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Glass Fire destroys Napa Valley’s Castello di Amorosa winery, Internet prays wineries in St Helena are spared

Along with Chateau Boswell, Castello di Amorosa, famously known as the 'castle' visible from Highway 128 lost its farmhouse in the fire

California’s famed Napa Valley winery was destroyed in the Glass Fire on Sunday, September 27. The fire which began around 4 pm on the 200 block of North Fork Crystal Springs Road in Deer Park, reportedly had burned hundreds of acres through Sunday night into Monday morning (Sept 28) before entering the densely populated areas in Santa Rosa. 2,000 people residing in the wine-growing area of Napa Valley have been ordered to evacuate. 

The mainstay on Napa Valley, Chateau Boswell was one of the castle-inspired buildings to have been destroyed by the Glass Fire. Along with Chateau Boswell, Castello di Amorosa, famously known as the “castle” visible from Highway 128 lost its farmhouse in the fire. The vice president of Castello di Amorosa told in a statement to San Francisco Chronicle that the farmhouse contained “all of the company’s bottled wine, some fermentation tanks and some offices.” However, the castle still remains intact. 

Even though dozens of fire crews managed to contain the fire to save Meadowood Napa Valley, which is a luxury hotel frequented by the tourists and wine buffs, most of its amenities were burned down to the ground by the Glass Fire.  A veteran firefighter with East Contra Costa, Cole Smith, reportedly said that “his crew had battled 50 mph winds that continuously shifted directions. He had been working since 1 pm Sunday.”

Castello di Amorosa’s legacy

Dario Sattui, the grandson of a pioneering wine merchant and founder of Helena Wine Cellars, Vittorio Sattui, began the construction of Castello di Amorosa winery in 1994, according to their official website. While the initial plan was to build only 8,500 square foot building without cellars, the project grew into a 13th century Tuscan castle stretching over 121,000 square feet with 107 rooms, based on four underground levels and above-ground levels each. Sattui has stated on the website, “Determined to make the Castello authentic in every respect, I used only old, hand-made materials and I built it employing the same methods and materials that would have been used 700-800 years ago. You can’t fake something like this. You either do it right or people will know it’s not authentic.” The castle mounted some of the world’s most beautiful vaulted wine cellars and produced top-quality wines. 

The destruction of the iconic landmark has left many devastated, as they took to Twitter to react to the loss of their favorite winery. One tweeted, "Chateau Boswell Winery in Napa Valley destroyed by Glass Fire - CNN- - 2020 - you’re a horrible year. Napa wines were about all we had left for solace and now you’re taking those....Truly hope the other wineries in St. Helena are spared - too good to lose." While another added, "Oh my... another iconic Napa Valley landmark consumed by the #GlassFire. First winery we ever took our kids to (because it’s one of the few that’s child-friendly, with grape juice for the kids). I hope the menagerie was rescued!"

Meanwhile, some remembered the winery for what a great tourist attraction it was. One wrote, "We use to ride the Silverado Trail (100 miles) on our mountain bikes and I loved the wine they produced -plus the food hella good. So sad. Famed Napa Valley Winery Destroyed As Glass Fire Explodes In Size" Adding to the previous tweet one said, "So heartbreaking! We have visited this winery during our many visits to Napa Valley."