Nichelini Family Winery facts for kids

The Nichelini Winery House

The Nichelini Family Winery is a special place in Napa Valley, California. It's located in an area called Chiles Valley. This winery is super old! It started in 1890 with Anton Nichelini. What makes it so unique is that it's the oldest winery in Napa Valley that has stayed with the same family since it began. It's even listed on the National Register of Historic Places because it's so important historically.

On the property, there's also an old cabin from 1886. It's called the Homestead Cabin. This cabin has been fixed up recently. People believe it's the only one of its kind left in Napa County. Because of this, the Napa Valley Historical Society put it on their "10 Treasures" list!

Nichelini Family Winery doesn't make a huge amount of wine. They produce about 2500 cases each year. The person in charge of making the wine now is Aimée Sunseri. She is the seventh winemaker in the family! They make different kinds of wines like Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc.

You can find Nichelini Family Winery at 2950 Sage Canyon Road (State Hwy. 128), St. Helena, CA, 94574.

History of Nichelini Winery

Inside the Nichelini Winery Cellar

Anton Nichelini was born in 1862 in a place called Verscio, Switzerland. When he was 19, in 1882, he came to California. He first lived in Glen Ellen and learned how to make wine and grow grapes.

Just two years later, Anton found a large piece of wild land in Chiles Valley. It was about 160 acres! He worked hard to turn about 30 acres into vineyards. He was the first Swiss person to settle in that area.

In 1890, Anton married Caterina Corda. She was also from Switzerland. Soon after, they moved out of their small cabin. Anton built a bigger house on top of his stone winery. This house was built in a style called Greek Revival. Anton was also good at mining. He found chromium and magnesite on his land. He mined these for several years while also running his ranch and making wine.

Anton and Caterina had twelve children! They were born between 1891 and 1916. All of their children went to the one-room schoolhouse in Chiles Valley. Today, the winery is owned and run by the children's descendants.

Prohibition and What Happened Next

The Nichelini Winery "officially" closed during a time called Prohibition. This was when it was against the law to make or sell alcohol in the United States. However, the winery was known for still making wine for people, even when it was against the law. Some people even said they supplied wine to the governor's house!

In 1920, a man wrote a letter complaining about people drinking wine nearby. He said the wine "comes from Nichelini's." Anton was warned in 1923. Then, on January 8, 1924, he was arrested. But even after this, the Nichelini family quietly kept making wine. They would sometimes deliver it as "sacramental wine" to hide what they were doing.

After Prohibition ended, Anton's son, William Nichelini, officially reopened the winery. After Anton and William, other family members continued the tradition. These winemakers include James Nichelini, Jo-Ann Nichelini (Meyer), Gregory Boeger, Justin Boeger, and Aimée Sunseri. Aimée Sunseri was even named Woman Winemaker of the Year in 2017!

Award-Winning Wines

Nichelini Family Winery wines have won many important awards over the years. Here are some of them: