Founded in 1885, Far Niente was one of the Napa Valley’s first gravity flow wineries and prospered until the onset of Prohibition in 1919. The winery was abandoned for 60 years, when Oklahomans Gil and Beth Nickel purchased the property and adjoining vineyard in 1979 and began a meticulous, three-year restoration, ultimately bringing winemaking back to the historic estate. For more than 25 years, Far Niente has focused on producing two ultra-premium, estate bottled wines of luxury and elegance according to the Far Niente house style: a Napa Valley Chardonnay and a Napa Valley, Oakville, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tours & Tastings
Guided tours and tastings are offered several times each day, by appointment. Tours begin with a walk through the historic, tri-level winery, which is built into the surrounding hillside. Guests are then led through a portion of the 40,000 square-foot Far Niente wine aging caves, which were the first modern wine caves built in North America when excavation began in 1980. The tour concludes with a visit to the Carriage House, home to a fascinating collection of classic automobiles.

Tastings follow each tour and feature the current releases of Far Niente estate wines, including a Napa Valley Chardonnay and Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as carefully aged Chardonnay and Cabernet from the Far Niente Cave Collection. A seasonal cheese pairing is also featured. Each tasting ends with a taste of Dolce, the sumptuous, late harvest wine produced by Far Niente’s sister winery, also called Dolce.