Wine Industry Advisor has expanded its Wine’s Most Inspiring People (MIP) articles into a monthly series. We will be profiling individuals from within our industry who showcase leadership, innovation, determination and inspiration — both within the industry and in society at-large. If you would like to nominate someone for MIP consideration, fill out the form here.
By Jeff Siegel
Barbara Nemko, Ph.D., the outgoing Napa County Superintendent of Schools, doesn’t hesitate for a moment when asked what Dario Sattui means to the county’s educational system and to its children.
“His generosity to the schools is, frankly, breathtaking,” says Nemko, who has been the county’s superintendent for 28 years. Over that time, Sattui has donated more than $5 million to the system. “We are blessed to have him in our community.”
All of which would be impressive if that’s all Sattui, the Napa Valley wine icon who owns Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga and V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena, had done. But his largess extends far beyond public education. It includes contributions for medical research, wildlife conservation and the environment, and a host of other public projects, such as Hands Across the Valley, which raises money for local food banks; Boy Scouts and Boys and Girls Clubs; and the land trusts for Mendocino County and Napa Valley.
Sattui’s more internal generosity includes, through a series of company-wide subsidy programs, helping his employees pay for housing and transportation so they can afford to work in one of the most expensive regions in the United States. And, for good measure, he refused the federal government’s 2020 COVID-19 payments because, he said, others needed it more than he did.
Influence and advocacy
“When he speaks out, people listen,” says Chuck Wagner, the patriarch of the Wagner Family of Wine and a long-time friend. “He’s an advocate for Napa — and for wine, really. He is a true American, good businessman, keen operator and creative with a great palate for wine and a great eye for beauty.”
Not bad for someone who started in the wine business more than 50 years ago with just $8,000 … $5,000 of which he had borrowed from his mother.
“In the beginning, it was just a struggle to keep going, so now that I have some money and can give some help, I want to give back to the community, ” says Sattui, “Yes, we get a lot requests, but as long as it’s local, we try to help. I want to help the local area as much as I can.”
Building the future
Sattui was — literally — born into the wine business. His great-grandfather was Vittorio Sattui, an Italian immigrant, who founded V. Sattui Winery in 1885 in San Francisco.
Dario got to know Vittorio as a child, listening to his stories and looking at photos of the old winery, which was closed by Prohibition. But the family still lived on-property, and Dario would play among the barrels and tanks in the underground cellars. Even then, he says, he thought about re-opening V. Sattui.
He did just that in 1976, followed by Castello di Amorosa, a 121,0000-square foot medieval-style Tuscan castle-winery, in 2007.
“It took great creativity to come up with the idea to recreate an Italian castle in Napa,” says Nemko. “It took him many years to bring all the materials here from Italy, but he stayed focused and the result is one of the most interesting attractions that Napa Valley has to offer.”
Which is what local residents have come to expect from Sattui, whose entrepreneurial vision and homegrown philanthropy have enhanced Valley life in countless ways through the years.
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If you would like to nominate someone for MIP consideration, fill out the form here.
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Jeff Siegel
Jeff Siegel is an award-winning wine writer, as well as the co-founder and former president of Drink Local Wine, the first locavore wine movement. He has taught wine, beer, spirits, and beverage management at El Centro College and the Cordon Bleu in Dallas. He has written seven books, including “The Wine Curmudgeon’s Guide to Cheap Wine.”
