Inglenook Winery Rutherford, Napa

Gustave Niebaum, a Finnish sea captain and wine connoisseur, founded the elegant, ivy-covered Inglenook in 1879 as one of the original Napa wineries. Gustave was devoted to producing fine wines in small quantities. During the reign of John Daniel Jr. (Niebaum's grand nephew), many Hollywood legends were drawn to this Napa treasure in the 1930s and 1940s. Carole Lombard, Clark Gable, and Jean Harlow are just a few of the famous names. Unfortunately, Inglenook fell on hard times in the 1960s, and John Daniel Jr. died in 1970. Francis Ford Coppola purchased the infamous winery from the Niebaum family in 1975 and spent a significant amount of time, money, and energy restoring it to its original, magnificent splendor.

It was known as Niebaum-Coppola, Coppola, and Rubicon until 2011, when Francis Ford Coppola purchased the Inglenook trademark for more than he had paid for the entire estate. He has since restored the estate's historic name, Inglenook, and promoted it as the true crown jewel of Napa Valley. Tours are only available by appointment and are well worth taking in order to appreciate the amazing historic grounds.

Detailed information:

Address: Inglenook Winery 1991 St. Helena Highway, Rutherford, CA 94573

Website: www.inglenook.com