Niebaum-Coppola Estate

Continue north into Rutherford and just as you enter the town turn left into the Niebaum-Coppola Estate (1991 Saint Helena Hwy, Hwy 29, Rutherford, CA 94573). In the late 1870s a Finnish sea captain, Gustave Niebaum, retired from shipping to invest his fortune in the Napa Valley, envisioning a winery that would produce magnificent wines, even surpassing the finest French wines. After his death, Niebaum’s property was divided, but in 1995 the Francis Ford Coppola family (owners of the Niebaum-Coppola Estate since 1975) purchased the adjacent Inglenook château and its vineyards, thus reuniting the original historic estate. All the wine produced here is grown and bottled on the estate—a rare occurrence in today’s viticultural world. On the ground floor a display traces the history of the winery. You stroll through cool cellars into tasting rooms and gift shops. For $20 you can enjoy a château tour through the original stone aging cellar, which contains some magnificent large German oak casks, and taste four wines in the cellar room. Tours operate seven days a week at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm, and on Saturday also at 12:30 pm. A vineyard tour is also offered, weather permitting, on Fridays and Saturdays at 11 am at a cost of $25, including tasting. All tours are on a first-come, first-served basis, no reservations required. 707-968-1161, www.niebaum-coppola.com.