What wine region is only 27 miles from San Jose, 31 miles from Oakland, 40 miles from San Francisco, 100 miles from Monterey, and 125 miles from Yosemite? It is the Livermore Valley.
The Livermore Valley is California’s oldest wine region, first established in the 1760s when the Spanish missionaries began wine grape cultivation. Commercial grape planting started in the 1840s with pioneers like Robert Livermore.
More recognition arrived in 1889 when Livermore won America’s first international gold medal for wine at the Paris Exposition.
Livermore Valley was also the first to varietally label Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Petit Sirah.
However, the most significant contributions from the Livermore Valley were from two families, Wente and Concannon, who founded the first wineries in Livermore in 1883.
The Concannon family contributed the widely used Cabernet Sauvignon clone.
The Wente family is responsible for the propagation of a Livermore Valley Chardonnay clone to which approximately 80% of California’s Chardonnay vines trace their genetic lineage.
The Livermore Valley, located within the Diablo Range, has a unique east-west orientation. Many who have not been to Livermore might think it is a hot region. But Livermore is home to a Mediterranean climate.
Its east-west orientation allows cool maritime air and fog from San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean to have a cooling effect on the warm climate that comes from the Central Valley to the east. The soil is gravel-based which allows for good drainage.
The combination of coastal fog and marine breezes with the soils provides ideal conditions to produce ripe, balanced fruit.
Where To Taste Wine in Livermore
The Livermore Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area) was formed in 1982 and today there are more than 50 wineries in the region, including Wente and Concannon. The three primary grapes of the region are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc but Livermore Valley offers much more.
In addition, the wine community in Livermore Valley is welcoming, and at most wineries, you will often find the owner pouring their wines with tasting fees that are still affordable.
Fenestra Winery (83 Vallecitos Road)
Fenestra Winery is located in a winery built in 1889. Lanny and Fran Replogle started the winery in 1976 in Pleasanton and moved to the century-old George True Winery in 1980. The winery building, which is built into the ground, was refurbished in 1997 and vineyards were planted around the winery.
Enjoy a tasting for $20, refunded upon a two-bottle purchase. Pack a picnic and for $5, enjoy it outdoors. On Friday nights, Fenestra Winery has live music and food vendors and on Sunday mornings they offer yoga on the lawn followed by a glass of wine at “Sun”day Salutations.
Las Positas Vineyards (1828 Wetmore Road)
Las Positas is a small, family-owned winery established by Lisa and Lothar Maier in 2006. With 20 acres of vines planted to 17 different varieties, they have the traditional varieties, but the dominant plantings are Spanish and Portuguese varieties.
Enjoy a wine tasting in the spacious lounge or on the patio. Wine flights are $25, and tapas, flatbreads, salads, and desserts are available for purchase. Curated food and wine pairings are offered. Las Positas offers live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
Darcie Kent Estate Winery (7000 Tesla Road, Suite A)
Darcie Kent Vineyards is a family-owned & operated winery established in 1996. Darcie Kent, the matriarch of the winery, is a fifth-generation vintner as well as an artist. Each bottle of wine features original artwork by Darcie. They take a minimal intervention approach to winemaking and produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnays, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Syrah, as well as Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir sourced from Monterey.
Darcie Kent Estate Winery has food trucks on the property on the weekends. They also have an outdoor theater where Shakespeare in the Vineyard performs.
3 Steves Winery (5700 Greenville Road)
3 Steves Winery was started by three friends, all named Steve. Today, Steve Ziganti is the remaining Steve in the business. Steve Ziganti started as a home winemaker in the 1970s and when he and his friends decided to start the winery, they were drawn to the collaborative environment of Livermore. Ziganti started a tasting room in downtown Livermore in 2010 and bought the property in 2012. His property was planted to Cabernet Sauvignon but over the last two years, he has added two acres of Cabernet Franc and two acres of Cabernet Pfeffer. Ziganti is also making wine in Chile.
JMC Cellars (6800 Greenville Road)
JMC Cellars is the newest winery in Livermore, established by Jessica Carrol in late 2023. The opportunity to start her winery came when the winery she had worked at for a decade shut down. Now her dream to have her own winery has come true. A self-described wine nerd, Jessica likes a wide range of wines and therefore makes a diverse selection. She works mostly with Livermore Valley fruit to produce the typical varieties but also Syrah, Malbec, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, and Roussanne. She gets Pinot Noir and Riesling from Monterey and sources lesser-known varieties, such as Teroldego and Peloursin, from Lodi.
