Gil Nickel

Gil Nickel
Born Harold Gilliland Nickel
1939
Muskogee, Muskogee County, Oklahoma
Died October 30, 2003
Oakville, Napa County, California
Cause of death cancer
Education Oklahoma State University
University of California at Davis
Occupation Vintner
Spouse(s) Beth Nickel
Children Jeremy Nickel

Gil Nickel (1939-2003) was an American vintner. He was the owner of the historic Far Niente Winery in the Napa Valley. He also established the Dolce Winery and the Nickel & Nickel Winery.

Early life

Harold Gilliland Nickel was born in 1939 in Muskogee, Oklahoma.[1][2][3] He graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1961, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Mathematics.[1][2][3] He then served in the Oklahoma Air National Guard, serving one tour of duty the Vietnam War.[1][2][3]

Career

He started his career by working as a missile analyst for the United States Navy Laboratory in Corona, California.[1][2][3] He then moved back to his home state of Oklahoma, where he worked at Greenleaf Nursery, a nursery owned by his family based in Talequah.[1][3] He worked alongside his father and brother.[2]

Far Niente Winery in Oakville, California.

In 1976, he moved back to California, where he audited classes in oenology at the University of California at Davis.[1][2] He also studied oenology in France.[2] A decade later, in the 1980s, he purchased the historic Far Niente Winery in Oakville, and restored the caves.[2][3] They are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[2]

In 1992, he started the Dolce Winery, which produced white wine.[1][2][3] With his son, he started Nickel & Nickel Winery in 2000.[1][2][3] The business produced wines from the same vineyard as opposed to blends.[1]

Personal life

He was married to Beth Nickel.[1] They had a son, Jeremy Nickel.[1][2]

Death

He died of cancer on October 30, 2003 in Oakville, California.[1]

Legacy

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, March 27, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.