As the car pulled up to the castle grounds, I was taken back to a different time. From the castle lookout, the vineyards formed a sea of green below. The Tuscany bricks burned red in the sunlight. On the castle grounds, sheep and turkey roamed freely. Inside the courtyard was a well, and a lime tree that had just ripened.

Everywhere I looked, hints of Italy made me smile and reminded me of my brief trip to the country 2 years ago. But I was no where near Europe. I found all this at Castello Di Amorosa in Napa Valley, California. The castle opened 4 years ago but its exteriors bares authenticity  - the owner had all the parts shipped from Tuscany.

I have been hoping to return to Italy for a long time, and I am thrilled to have found a piece of it in the Napa Valley.

I've never been a big wine drinker, but after a weekend in Napa California, I might just have to rethink this one through. October is a great time in Napa, not only because it is a sunny break from the brisk Autumn in Toronto, but also because so many out of town guests swarm to this part of California to join in on harvest festivities.

I sampled wine at several wineries in Napa, a few of them big but many small and family-owned. Luckily for me, my hotel had partnerships with a few wineries in the area which allowed me to visit vineyards for free tastings. After a few rounds of tastings and a stone-baked pizza, I was finally ready to put down the wine glass and pick up my camera to capture the beauty of the region.

I spent most of my time wondering through private vineyards and admiring the Italian influence of the surrounding buildings. The dark grapes and gorgeous vineyards made me want to move to an vineyard desperately. My favorite winery was, by far, St. Clement. Situated on top of a small hill, St. Clement's wine tasting house has a stunning view of its own acres and nearby vineyards. Its house is tastefully decorated and has a lovely swinging bench on the front porch.

I highly recommend a visit to Napa for anybody passing through the area. As for me, I couldn't get enough of the seeing the grapes bathe in the orange afternoon sun, and I'll definitely be returning to capture more of Napa soon.

All images edited using the Photoshop Curve: Napa, created by me.