Far Niente Winery

The story of Far Niente is littered with gold and nickel. Or, more appropriately, gold and Nickels. The ultra-acclaimed Napa winery dates back to the 1800’s, back when the forty-niners were everyday folk with Gold Rush fever. One went by the name of John Benson, and while he did not strike it rich in gold, he certainly struck it rich in land, settling a plot on gorgeous acreage in western Oakville and turning it into the first iteration of Far Niente in 1885.

The winery found modest success until the onset of Prohibition in 1919 all but decimated the (legal) California wine industry just as it was getting started. Thankfully, that madness ended in 1933, but the land – despite its transformative beauty – sat empty for decades until Gil and Beth Nickel came along. Gil Nickel, a Vietnam War veteran who worked as a missile analyst for the Navy before taking over his family’s Oklahoma nursery (think gardens, not babies) business in the 1960’s, had taken oenology classes and was up for the challenge of a vineyard, so he purchased the land with an eye to restoring its former glory – and then some – in 1979.

What they did from here has become that of legend.

Nickel spent three years redeveloping Far Niente, going so far as to finish Benson’s original plans that called for wine caves on property and reimagined the grand iron entrance to the property, among about a million other details big and small. Nickel also kept Benson’s original winery name, which is taken from the Italian phrase “Dolce Far Niente,” translating loosely to “the sweetness of doing nothing.” By 1982, the winery was ready to make wine again, and soon after to welcome oenophiles from around the world.

In the decades since, Far Niente has become the gold standard when it comes to sophisticated, refined Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon in the United States. Nickel would go on to open sister wineries as well – Nickel & Nickel and Dolce, respectively – before passing away in 2003.

Far Niente today is warm and welcoming, with 13 acres of vibrant, colorful forest and gardens – a beautiful tribute to Nickel’s nursery background – including more than Autumn Gold ginkgo trees, redwoods, acacias, dogwoods, century-old cork oak trees and thousands of southern azaleas. And then there is the bucket list-level tasting experiences. All tastings do require advance reservations, and the most impressive is the Cave Collection Library Wine Tasting with Food Pairings ($275 per person with 50 percent off for wine club members). During this 90-minute once-in-a-lifetime experience, guests are whisked on a behind-the-scenes tour of Far Niente’s iconic wine caves and other special areas of the property before being seated in a private room for an epic food and wine pairing for the ages.

The seasonally changing menu is curated by award-winning Executive Chef Phillip Moratin, a veteran of the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, Morimoto, Etoile Restaurant at Domaine Chandon, and Angele Restaurant and Bar. His focus is developing dishes that enhance Far Niente’s coveted Cave Collection Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay in a way guests have never tasted before. This is the only tasting that gives guests such access to the Far Niente Cave Collection wines, and it utilizes both the winery’s culinary garden and a host of local purveyors, making it a true culinary experience of a lifetime.

While waiting to take advantage of this exclusive tasting, here are some bottles to keep the senses busy in the comfort of one’s home:

2018 Far Niente Cave Collection Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville: Of course, one must taste the Cave Collection! Silky smooth with a long black fruit finish, this triumphant treat opens with notes of chocolate, cherries and espresso beans on the nose before giving way to berries, caramel and dark chocolate on the palate. $340

2020 Far Niente Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: Made from both Far Niente’s estate-grown fruit and cherry-picked grapes from across Calistoga, Oak Knoll, Diamond Mountain, Stags Leap, St. Helena and Yountville, this is lightning-in-a-bottle good with notes of baking spice, raspberry, sweet tobacco and black cherry. $155

2022 Far Niente Chardonnay, Napa Valley: Butter bomb? Not here. Instead, it is balanced with beautiful tropical and citrus fruit notes and a strong minerality.  $76

For more information, visit www.farniente.com.

1350 Acacia Dr.
Oakville, CA 94562