July 9, 2007
By Dan Clarke
Most parents—and surely all students—begin celebrating summer the day school gets out. Though the calendars don’t acknowledge the change of season ‘til the 21st of June, summer may be more a state of mind than a precise period in time.
 | Brandon de Leuze (left) listens as winemaker Chris Pisani (center) and his father Robert (right) discuss potential of the 2007 vintage. |  | | Brad Lange (left) brought Lodi Zin from his Lange Twines Winery. |  | | Daryl Sattui (right) explained castle theory to his guests. |
In wine country there have already been way more alfresco celebrations than even the most dedicated party-goers could attend. Realizing our work in this area is never done, Taste California Travel managed to check out a few of them in June. Rosa Lee and Oysters
ZD is well known for Chardonnay, its flagship wine. Their other varieties, including Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, are made in smaller quantities but are of similar high quality. We joined members of their wine club on a breezy Sunday for a celebration of the just-released Sauvignon Blanc. The Napa Valley winery had not made this variety since 1979. The 2006 vintage is named Rosa Lee’s Whim in honor of Rosa Lee de Leuze, matriarch of ZD and, although she was not in attendance, her son and grandson were on hand to help pour and direct their guests to the oysters (what better to accompany Sauvignon Blanc?). Wine at Town Center
El Dorado Hills isn’t exactly wine country, but it’s close to it. A half-hour drive can deliver residents of this upscale suburb east of Sacramento to vineyards and wineries in the foothills of El Dorado and Amador counties. And the developing Lodi-Woodbridge region is just a little further to the south. The Rotary Clubs of El Dorado Hills and neighboring Cameron Park produced their annual tasting, held this year at Town Center on Father’s Day weekend. Funds raised help underwrite area youth programs and the $45 admission seemed modest enough for the walk-around tasting of area wines, tastes from local restaurants and live music on a lovely Saturday evening. Castello di Amorosa
Though Daryl Sattui’s castle had been more than a rumor for years, not too many folks had actually seen it. We got our first look when Daryl hosted a grand opening gathering in June. The owner of the very successful V. Sattui Winery a few miles south on Napa Valley’s Highway 29 has spent more than a decade and countless millions in developing his Castello di Amarosa. The place is spectacular and seems as authentic as any castle recently constructed in the United States could be. Actually, it really is authentic as much of the materials were purchased by Sattui in Italy and shipped to California. His employees probably do a fine job leading tours, but we were fortunate to have the dreamer who created it take us through. Whether he ever recoups his investment or not, his accomplishment is magnificent and it’s a rare pleasure to observe a visionary and his dedication to a cause. Oh, and the wines were excellent, too. We spent most of the evening with either Pinot Grigio or Sangiovese in our glasses, those seeming the most appropriate for toasting an Italian castle. |
