Far Niente
Deep in the heart of Napa Valley, where the climate reminds visitors of the breezy Mediterranean and the peaceful days beget an air of joy and relaxation, we have the pleasure of making some of the most eclectic single-vineyard wines found anywhere. Nickel and Nickel was created in 1997 by the partners of Far Niente with the focus on producing single-vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Syrah.
Farmhouse
Originally settled as a farmstead in the 1880s, the site's Queen Anne-style home and collection of charming classic barns serve as a window into the past: pieces of architectural history meticulously restored and home today to a modern winery. Little would the casual passerby suspect that housed within the stately farmstead structures is an ultra-modern winery, distinctively suited to producing exceptional single-vineyard wines.
Cellar
The greatest surprise afforded by our unassuming farmstead might just be what lies beneath it. Within a modest, traditional stone outbuilding lies the staircase that descends into the cavernous, 30,000-square-foot subterranean barrel cellar. Situated underneath the fermentation barns, it is at once beautifully dramatic and utterly unexpected. The cellar's custom-formed hollow columns gently carry the wine from tank to barrel, where each and every row of French oak represents an entire vintage of each of our single-vineyard wines.
The Barn
The 3,000-square-foot pre-Revolutionary War-era hay barn was originally built by the Gleason family in Meriden, New Hampshire, circa 1770. After it was spared demolition in 2001, we spent two years dismantling the barn, rescuing, and restoring the wood beams, and designing blueprints, before shipping it in pieces cross-country to be reconstructed at Nickel & Nickel. The Gleason Barn is surrounded by beautiful hand-hewn beams that hold stories of centuries past, and now also serve as the home of the winery's offices and laboratory for the winemaking staff. The Gleason Barn is available for special private tasting bookings for our guests.