Far Niente is a historic winery located in Oakville, California that has a rich history dating back to 1885. It was founded by John Benson, a forty-niner of the California gold rush, and was initially an exquisite oasis in western Oakville. However, the onset of Prohibition in 1919 forced the winery to close its gates.
Sixty years later, Gil Nickel bought and restored the winery and neighboring vineyard, putting it back on the map and on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, Far Niente is known as a benchmark producer of Napa Valley Chardonnay and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and is recognized as one of the world’s great wine estates.
In addition to its high-quality wines, Far Niente is also known for its beautiful 13-acre gardens, which feature an array of southern azaleas that bloom in the springtime and are set against a backdrop of towering redwoods, acacias, dogwoods, and century-old cork oak trees. The gardens were designed as a three-act play, with Acacia Drive leading to the winery gates and the Woodland Garden, and the winery itself serving as the final act.
The winery itself is a historic stone building that stands out for its beauty and grandeur. Despite plans to create extensive wine caves in the winery cellar in 1885, these caves never came to fruition due to Prohibition. However, Gil Nickel was determined to create a cave at Far Niente and hired an engineer to find out if there were any hidden caves beyond the rock wall. After a dynamite blast, it was determined that no caves existed. Undeterred, Gil pursued the construction of the first Far Niente Napa Valley wine caves, which would become the first to be built in North America since the turn of the century.
Over the next 20 years, the winery conducted four more expansions of the caves, bringing the total area to 40,000 square feet. The wine caves, which hold the winery’s collection of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay vintages aged in 100% French oak, are known for their stunning beauty and attention to detail. They are a popular attraction for visitors from around the world.
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Tommy and Rosa
a month agoMy wife and I did the group tour & tasting. It ended up be one other couple with us so it was perfect! A must for Cabernet and Chardonnay lovers. The caves were included in this tour and I was amazed how big it was. Great picture opportunity’s in the cave as well. We loved it so much we became members. We’re already planning our trip back!
Kayla Wholey
a month agoThis winery is spectacular. We had our own private tour guide Darlene who was absolutely amazing. The property is gorgeous, the wine was very good and the pairings from the chef were perfect in every way, we really enjoyed this experience. I highly recommend visiting here
Mary Jo Buchanan
5 months agoVisiting Far Niente was one of the best experiences of our Napa trip. We booked the Cave Collection Library Wine Tasting with Food Pairing. The setting is absolutely gorgeous. On our arrival, we were greeted warmly, giving a wonderful glass of wine, and invited to enjoy the stunning property. Then we met our guide Darlene, who took us for a tour of the caves, even singing for us. She escorted us to our own gazebo, where we met the chef. The food and wine pairings were perfect and we were given time to mix and match and enjoy it all. It was truly a visit to remember and lots of wine just came to our home to enjoy!
Mate Zemljic
2 months agoAbsolutely one of the best Wineries in Napa valley! The atmosphere and presentation of the wines is second to none! We had a perfect tasting in a private room. Wines are top notch. Must visit!
Chris Matthiessen
4 months agoIncredible tasting and tour. The host took very good care of us, and made sure to address every groups knowledge level, so it was informative for all. The wines we got to taste were really special, and the architecture, design and landscape were incredible. Definitely the best wine cave I’ve ever seen.