No kitchen at the castle

Sattui faces fines for unpermitted kitchen

By DAVID RYAN
Register City Editor

Dario Sattui’s celebrated Castello di Amorosa has a problem, according to the Napa County District Attorney’s office: The kitchen in the Calistoga replica of a 12th-century castle was being used without the proper county permits.

According to a civil lawsuit brought by county prosecutors, Sattui used the castle kitchen without proper plans. The suit also accuses the longtime Napa Valley vintner of using the castle’s kitchen without protection from “birds and vermin” and failing to properly clean and sanitize all plates, utensils and equipment, plus not having handwashing stations equipped with soap and hot water for employees.

Last month, Sattui signed a preliminary injunction ordering him to close the kitchen at the castle and post signs at the facility.

Steve Lederer, director of Napa County Environmental Management, said the suit stems from Sattui’s use of the kitchen for events before the kitchen was fully completed.

Lederer said it should have been no surprise to Sattui that the castle would be undergoing inspections, because it was under construction and inspections occur normally while a facility is under construction.

“The fact that he's doing on-going construction means that we're doing inspections,” Lederer said.

Officials at Castello di Amorosa did not respond to phone calls seeking comment.

The company faces a minimum $45,000 in fines if a deal isn’t reached with the district attorney’s office.

The current Web site for Castello di Amorosa specifies that visitors can enjoy wine and food pairings utilizing the services of caterers.

Sattui built the castle after 30 years of research and opened it in April 2007 after starting construction in 1994. Published reports peg the castle at 121,000 square feet, 107 rooms, 8,000 tons of stone, with a dungeon and a replica torture chamber.

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