About Livermore Valley
Believe it or not, Livermore Valley is one of California’s oldest wine regions. In the 1840s, a man named Robert Livermore planted the first wine grapes in Livermore Valley. At the time, Livermore wasn’t a town yet. Livermore wasn’t registered as a town until 1869 by William Mendenhall who named it after Robert Livermore.
In 1882, Charles Wetmore established Cresta Blanca Winery, which is one of the original Livermore wineries. He planted Sauvignon Blanc and other Bordeaux grape varieties. His first vintage, a 1884 white wine, was entered in the 1889 International Paris Exposition and won the Grand Prix. This white wine was the first Californian wine to ever win a competition in France. This victory put California and Livermore Valley on the wine map. About a year after Cresta Blanca was established, Carl Wente and James Concannon founded Wente Vineyards and Concannon Vineyard, respectively.
Around 1912, Ernest Wente created the Wente Clone by handpicking healthy grapevines with pronounced flavors and grafting them together. According to Wente Vineyards, 75% of all California Chardonnay stems from the Wente Clone. Wente stayed operating throughout Prohibition by making sacramental wines. In 1936, Ernest and his brother, Herman, released the United States’ first varietally-labeled Chardonnay. Because of its rich history and contributions to California’s wine industry, Wente is listed as a historical landmark. Learn more about Wente
In 1883, James Concannon founded Concannon Vineyard after immigrating to America. Ultimately, the terroir is what drove James Concannon to Livermore Valley instead of Napa. Concannon also survived Prohibition by making sacramental wines and selling to the Roman Catholic Church. Concannon and I had a lovely little chat about this next fact. In 1961, the first varietally labeled Petite Sirah came from Concannon Vineyard. In 1965, James Concannon’s grandson, Jim, started working with UC Davis to find cuttings from James’ original plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon for heat treatment. As a result, the Concannon Cabernet Clones 7, 8, and 11 were created. It’s estimated that 80% of California’s Cabernet Sauvignon is planted with Concannon clones. Learn more about Concannon
Finally in 1982, Livermore Valley was established as its own American Viticultural Area (AVA).
Livermore Valley struggles a lot with their varietal identity. What I mean by this is that most regions around the world are known for something except for Livermore. In Napa it’s Cabernet Sauvignon or in Marlborough, it’s Sauvignon Blanc. Livermore Valley isn’t well known for one specific type of wine. In my opinion, I think Livermore should pick an identity like Chardonnay because of the Wente Clone.
The climate in Livermore Valley is great for growing grapes. It’s east-west orientation, which allows for marine breezes and coastal fog from the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean to cool down the valley during the night. Livermore Valley is quite warm during the day, so the fruit ripens fully while still retaining balanced acidity. The soils are gravel-based, so they drain easily which decreases vine vigor and increases flavor concentration.
Wineries to Visit
One thing Livermore Valley lacks in is tourism. Napa is really successful because they capitalized a lot off of Stags’ Leap and Chateau Montelena’s victories in the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Fancy hotels and new restaurants are easy to find in Napa, which makes it such a popular tourist destination. You won’t find too many “hip” hotels in Livermore, so I recommend making a day trip out of this historic wine region… Just until they start upping their tourism!
Wente Vineyards: You can’t visit Livermore Valley without visiting Wente’s iconic property. It’s a historical landmark for goodness sake!
Concannon Vineyard: Again, it’s another historical winery of Livermore Valley that you can’t miss while you’re here. Try their Petite Sirah.
Rodrigue Molyneaux: This winery is family owned and they are making wines out of some interesting varieties. The winemaker is really nice and loves answering questions.
Las Positas Vineyards: Las Positas Vineyards always has something fun going on whether it’s a food and wine pairing dinner or live music in the vineyards.
Wines to Look For
While you’re in Livermore, I highly recommend trying varieties that made history here (think Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Petite Sirah). There are also some great Albariños being produced in this region, so if you see one, snatch it up!
Here are a few wines to keep on the lookout for while you’re in Livermore Valley. I’m a huge fan of Darcie Kent’s Sauvignon Blanc.
2018 Concannon Reserve Petite Sirah Captain Joe’s
2019 Wente nth Degree Chardonnay
2021 Darcie Kent Triska Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc
You can also find Concannon and Wente at your local liquor store, grocery store, Costco, and if your area permits, even Target! Of course there is tons of great wine being produced in Livermore Valley from smaller wineries, but these two are easier to access when you’re not in California.
