Luxury Napa Valley Winery
Where History Converges with Heaven
How do you begin to comprehend nature? How do you begin to understand land this beautiful, this unique, and this accomplished at producing wines of this magnitude? Far Niente is a triumph. A triumph of beauty, of history and of taking what nature has offered and accomplishing a standard of winemaking that mystifies even Mother Nature.
There’s not one aspect of Far Niente that isn’t touched by our passion and precision. You will be transported to a place and experience unrivaled in excellence with your first sip of our wines
Discover the timeless magic of Far Niente, the Napa Valley Wine Estate.
The Winery
John Benson established Far Niente in 1885. John was a forty-niner of the California gold rush and uncle of the famous American impressionist painter, Winslow Homer. Artistry clearly ran in the family. Benson hired Hamden McIntyre, creator of the former Christian Brothers Winery—now the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone—to design the building.
Far Niente prospered until the onset of Prohibition in 1919, whereupon it fell into disrepair. In 1979, Gil Nickel purchased the winery and adjacent vineyard. He began a three-year restoration process which resulted in its placement on the National Register of Historic Places.
The first Chardonnay harvest took place in 1979. In 1982, winemaking returned to Far Niente with the first crush of Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, Far Niente remains focused on Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. They continue to concentrate their efforts on creating two varietal wines of astonishing quality.
Visit Far Niente
Where Extraordinary Wines Meet Exquisite Hospitality
Elevate your sipping and your scenery. Our Far Niente Winery sits nobly atop a crest in the heart of Oakville, Napa Valley. From beautifully cultivated gardens that reflect a distinctive southern style, to sprawling vineyards, to historic wine caves, you can explore the full splendor of the idyllic Far Niente Winery. Book a seated private tasting of our world-renowned Napa Valley wines.