8th Finglish trip May 2009 #12
The Rubicon Estate Winery, formerly Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery and once again Inglenook, is located in Rutherford, California. The winery sits on a portion of the historic Napa Valley property first acquired in 1879 by a Finnish Sea Captain Gustave Niebaum, founder of the Inglenook Winery.
In 2011, owners Francis and Eleanor Coppola acquired the Inglenook trademark and renamed the winery Inglenook.
Gustave Ferdinand Niebaum (1842 – 1908) was a Finnish winemaker and captain. Niebaum acquired his maritime schooling in Helsinki, Finland. By the end of 1860s, he had become one of the world's leading fur traders. Born in Helsinki, Finland, as Gustaf Ferdinand Nybom to a Swedish-speaking family. As a 16-year-old Gustaf first came to Alaska on a voyage aboard a ship owned by the Russian-American Company. During this period both Alaska and Finland were regions under Russian control.
Among his many known accomplishments, Niebaum founded the Alaskan Commercial Company in San Francisco, California. He also prepared some of the first official maps of the coastline of Alaska. As the Consul of Russia in the United States in 1867 (at the time Finland was an autonomous Grand Duchy of Russia), Niebaum helped explore the territory and promoted ratification of the Alaska purchase.
Next Harry Siitonen Berkeley California USA