Far Niente

John Benson, a real estate investor drawn to San Francisco during the Gold Rush, purchased a 216-acre farm in Oakville in 1880 and named it Far Niente, Italian for "the sweetness of doing nothing." He planted 60,000 grapevines and cultivated Muscat of Alexandria for raisins and table grapes. In 1885 Benson worked with architect Hamden McIntyre to build a stone winery on the property; construction ended in 1886, and the winery became one of Napa Valley's first gravity-flow wineries. The first official vintage, bottled that same year, likely carried a label designed by Benson's nephew, Winslow Homer. Benson died in 1910, leaving the ranch to his nieces, Virginia W. Johnson and Josephine M. Johnson; neighbor David Perry Doak purchased Far Niente from Josephine M. Johnson and shifted its focus to fruit trees, and by 1921 his combined properties, which included the To Kalon vineyard, held one of the largest cherry orchards in California. When Prohibition ended in 1933, winemaking briefly returned to Far Niente before Doak's widow sold the property, along with the adjoining McGill Ranch, to San Francisco real estate magnate Martin Stelling Jr. Stelling purchased the neighboring To Kalon Ranch in 1944 and eventually owned 5,000 acres of the best soils in Napa Valley; he died in a car crash in 1950, leaving the property to his wife, Caroline Bishop Stelling, and after her death in 1960 the remaining Stelling land, including Far Niente, passed into a trust for her children, Douglas and Cara. In 1979 Gil Nickel discovered the abandoned Far Niente Winery and persuaded owner Doug Stelling to partner with him to revive it, offering Stelling a small interest in the wine company in exchange for a piece of his vineyard to the west. The stone building had no windows, plumbing or electricity, and a dilapidated roof; during a three-year labor of love to restore the property, the words "Far Niente" were discovered inside. Far Niente was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

• John Benson purchased a 216-acre Oakville farm in 1880 and named it Far Niente; the stone winery, built with architect Hamden McIntyre, was completed in 1886, one of Napa Valley's first gravity-flow wineries
• Benson died in 1910; the ranch passed to his nieces, then to neighbor David Perry Doak, whose combined properties held one of California's largest cherry orchards by 1921
• Winemaking briefly returned after Prohibition ended in 1933, before Doak's widow sold the property and the adjoining McGill Ranch to Martin Stelling Jr., who died in a 1950 car crash
• In 1979 Gil Nickel discovered the abandoned winery and persuaded owner Doug Stelling to partner in reviving it; during a three-year restoration the name "Far Niente" was found inside the building
• Far Niente was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979

H. Gilliland "Gil" Nickel (1939-2003) was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, to Harold and Rebecca Nickel, who owned a landscape nursery. In the late 1950s, Gil's family and the family of Elizabeth "Beth" Yorman, born in the North Woods of Wisconsin to Alex and Betty Yorman, met through business at Greenleaf Nursery Company in Oklahoma; Gil and Beth were later married in the winery gardens. Gil began studying winemaking at UC Davis, making his first wine in San Francisco, before discovering and reviving the abandoned Far Niente Winery in 1979. He hired winemaker Dirk Hampson, whose résumé included Château Mouton Rothschild in Bordeaux and a stint with negociant Labouré Roi in Nuits St. Georges, and later made Hampson and Larry Maguire partners in the business. Gil asked his nephew, Erik Nickel, to join the business as construction manager, overseeing the development of Nickel & Nickel. Nicole Marchesi joined Far Niente as an enologist in 2005, was promoted to assistant winemaker under Stephanie Putnam, and in 2009 became only the fourth winemaker in the modern history of Far Niente. Today Far Niente Wine Estates' leadership includes CEO Shawn Conway, Chief Financial Officer Dana Sexton Vivier, President Sales Bruce Mooers, VP Winemaking Andrew Delos, VP Consumer Experiences Erin Luby, and VP Human Resources Julie Secviar. Among the winemaking team, Nicole Marchesi is Director of Winemaking for Far Niente and Dolce, Joe Harden directs winemaking for Nickel & Nickel, Michael Accurso directs winemaking for Bella Union, EnRoute and Post & Beam, and John McCarthy is Director of Vineyard Operations. Gil Nickel is listed as Founder; Beth Nickel and Erik Nickel are Partners, and Dirk Hampson and Larry Maguire hold Emeritus status.

