked by masons familiar with old stonecutting techniques. The roof tiles are hand made by artisans in Europe.
The ironwork including the light fixtures, hinges, locks will all need to be fabricated by Giorgio Mariani, a blacksmith who Dario met in Assisi in 1998, and his son who reside in Umbria, Italy. These talented artisans created the wood doors and window surrounds for the Castle and we will ask for their help, once again, in the Farmhouse project.
It is likely that the former construction manager of the Castle project, Paulo Ardito will return for the Farmhouse Project. It was Paolo who built the Gatehouse, a tractor barn and office/storage building that is left of the main gate in 2014.
Stay tuned to this blog for the next update. If you have not already done so, please sign up for our newsletter (Hyperlink) to stay up to date with all the latest from the Castello.
Glass Fire Part I
Read Part 1 of our Glass Fire Blog, featuring a message from Dario Sattui.