If you love Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and want to understand how dramatically the wine can change from one vineyard to another, Nickel & Nickel is one of the most interesting tastings in Napa Valley.

Located in Oakville, Nickel & Nickel specializes in single-vineyard wines, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon. Rather than blending fruit from different sites to create a consistent house style, the winery showcases individual vineyards from throughout Napa Valley.

We have visited Nickel & Nickel several times, and that is what keeps the experience interesting. The setting remains unmistakably Napa—historic buildings, vineyards, gardens and the beautiful Sullenger House—but the wines provide a chance to explore a different part of the valley with nearly every glass.

Arriving at Nickel & Nickel

Nickel & Nickel occupies a beautiful property along Highway 29 in Oakville. The centerpiece is the historic Sullenger House, surrounded by mature trees, white fencing and vineyards.

The estate feels very different from the grand architecture of some Napa wineries. There is an almost residential quality to it, with the white farmhouse, porches and gardens giving the property a relaxed sense of place.

One of our favorite sights is the vintage Nickel & Nickel truck, which we've seen overflowing with flowers. It's a small detail, but one that perfectly captures the personality of the estate.

The Nickel & Nickel Tasting Experience

The reason to come here is the single-vineyard tasting.

Nickel & Nickel produces wines from individual vineyards throughout Napa Valley, allowing you to compare Cabernet Sauvignon grown in different locations without leaving the winery.

On our visits, our tastings have included wines from vineyards in Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, Calistoga, Howell Mountain and Yountville.

That's what makes the experience particularly interesting for anyone trying to understand Napa Valley wine. You're not simply tasting several Cabernet Sauvignons—you can compare how location influences wines made from the same grape.

During one tasting, for example, we compared Cabernet Sauvignon from Kenefick Ranch in Calistoga, Hayne Vineyard in St. Helena, DeCarle Vineyard in Rutherford and Air Show Vineyard in Oakville.

On another visit, the lineup ranged from Kenefick Ranch in Calistoga and Hawk's Cradle on Howell Mountain to John C. Sullenger Vineyard in Oakville and Lattice Run in Yountville.

The differences between the wines are part of the fun.

More Than Cabernet

Cabernet Sauvignon may be the star, but our tastings haven't been limited entirely to Cabernet.

On a more recent visit, we started with Grand Sky Vineyard Chardonnay from Carneros before moving through the single-vineyard Cabernet lineup.

The Chardonnay makes a nice introduction before getting into the richer reds, while the succession of Cabernets provides the real lesson in Napa Valley terroir

The Setting

The property is an important part of the Nickel & Nickel experience.

The historic Sullenger House dates to the 19th century, while barns and other structures give the estate the feeling of an old Napa farmstead. Inside, exposed wood and rustic architectural details contrast with the polished tasting experience.

Outside, vineyards, olive trees, gardens and the long courtyard create plenty of places to linger.

We've visited at different times of year, and the property changes noticeably with the seasons. During the holidays, the buildings are decorated with lights and Christmas trees, giving evening visits an entirely different atmosphere from a sunny spring tasting outdoors.

A Connection to Dolce and Bella Union

The Far Niente family extends beyond these two estates.

It also includes Dolce, known for late-harvest wine, and Bella Union, another Napa Valley Cabernet-focused winery.

We've tasted Dolce during visits to the Far Niente family of wineries, and it provides a completely different ending to a Cabernet-heavy day. If you're interested in exploring several properties from the same wine family, these connections make it easy to build a broader Napa itinerary around them.

Plan Your Visit

Location: Oakville, Napa Valley
Best for: Single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa terroir, wine enthusiasts
Style: Historic estate with guided seated tastings
Allow: Approximately 90 minutes
Reservations: Recommended
Combine with: Far Niente and other Oakville/Rutherford wineries

More Napa Valley Winery Experiences

If you're planning a Napa Valley wine trip, continue with our first-hand winery guides:

Jarvis Estate Winery
An extraordinary underground winery and cave experience.

Far Niente Winery
Historic Napa Valley elegance, beautiful grounds, and classic Napa wines.

O’Brien Estate

An intimate, family-owned vineyard experience in Oak Knoll.

Faust Haus
A bold, contemporary approach to the Napa Cabernet experience.

Nickel & Nickel vs. Far Niente

Nickel & Nickel and Far Niente are sister wineries, but we wouldn't consider the experiences interchangeable.

Far Niente is particularly compelling for its historic estate, caves, gardens and flagship Napa Valley wines. Nickel & Nickel puts more emphasis on the differences between individual vineyard sites.

If Far Niente gives you a deeper look at one iconic Napa estate, Nickel & Nickel gives you something closer to a tour of Napa Valley through the wine glass.

For wine enthusiasts, visiting both provides an interesting comparison.

Read our Far Niente Napa Valley guide

Who Should Visit Nickel & Nickel?

We especially recommend Nickel & Nickel if you:

• Love Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

• Want to compare wines from different Napa AVAs and vineyards.

• Have already visited several Napa wineries and want a tasting with an educational component.

• Prefer an intimate estate atmosphere over a large, theatrical winery.

• Have visited Far Niente and want to experience another side of the same wine family.

For someone new to Napa wine, the tasting provides a great introduction to the importance of vineyard location. For experienced Napa drinkers, it's an opportunity to compare places you may already recognize.

Our Take

After multiple visits, Nickel & Nickel remains one of our favorite places for exploring Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

The beautiful Oakville property certainly helps, but the reason we return is the tasting concept. Comparing Cabernet from Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, Calistoga, Howell Mountain and other parts of Napa Valley makes the experience both enjoyable and genuinely educational.

And because the vineyard lineup can change, a return visit doesn't necessarily feel like repeating the same tasting.

If you're choosing between Napa wineries based primarily on architecture or dramatic scenery, there are more extravagant estates. But if your priority is understanding Napa Cabernet while tasting it in a beautiful, relaxed setting, Nickel & Nickel deserves a spot on your itinerary.

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