Whispering Walls

Those who have been following this blog know that this is my third blogpost about Napa. (Here's the first and here's the second.) With an abundance of wineries here, you couldn’t possibly explore them all in one visit.  You just have to keep coming back to discover new ones.  Every Napa trip is a new adventure.

This time, hubs and I were joined by another couple (Sandy and John).  We were all determined to go to Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga.

Castello di Amorosa (Italian for "Castle of Love")

While this castello was inspired by an authentic 13^th century Tuscan castle, it was built very recently. It could have fooled me.  The architectural details make it appear as though it was built in the medieval times. This replica has everything you would find in a real castle:  towers, loggias, a courtyard, and a great hall.  It even has a drawbridge and a moat.  And a torture chamber. 

The Courtyard

Loggia (corridor)

The Chapel

The Great Hall

Acting like royalty inside the Great Hall.

View from one of the towers

Dario Sattui -- of the same V Sattui Winery fame -- had a self-proclaimed obsession with castles and this was the result of his passion. (You can read more about Castello di Amorosa's history here). 

Construction of this ambitious project began in January 1995.  The castello finally opened its doors to the public in April 7, 2007.  It is a 121,000 square foot castle with 107 different rooms with four levels above ground and four underground levels which are for barrel aging cellars and wine tastings.

The Grand Barrel Room

This is where they hold some wine tasting.

Gotta love this!

At the end of the tour and wine tasting, we were led to the souvenir shop.  Of course! While browsing at the merchandise, hubby called me to an area under the cross-vaulted ceiling. He stood in one corner right in front of where two archways intersect.  

Can you see him here standing in the corner where the arches intersect? 

Then he asked me to stand on the opposite side, diagonally across and about 15 feet away from him.  He instructed me to face the wall and keep my ear close to the spine where the arches meet.  When I was ready, he faced the wall in his corner and said with normal volume, “Can you hear me clearly?"

I nodded still  a bit unsure of what this was all about.  He then explained, "No one else in the room can quite hear me other than you. The sound travels across the ceiling from my side of the wall to yours.  It’s called the Whispering Walls.”

With bug eyes and a dropped jaw, I turned around to face him, “That is so cool!”

Note:  I’m not sure that I explained this phenomenon very well but I found a link on the web that also demonstrates this:  http://www.sonicwonders.org/?p=426

Castello di Amorosa vineyard

Napa Valley: An Encore

July 20 - 21

I was back in Napa with my siblings for someone's 40th birthday (Guess who). It was her marvelous idea to travel to wine country in celebration of her milestone. Who could resist? The wine tasting started at noon!

First stop: Opus One.
http://www.opusonewinery.com/
This is one posh property. The elegant design and architecture of the limestone building, with its courtyard at the center and flanked by magnificent colonnades, clearly suggests opulence. We were there in time for our wine tasting reservation ($30 per person) and each of us received a generous amount of the Bordeaux-style blend. While we savored the 2004 vintage, we walked up to the upper-level terrace which offered a 360-degree view of the vineyards. There we reminisced and giggled about old times. (By the way, the renowned Opus One wines sell for about $150 a bottle.)

Next: Coppola Winery -- now Rubicon Estateshttp://www.rubiconestate.com/
The celebrity red carpet welcomed visitors to this property. A water fountain graced the main entrance of the estate's chateau. Inside, I was particularly interested in the museum's exhibit including displays of how movies were presented in the early days. Among them was the zoetrope which looked like an illuminated cylinder atop a cake stand. The cylinder had slits, each the size of a popsicle stick, from which you could view a series of illustrations on a roll of paper. When the cylinder is spun, the illustrations appear like moving images. For a better definition or image, click on this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoetrope

Finally: Sterling Vineyardshttp://www.sterlingvineyards.com/en-row/VisitSterling/
The highlight of this visit was the aerial tram ride to reach the property which sits on a hill. The view was spectacular! (Those with a phobia of heights need not worry. It's not that bad, trust me.)



We were welcomed with a refreshing sip of Viogne, a white wine, when we reached the top. On the way to the Sterling View Terrace, we walked past the storage of barrels of wine. It was like following a trail of an overwhelming scent of oak.

Having access to the wine club, we were able to try different wines. We dominated the room by occupying a large table where we exchanged impressions of the vinos, declared our favorites, and then ordered some bottles to take home.

For dinner, we selected Go Fish restaurant.
http://www.gofishrestaurant.net/
This place, named after the popular children's card game, features West Coast fish and boasts of a San Francisco-inspired raw bar. It was funny how we sat around our table using the same dinner seating arrangement we had when we were kids.

I chose to have the sole fish for my entree...which may sound lame...but it was delicious and hit the spot! I paired it with my favorite premium sake called Wakatake. I hesitated for a moment wondering, "Would drinking sake be considered a sin in Napa? Nah!"

Trip to Calistoga, Napa Valley

"Harvest time will be early this year," said Philip as he poured coffee into my cup. Alan and I were about to have breakfast al fresco, taking in the view of the rows of vineyards before us.

"If you look at the vines closely, you will see that the grapes are already starting to sprout," he added.

Every year, Alan and I make an effort to go someplace new for our wedding anniversary. My pick for this year was a bed & breakfast highly recommended by my brother. Chateau de Vie in Calistoga, Napa Valley offers a refreshing break from the heat as well as the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas.

Accommodations

It's a three-story house with 4 rooms in the middle level. I believe the top floor housed the suite. Upon entering, you are welcomed with soothing urban music -- reminiscent of modern hotels and resorts. (This one reminded me of the music for Skylofts at MGM Grand). Dominating the walls were posters with Diego Rivera's art. Philip, the main host and one of the chateau's proprietors, greeted us and led us to our room.

Our bedroom was decent size with a four-poster bed, a comfortable armchair next to a reading lamp, a tall dresser...but no television. That made me sing Handel's Messiah in my head. But I swore to my husband, the TV addict, that I had no idea they wouldn't have any TVs in their guestrooms. I'm surprised he didn't mind and in fact, he had a really relaxing time just reading and napping during our stay. I love quiet time and hardly ever turn a TV on, so this was perfect for me.

The bathroom was just as nice with L'Occitane amenities. Outside our bathroom window was another breath-taking view of the vineyards. Imagine how much fun it was to just brush your teeth while looking out this window!

Downstairs were the main living room, main dining and kitchen areas. The parlor had sofas and ample-sized armchairs conducive for reading. Bookshelves lined one end of the room. Opposite that were French doors that led outside to a deck area with bistro sets and patio furniture. This is where they served breakfast. This backyard area overlooked the surrounding vineyards -- some of which are owned by Chateau de Vie. (One should never miss the opportunity to taste their excellent Cabernet Sauvignon.)

Beyond the deck is the pool area. The Jacuzzi tub is enclosed in a gated section and past that, a small lap pool. Everything seemed to be just the right size. Understated yet never lacking.


Breakfast

Breakfast was served at 9 am. Unlike other B&Bs, this one had several smaller tables where guests and their own parties can dine in private as opposed to dining altogether at a common table. There's nothing wrong with socializing with others except when you're on vacation, sometimes you prefer alone time. For starters, we had delicious scones. I never thought about having them for breakfast. I always thought scones were reserved for afternoon tea. (By the way, Philip published the famous recipe in his newsletter.) Next, we had strata with artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes. Fabulous! After breakfast, we took up Philip's suggestion of taking a walk through their vineyards. The photograph at the top of this page shows the mini grapes already starting to sprout. I made Alan put his hand next to it to give the viewer a better sense of its size. "Beautiful" is probably an adjective too common to describe this place, but I can't think of any word more apropos.


Around Calistoga and Napa Valley Driving around this town is enough for a wonderful adventure. The different wineries alone such as Opus One is a must see. The building structure at the center of the property reminds me of Aztec architecture. The surrounding acres of vineyards seem to stretch as far as your eyes can see.The one curious thing Alan noticed with some vineyards is that a rose bush grew in front of each row of vines. We asked Philip about this and he said there are two schools of thought: one (which is his favorite) is that it is a symbol of celebrating the fruit of the vine...the very essence of Napa Valley...and the romanticism of it all. The other (the more scientific explanation) is to protect the vines. If bugs were to attack the plants, the bugs would go after the roses first.

~ dates of stay: May 18 - 19, 2008