The history of the Inglenook began over a century ago. Upon arriving in California, Gustave Niebaum, a Finnish immigrant, bought Inglenook vineyards in 1879. In 1882, the first harvest was picked. Magically, Inglenook survived the deadly earthquake of 1906. Despite the success of the winery, wine production would cease off and on for the next two decades.
In 1939, John Daniel Jr., Gustave Niebaum’s grand nephew, took over and Inglenook was returned to full production level. Due to his success at Inglenook, John Daniel Jr. would become president of the Wine Institute of California. He would hold the position until his death in 1970. In 1975, Francis Ford Coppola and his wife Eleanor purchased the estate with profits from The Godfather series. While celebrating the centennial anniversary of the winery, Coppola would harvest the estate’s famous wine, Rubicon, for the first time. Since then, Inglenook has continued to produce fantastic wines; without a doubt, it will see its bicentennial anniversary in 2079.
