Melani’s love of wine started when she was a Navy nurse stationed in Naples, Italy, in 2009.  While living in Italy, she traveled throughout Europe and gathered wines along the way, creating an impressive collection. She fell in love with the way wine brought people together. Over the next 10 years, she hosted wine gatherings, taught and took classes, and took an informal but fun approach to learning about wine.

In 2017, Melani began volunteering at the Tackitt Family Vineyards for a Warrior Helping Warriors fundraiser, where she fell further in love with the winemaking process, the people, and Paso Robles.  She offered to assist the Tackitts at their events and started to learn more about the intricacies of winemaking and viticulture under the tutelage of Leon Tackitt- this is where she realized her dream of owning a winery.  Melani knows the importance of the translation of the Bon Niche name- “a good place.”  Through the years, she has come to realize that life is about enjoying the people, the place, and the moment.  Wine has brought many people, places, and special moments to life for Melani, and her dream is to create a very good place with great wine.