The Vineyard House in Oakville debuted its first commercial wine with its 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, but its history stretches back more than 30 years. Jeremy Justin Nickel, the proprietor of The Vineyard House, started the winery as a tribute to his late father, Gil Nickel, who founded or helped found three wineries in Napa during the 1980s and 1990s. Gil Nickel was a founder of Far Niente, Dolce and Nickel & Nickel. When he died in 2003 he left a small estate with a rich history and a 19th century farmhouse to his son Jeremy. The Vineyard House estate includes 25 acres of vineyards. The estate makes just a few hundred cases of wine per year.