By ERIC ASIMOV
It’s almost enough to make you dizzy: Francis Ford Coppola announced yesterday that his Rubicon Estate, formerly known as the Niebaum-Coppola Estate, will heretofore be known as Inglenook. Say what?
Well, it actually all makes perfect sense. Inglenook, before it went to corporate brand-name heaven (or is that hell?) was the historic name of one of Napa Valley’s pioneering wineries. It was founded in 1879 by Gustave Niebaum, and produced some of the greatest cabernet sauvignons in Napa history, particularly in the mid-20th century under John Daniel Jr., a grand-nephew of Niebaum. Mr. Daniel died in 1971, and eventually the winery, vineyards and Inglenook brand were sold off.
Mr. Coppola, the movie director, purchased the old Niebaum home and part of the original Inglenook vineyard in 1975. Since then, he has been trying to reconstitute the original estate. In 1995, he bought the old Inglenook winery and the remaining Inglenook vineyard, but the brand name eluded him.
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