Niebaum Coppola Winery, Rutherford

Moviemaker Francis Ford Coppola has been making wines at his Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery in the Napa Valley for over two decades. In February 1995, he purchased the remaining part of the original estate - the massive stone Inglenook Chateau and its adjacent vineyards. This purchase reunited Gustave Niebaum's original Napa Valley estate established in 1879 and preserves his legacy for future generations. Distinctively appointed tasting rooms, vaulted stone cellars and a spectacular hand-carved staircase crowned by a jewel-like stained glass window, are a few of the dramatic attractions at the winery. The winery boasts the flagship red wine, Rubicon 2000, which is incredibly dense, with complex flavors of violets, sour cherry and blueberry. There are tours of the chateau daily and it's a daytrip that's worth the visit, no matter what your reason for being in Northern California, business, pleasure, or if you simply live here. Besides the intriguing history of the property, as well as the wine making process, there are mountains of Coppola-related artifacts and other souvenirs, available for perusal, from films like One From the Heart, Tucker, The Godfather and Apocalypse Now.