• Gil Nickel (1939-2003) discovered and revived Far Niente in 1979 after studying winemaking at UC Davis; he married Beth Nickel (born Elizabeth Yorman) in the winery gardens
• Gil hired winemaker Dirk Hampson, later making Hampson and Larry Maguire partners; nephew Erik Nickel joined the business as construction manager
• Nicole Marchesi joined as enologist in 2005 and became Far Niente's fourth winemaker in 2009; she now serves as Director of Winemaking for Far Niente and Dolce
• Current leadership: CEO Shawn Conway, CFO Dana Sexton Vivier, President Sales Bruce Mooers, VP Winemaking Andrew Delos, VP Consumer Experiences Erin Luby, VP Human Resources Julie Secviar
• Visionary & Partners: Gil Nickel (Founder), Beth Nickel and Erik Nickel (Partners), Dirk Hampson and Larry Maguire (Emeritus)

Far Niente's Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced primarily from the Martin Stelling Vineyard, named for the vintner who owned most of Oakville in the 1940s; Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon is the only wine ever produced from this vineyard. Gil Nickel isolated a special selection of Cabernet Sauvignon vines within the vineyard, now called the Stelling clone, alongside other heritage Cabernet Sauvignon plantings including the Disney-Silverado clone, first cultivated by Harry See of See's Candies. Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown and viticulturist Garrett Buckland guided a restoration of this 57-acre vineyard. Across the wider Far Niente Wine Estates portfolio, the company has acquired and long-term leased 18 vineyards across 500 acres in eight appellations over five decades, and all estate vineyards are Certified California Sustainable. The Far Niente winery itself sits on 13 acres landscaped in a style reminiscent of the American South, with more than 9,000 azalea plants on the property, per the Napa Wine Project. Builder Alf Burtleson excavated the first modern wine caves at Far Niente in 1980, with restoration work by Italian stonemason Gene Domenichelli and landscape architect Jack Chandler; Burtleson returned in 1989 to expand the hillside caves with intersecting tunnels forming a circular layout. Two more caves and a carved stone wine library were added between 1995 and 1998, and Erik Nickel completed a final 10,000 square feet of caves in 2001 before construction began on Nickel & Nickel. The Napa Wine Project reports the completed caves ultimately exceeded 40,000 square feet, still among Napa Valley's largest.

• Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced primarily from the Martin Stelling Vineyard, home to the Stelling clone Gil Nickel isolated and the Disney-Silverado clone first cultivated by Harry See of See's Candies
• Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown and viticulturist Garrett Buckland guided a restoration of the 57-acre Stelling Vineyard
• Far Niente Wine Estates has acquired or long-term leased 18 vineyards across 500 acres in eight appellations over five decades; all estate vineyards are Certified California Sustainable
• Builder Alf Burtleson excavated the first modern wine caves in 1980 and returned in 1989 to expand them; further caves and a stone wine library were added 1995-1998, with a final 10,000 square feet completed in 2001
• The Napa Wine Project reports the completed caves ultimately exceeded 40,000 square feet, among Napa Valley's largest

Far Niente's first modern-day vintage was a 1979 Chardonnay crushed at Markham Vineyards near St. Helena, per the Napa Wine Project. Wine production resumed at the historic Oakville winery itself in 1982 with two estate-bottled wines, the Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon (made entirely from Stelling Vineyard grapes) and the Far Niente Chardonnay (crafted from Stelling and other estate vineyards). In 1981 Gil Nickel imported Grand Cru Chardonnay cuttings from Burgundy, cuttings that became a cornerstone of the winery's production. Today Far Niente is devoted to Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon; the winery describes its Chardonnays as possessing "an alluring combination of elegance, brightness, and complexity," from cool-climate vineyards in a style that is "juicy and refreshing, yet round and creamy." Its Cabernet Sauvignons are described as expressing "the distinctive fusion of dark fruits, velvety texture, and silky tannins" that the winery calls synonymous with its house style. The Napa Wine Project's tasting note on the 2023 Chardonnay records that the wine did not go through malolactic fermentation and was aged sur lie in French oak barrels, 45 percent new. Far Niente also releases a Cave Collection, wines re-released in limited quantities from the historic caves after additional bottle age. In 2024 Far Niente debuted the 2021 Benson Vale Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, named for founder John Benson and crafted by winemaker Nicole Marchesi with consulting winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown from the best blocks of Stelling Vineyard.

• First modern vintage: 1979 Chardonnay crushed at Markham Vineyards; estate winemaking resumed in 1982 with Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay from Stelling Vineyard fruit
• In 1981 Gil Nickel imported Grand Cru Chardonnay cuttings from Burgundy, a cornerstone of the winery's Chardonnay production
• House style: Chardonnay described by the winery as elegant, bright and complex; Cabernet Sauvignon described as dark-fruited with velvety texture and silky tannins
• Cave Collection: library wines re-released in limited quantities from the historic caves
• 2024 debut: the 2021 Benson Vale Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon, crafted by Nicole Marchesi with consultant Thomas Rivers Brown from Stelling Vineyard's best blocks

Dirk Hampson made Far Niente's first late-harvest wine in 1985, modeled after Château d'Yquem; it was a small-production blend of late-harvest Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc affected by botrytis cinerea, with vintages bottled in 1985 and 1986. Gil Nickel replanted 17 acres of John's Creek Vineyard in Coombsville from Merlot to Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon for the project, and by 1991 Dolce was established as a separate micro-winery within Far Niente, with its own label designed by Tom Rodrigues, earning a reputation as "the Château d'Yquem of North America." Far Niente's own site describes Dolce as America's only winery to specialize in a single wine crafted in the Sauternes style. The 20-acre Dolce Vineyard sits in Coombsville at the foot of the Vaca Mountains, on land the winery describes as a combination of gravel, volcanic ash, loam and clay. Per the Napa Wine Project, the Dolce blend leans heavily toward Sémillon, usually around 90 percent Sémillon and 10 percent Sauvignon Blanc, made from grapes affected by naturally occurring botrytis spores that typically develop in November; the 1999 vintage, nicknamed St. Nicholas, was harvested latest of all vintages, on December 6, 1999. Nicole Marchesi currently serves as Director of Winemaking for both Far Niente and Dolce.

• Dolce, modeled after Château d'Yquem, was first made in 1985 by Dirk Hampson; established as a separate micro-winery within Far Niente by 1991
• Sourced from the 20-acre Dolce Vineyard in Coombsville, replanted from Merlot to Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon
• Blend leans heavily toward Sémillon, usually about 90 percent Sémillon and 10 percent Sauvignon Blanc, per the Napa Wine Project
• The 1999 vintage, nicknamed St. Nicholas, was harvested latest of all vintages, on December 6, 1999
• Nicole Marchesi serves as Director of Winemaking for both Far Niente and Dolce

Beyond Far Niente and Dolce, the partners built a wider family of Napa Valley wineries. In 1997 they launched Nickel & Nickel, dedicated to 100 percent varietal, single-vineyard wines; its first vintage featured Merlot, Zinfandel and four Cabernet Sauvignons, and the winery opened to the public in July 2003, the first Far Niente Wine Estate accessible to visitors. Dirk Hampson and Erik Nickel later discovered an old apple orchard in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley and created EnRoute, a Pinot Noir label; its inaugural wine, "Les Pommiers," was released in 2007. In 2012 the partners leased a vineyard and small winery on Bella Oaks Lane in Rutherford, whose historical name inspired the Bella Union brand; Bella Union's own winery in Rutherford opened in September 2024. Far Niente Wine Estates introduced Post & Beam using what the winery calls time-honored techniques to make Cabernet and Chardonnay meant to be enjoyed upon release. GI Partners, a private equity firm, joined Far Niente in 2016 and became the managing partner in Far Niente Wine Estates; Apax Partners invested in the company in 2022. Today the company's partner-owners include GI Partners and Apax Partners, along with proprietress Beth Nickel, Gil's nephew Erik Nickel, director of winemaking emeritus Dirk Hampson, and president emeritus Larry Maguire; together they are stewards of more than 500 sustainably farmed acres of vineyards and three Napa Green-certified wineries.

• Nickel & Nickel launched 1997 (100% varietal, single-vineyard wines), opened to the public July 2003
• EnRoute (Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, inaugural wine "Les Pommiers" released 2007) and Bella Union (Rutherford, winery opened September 2024)
• Post & Beam introduced as a Cabernet and Chardonnay label
• GI Partners became managing partner in 2016; Apax Partners invested in 2022
• Current partner-owners: GI Partners, Apax Partners, Beth Nickel, Erik Nickel, Dirk Hampson (emeritus), Larry Maguire (emeritus)

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://farniente.com, https://farniente.com/about-us, https://farniente.com/our-history, https://farniente.com/restoration-and-renovation, https://farniente.com/vineyards, https://farniente.com/wineries/far-niente, https://farniente.com/wineries/dolce, https://farniente.com/visit-far-niente, https://farniente.com/sustainability-and-community. Secondary source: The Napa Wine Project. Last verified 2026-09-08. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.