Livermore Valley, located east of San Francisco Bay, is one of California’s oldest and most influential wine regions. Spanish missionaries planted the first vines in the area in the 1760’s, laying the ground for pioneers like as Charles Wetmore, who established the first commercial vineyard in 1882, and Carl Wente, founder of Wente Vineyards in 1883. Wente made history by producing the first varietally labeled Chardonnay, changing the course of how consumers select their wines. Livermore’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay allows coastal fog and marine breezes to flow inland, cooling the valley’s warm daytime air. This combination of warm days and cool nights create ideal conditions for the development of concentrated, ripe grapes with balanced acidity. More than fifty grape varieties grow in the valley, including Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Author: Maytte Rivera
