A Thriving Wine Region in the San Francisco Bay Area
Visitors are sometimes surprised to find a flourishing expanse of vineyards and wineries less than an hour to the east of San Francisco: Livermore Valley Wine Country. Sharing the picturesque canyons and ridges of the area with outposts of suburbia, the welcoming sight of vines and tasting rooms defines the quality of life in the Livermore Valley. To the delight of residents and visitors alike, the region continues to experience a wine renaissance harking back to the golden years of early California wine history.
The Livermore Valley is one of California’s oldest wine regions and played a pivotal role in shaping California’s wine industry. Robert Livermore planted the first commercial vines in the 1840s. Pioneer winemakers C. H. Wente, James Concannon and Charles Wetmore recognized the area’s winegrowing potential and founded their wineries in the early 1880s. International recognition followed when Livermore Valley captured America’s first international gold medal for wine in 1889 at the Paris Exposition – putting California on the world wine map.
Playing a leading role in the state’s enology and viticulture, innovations developed in the Livermore Valley include overhead irrigation, mechanical harvesting and roller crushing in the vineyard. Livermore Valley wineries were the first to bottle Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Petite Sirah varietals. Nearly 80 percent of California’s Chardonnay vines trace their genetic roots to a Livermore Valley clone.
Attracted to the rich winemaking tradition, climate, soil and geography, new vintners and winegrowers work alongside fifth-generation winegrowers creating a Livermore Valley wine renaissance. The region now has over 5,000 acres of vineyards and over 50 wineries, with more poised to open. Wineries vary in size from limited-release, 100-case labors of love to 400,000-case industry heavyweights, and grapes range from familiar Merlot and Chardonnay to Italian, Rhone and Spanish varieties. The award-winning wines of the Livermore Valley can be found around the globe.
The Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association invites Bay Area residents and visitors to experience the Livermore Valley Wine Country. In addition to a myriad of happenings at the individual wineries, the association hosts several major events each year showcasing the talent, energy and fine wine of the Livermore Valley American Viticulture Area.
Contact the winegrowers association office for tickets and more information about these events and the wineries at (925) 447-WINE (9463) or www.LVwine.org.
Livermore Valley Wine Country
Garre Vineyard & Winery, Inc.
(925) 371-8200
www.garrewinery.com
Concannon Vineyard
(925) 456-2500
www.concannonvineyard.com
Crooked Vine & Stony Ridge Winery
(925) 449-0458
http://www.crookedvine.com/
Bent Creek Winery
(925) 455-6320
http://www.bentcreekwinery.com/
Wente Vineyards
(925) 456-2300
www.wentevineyards.com
Darcie Kent Vineyards
(925) 243-9039
www.darciekentvineyards.com
McGrail Vineyards & Winery
(925) 215-0717
www.mcgrailvineyards.com
Steven Kent Winery
(925) 243-6440
www.stevenkentportfolio.com
Rodrigue Molyneaux Winery
(925) 443-1998
www.rmwinery.com
Ehrenberg Cellars
(925) 292-9641
www.ehrenbergcellars.com
Fenestra Winery
(925) 447-5246
www.fenestrawinery.com
Cedar Mountain Winery
(925) 373-6636
www.cedarmountainwinery.com
Wood Family Vineyards
(925) 606-7411
www.woodfamilyvineyards.com
Murrieta’s Well
(925) 456-2395
www.murrietaswell.com