Nicola "Nick" Francesco Fagiani

A little about Nick. He was an Italian immigrant who came to the US with nothing and built quite an empire. He was a hard working farmer, winemaker and salesman – he would farm the land, make the wine and hit the pavement and sell it one bottle at a time. He eventually purchased 125 acres of land in Oakville and created a large ranch which has since since been broken up into smaller parcels but the main house is still where Plumpjack is today(if you want to see what the ranch was like rent “They Knew What They Wanted” starring Charles Laughton & Carole Lombard – it was filmed there in the late 1930’s). He had connections all over the US & Italy which helped him in his business dealings. During prohibition he sold “grape juice” to some of his connections in Chicago. It’s hard to imagine doing all this without the use of computers and limited telephone lines. The bar was just one of his business endevours but it is said one of his favorites. He enjoyed the lively atmosphere, the friendships made and being the good old hardworking businessman he was, the money he made!