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 Tahlequah.[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

Nickel died of cancer on October 30, 2003 in Oakville, California.[1][4][5][6]

Legacy

  • In 2011, his son Jeremy sued the other owners of the Far Niente Winery for alleged misconduct.[7]
  • The Gil Nickel Humanitarian Award given by the Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation at the University of California, Los Angeles is named in his honor.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Frank J. Prial, Gil Nickel, 64, Wine Enthusiast Who Became a Leading Vintner, The New York Times, November 01, 2003
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Dennis McLellan, Gil Nickel, 64; Made Far Niente Winery One of Napa's Best Known, The Los Angeles Times, November 01, 2003
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 James Laube, Owner of Far Niente, Gil Nickel, Succumbs To Cancer, Wine Spectator, October 30, 2003
  4. ↑ "Vintner Gil Nickel succumbs to cancer". Napa Valley Register. Napa, CA: Lee Enterprises, Inc. October 31, 2003. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Friends, family and associates pay tribute to Gil Nickel". Napa Valley Register. Napa, CA: Lee Enterprises, Inc. November 6, 2003. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Gil Nickel". Napa Valley Register. Napa, CA: Lee Enterprises, Inc. November 2, 2003. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  7. ↑ Jesse Duarte, Nickel winery heir files lawsuit against boardmembers, St. Helena Star, January 05, 2011
  8. ↑ UCLA Jonsson Cancer Research Foundation: The Gil Nickel Humanitarian Award
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.