Book excerpt: A magnificent and audacious attraction that hosts some of the finest winemaking in the Napa Valley, Castello di Amorosa is one of California's most successful wineries How the winery came to be is an inspiring entrepreneurial tale of one man's daring vision and his determination to see it realized no matter what. That man is Dario Sattui, founder of the V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena. For as long as he can remember, Dario has cultivated a passion for medieval European architecture. Inspired by stories of the old country from his Italian great-grandfather and other relatives, he made it a hobby to study old castles, lodges, and monasteries almost religiously during the dozens of visits he made to Europe -- particularly Tuscany and Umbria -- throughout the years. In 1993, when he semi-retired from V. Sattui, he began to explore this fascination in a new way, vowing to bring a slice of Italy to Napa by building a modest, authentic medieval monastery on his dream property in Calistoga, where he intended to live and grow grapes for V. Sattui. Over the next 15 years, this plan took on a life of its own and evolved into a massive new winery project with a 136,000-square-foot authentic medieval castle known as Castello di Amorosa at its center. Full of hundreds of lush photos of the magnificent castle and grounds, Castello di Amorosa: A Labor of Love tells the improbable story of the castle's construction and includes an exclusive tour of the castle that only its creator could deliver. Bound to delight readers interested in Napa history, winemaking, and medieval architecture, Castello di Amorosa will undoubtedly thrill the castle's legion of fans around the world.