McGrail Vineyards & Winery (5600 Greenville Road)
McGrail Vineyard & Winery sits on a hill overlooking Livermore Valley. The property was purchased by Jim and Ginger McGrail who planted Cabernet Sauvignon in 1999. They sold their grapes to Steven Kent Winery until 2005 when they made their first wine. Winemaker Mark Clarin joined in 2006 and today second-generation Heather McGrail runs the winery. McGrail Vineyards includes the original 16 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and in 2015 they purchased an additional 30 acres and planted Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Grenache Blanc.
Cuda Ridge Wines (2400 Arroyo Road)
Cuda Ridge Winery is a hobby gone wild for Larry Dino. Larry was a home winemaker and he and his wife Margie started the commercial winery in 2007. Their focus is on Bordeaux varieties and the source fruit from numerous vineyards in the Livermore Valley. The Cuda Ridge estate vineyard is approximately a one-half-acre vineyard planted with Petit Verdot and they also have a small vineyard on their home property with Merlot (50 vines) and Cabernet Sauvignon (75 vines) which is used for the single barrel lot of Bein-Amie each year.
Page Mill Winery (1960 S. Livermore Ave.)
Dick Stark, inspired by the small family producers in the Rheinghau who had cellars under their homes, decided to do the same to his home on Page Mill Road in Los Altos Hills. In 1976, he created a cellar under his home and left the high-tech industry to start a winery. In 2004, Page Mill Cellars moved to the Livermore Valley where Dick’s son Dane runs the business today.
One-Stop Wine Tasting at Vasco Row
Vasco Road is a roadway over the Diablo Range that connects Livermore and Brentwood, California. This principal commuter road is where you will find Vasco Row. Vasco Row is an industrial hub where wineries, breweries, and distillers have set up. It is a social gathering place with food trucks and events on the weekends.
The Steven Kent Winery (2245 South Vasco Road, Unit C)
Steven Kent Mirassou is the sixth generation of America’s oldest winemaking family. He founded Steven Kent Winery with his father in 1996. The winery is celebrated for its exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon, but if you speak with Steven, he will express his passion for Cabernet Franc, which he makes in different styles. You can find Cabernet Franc vinified white, Cabernet Franc with a short time on the skins, Cabernet France aged in neutral oak, and a Cabernet Franc dominant blend.
Omega Road Winery (2135 South Vasco Road, Unit C)
Omega Road Winery is a project between Alex Henkleman and her father who grew up in Napa. He always had a love for wine and 15 years ago, he started making wine at home. Alex had just graduated from college and started to help him and loved it. They took a winemaker course together and immediately decided to officially start a winery. This was in 2014 and in 2017 they opened their winery. They predominately purchase fruit from Livermore, Lodi, and Contra Costa. To Alex, part of the adventure is exploration, and she loves to highlight less common grapes, such as Torrontes, Mencia, Carignane, Sangiovese, Counoise, and Cabernet Franc.
Rosa Fierro Cellars (2254 S. Vasco Road, Suite A)
Rosa Fierro Cellars is a Hispanic, woman-owned small boutique winery established by Rosa Fierro in 2014. While working in a law firm in San Francisco, she would visit a tasting room where a friend worked and would find herself behind the bar. She started working with a producer, helping with blends and realized that she had a good palate. Rosa produces small lots of classic varieties and can be found pouring her wine in her tasting room.
Almost Famous Wine Company (2271 S. Vasco Suite D)
A sister label to Darcie Kent Wines, Almost Famous Wine Company is an incubator for new wines from The Livermore Valley. The brand incubator features diverse varieties and unique winemaking styles, like pet nat wines. Almost Famous Wine Company is open at night because the space is a concert venue featuring weekly musical performances.
Where to Stay
Livermore Valley is an easy day trip if you live in the Bay Area. But if you are traveling from a further distance, you might want to spend the night. While there are plenty of typical chain hotels in Livermore, the perfect place to stay is the 10-suite Purple Orchid Wine Country Resort & Spa. Featuring country-style rooms, a complimentary breakfast each morning, a relaxing on-site spa, and a luscious pool and garden, it is located very close to many of Livermore’s wineries.
About the author:
Allison Levine is the owner of Please The Palate, a boutique marketing and event-planning agency. Allison is Level 3 WSET Certified from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust and is certified as an Italian Wine Specialist from the North American Sommelier Association. She also has a master’s degree in international communications with a focus on cross-cultural training from the American University School of International Service. Allison is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers and as a freelance writer, she contributes to numerous publications while eating and drinking her way around the world. She is also the host of the Wine Soundtrack podcast and co-host of the YouTube video series Crush On This. You can find additional content on her blog at Please The Palate; Instagram/Threads @plsthepalate; Facebook: Please The Palate
