Livermore Valley by Eve Andersson

Livermore Valley is one of the oldest wine regions of California yet it hasn't gained the chic status that other regions have. Perhaps because of this, many high quality wines are produced at lower cost than those in Napa. It was, in fact, a Livermore Valley winery that received America's first gold medal for wine, in 1889, at the Paris Exposition. Livermore Wineries Concannon Vineyard Livermore Valley AVA. Concannon, established in 1883, is the first grower of Petite Sirah in the United States. Petite Sirah remains their specialty, with 110 of their 250 acres devoted to it, but their other varietals are excellent as well. This is the 2nd-largest wine producer in Livermore Valley. Their winery grounds, which have been designated a California Historical Landmark, are vast and a pleasure to visit, with oddities like dinosaur-shaped topiary. Wente Vineyards Livermore Valley AVA. Wente is "the oldest continuously operating, family-owned winery in California." Like Concannon, this winery was established in 1883. It is the largest of Livermore Valley's wineries, producing 300,000 cases/year (10 times what the next largest, Concannon, produces). Interestingly they ferment some of their reds in fermentation boxes rather than barrels (I had always wondered why wineries use barrels instead of other shapes!). Wente makes good wines, though they lack the friendliness and quirkiness of other Livermore wineries. The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards is the best restaurant in Livermore. Retzlaff Estate Winery Livermore Valley AVA. Retzlaff is the only certified organic winery in Livermore, and all of the grapes used in its wines are grown on its own estate. The property used to be a sheep farm before it became a winery. The winery is charming, with a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. Retzlaff makes good wines, some of which are unusual in flavor, particularly the Sauvignon Blanc which tastes like biting into a perfectly-ripe grapefruit — but smoother. Stylistically its wines tend to be more delicate than bold. Deer Ridge Vineyards Livermore Valley AVA. Deer Ridge has beautiful Tuscan architecture and views of the valley. More importantly, its wines are consistently wonderful. It's a relatively new winery, but the grounds cover a portion of the Old Wetmore Ranch containing some of the oldest vineyards in California. Bodegas Aguirre Livermore Valley AVA. Founded by Dr. Ricardo Aguirre, a surgeon from El Salvador, this boutique winery makes wonderful estate red wines. The winery somehow manages to be sophisticated and rustic at the same time. El Sol Vineyard Livermore Valley AVA. In the tasting room, you can try a few wines straight from the barrel. Many of El Sol's wines are quite good, though few are estate grown. Tamás Estates Livermore Valley AVA. Tamás specializes in Italian varietals, with Barbera as its signature varietal. Located next door to its sister winery, Wente, Tamás shows an irreverence and lightheartedness that Wente lacks. Its wines are good and its bottles have screwtops. Rodrigue Molyneaux Livermore Valley AVA. This tiny winery is owned by husband-and-wife team Garry and Nancy Rodrigue, and they sure do a spectacular job. They produce only red wines, specializing in Tuscan styles — which is appropriate for Livermore's climate. The outdoor tasting room is a pleasure to visit. Les Chênes Estate Vineyards Livermore Valley AVA. Les Chênes, meaning The Oaks in French, has one of the most idyllic settings in Livermore Valley. Specializing in Rhone varietals, they're the only Roussanne grower in the valley. Proprietors Richard and Candice Dixon have built a beautiful winery and are very friendly. Murrieta's Well Livermore Valley AVA. Murrieta's Well was named after the Gold Rush-era, Robin Hood-type figure, Joaquin Murrieta, who used to steal horses from rich Americans and give them to Mexicans. Along the way, he watered the horses at the well on which this winery was eventually built. Murrieta's Well makes some excellent wines. Some of their zinfandel is made from 100-year-old vines that they don't have to water because they reach all the way into the water table. However, their wines are overpriced by Livermore standards. Eckert Estate Winery Livermore Valley AVA. If you think Rodrigue Molyneaux and Les Chênes are small affairs, this winery is half their size; it's pretty much a one-man show run by winemaker Michael Eckert. Creating just 2500 cases/year (less than 1% of Wente's production), Michael is not afraid to experiment or use unusual varietals. One of his wines called Mistura della Campagna (2004 vintage) is a blend of Dolcetto, Barbera, Sangiovese, Refosco, Aglianico, Schioppetino, Montepulciano, Corvina, and Freisa — and it's very good! Mitchell Katz Livermore Valley AVA. Mitchell Katz is a producer of single-vineyard wines, mostly from Livermore Valley. It was established in 1998 on the grounds of the historic Ruby Hill Winery (the grounds appear to be shared with the current Ruby Hill Winery, below). Ruby Hill Livermore Valley AVA. Ruby Hill Winery was originally established in 1887 but burned down in 1989. The recently (April 2008) reopened Ruby Hill is located next to Mitchell Katz (above). They make some good wines, especially the Zinfandel Tawny Port which is sweet but not cloying. Steven Kent Livermore Valley AVA. In general, there is something unique and interesting about every winery — its history, its mission, its terroir, its winemaking techniques, or the excellence of its wines. But not Steven Kent. I'm not saying its wines are horrible; they're fine. But with all the other good and interesting wineries in Livermore Valley, this one is skippable. Blacksmith Square Blacksmith Square, located in downtown Livermore, is a cool little set of shops, including six wineries' tasting rooms. It's a lovely setting, with old brick one-story buildings and a patio in the middle. Some very nice wines can be found here at John Christopher Cellars, Hidden Creek Wine, and Red Skye (the other wineries may have good wines but I haven't visited them). Even though Retzlaff has a tasting room here, go to their winery (above) — it's not far from downtown and is worth the trip. Livermore Valley Towns Livermore I haven't studied the demographics of Livermore; I don't know about its growth, income levels, etc. But from walking around, it seems as though downtown Livermore is not thriving (there a quite a few empty storefronts) but has tremendous potential (it is beautiful and in the midst of a wonderful wine region). It has a few good restaurants (including the aforementioned Wente), so if you are doing a tour of the Livermore Valley wine region, this wouldn't be a bad place to stay.

Comments

Nice Post!

Just stumbled on you page, I grew up in Livermore and was really surprised to see the wineries made a comeback. Most of the old ones were abandoned and we used to wander the properties on our bikes as kids finding old bottles of wine everywhere turning to vinegar!!! Not a soul in sight in what seemed to be a dying community -;0)

-- John Adams