Historic Wineries of California: Far Niente Winery

Far Niente Winery was first founded in 1885, but took on its true form in 1979 when a couple from Oklahoma found their wine oasis in Oakville. Gil and Beth Nickel rescued and restored the historic estate and mastered their mission of making it a world class winery that would last for generations.

In this video, Wine Oh TV’s Monique Soltani introduces us to the amazing woman in wine behind Far Niente Winery. Beth Nickel shares the secrets to their success and shows us what started out as a great American love story soon became a wine legacy set in stone for over 125 years.

Beth Nickel on finding Far Niente Winery

“It was abandoned then for about 60 years before Gil and I showed up from Oklahoma.  We needed a lot of help because we moved in with a party of two.”

In addition to Far Niente, Beth Nickel is the woman in wine behind: Nickel & Nickel, Dolce, and En Route. Beth is joined by Dirk Hampson, Larry Maguire and Erik and Jeremy Nickel, who form the partnership charged with keeping vibrant the Far Niente mission she and Gil established so many years ago.

Beth makes it her mission to give back, a benefactor to children’s charities locally and abroad, as well as fund-raising to support cancer research in honor of  her late husband Gil Nickel, who lost a courageous battle with melanoma in 2003.

Monique Soltani

Monique is the Founder and Host of Wine Oh TV and has a certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers. Monique is an experienced broadcast journalist and has worked at various television stations across the country and most recently at KPIX-TV/CBS 5 and KSEE-TV/NBC 24

More Posts