Frog's Leap Winery

Far Niente, located in Oakville, Calif., is a winery that specializes in the production of Napa Valley Chardonnay and Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery was founded in 1885 by John Benson, a forty-niner of the California gold rush and uncle of the famous American impressionist painter, Winslow Homer. The winery was abandoned in 1919 with the onset of the prohibition period. In 1979, Gil Nickel purchased Far Niente and its adjacent vineyard and began a three-year restoration of the property. During restoration, the original name, Far Niente, from an Italian phrase that romantically translated means 'without a care,' was found carved in stone on the front of the building where it remains to this day. Its 2002 Napa Valley was named California Chardonnay of the Year by The Wine News in 2005. Far Niente offers daily tours and tastings, by appointment, Monday through Saturday.