Livermore Valley Wine Region

“Northern California’s Other Wine Country”

by Jerome Richard

Just over the gentle hills that lie southeast of Oakland lie a trio of small valleys that are presently balanced between rural charm and Bay Area suburbia. For now, rural charm dominates, but with high tech industries and a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) line, the metropolitan Oakland-San Francisco area is clearly encroaching.  To taste its rural charm, see it now.

You can literally taste it in the Livermore Valley which has a wine history going back to the 1840s. It is not a threat to the more famous Napa and Sonoma Valleys for wine touring, but it is attractive in its own way. They bill it as “Northern California’s other wine country.” Livermore is one of three neighboring valleys that promote themselves as the Tri-Valley area (the other two are Amador and San Ramon), but most of the wineries are in Livermore. The unusual east-west alignment of the valley funnels in cool maritime breezes. The region should not be confused with the much hotter San Joaquin Valley further east.

There are about 20 wineries in the area but the largest by far is Wente Vineyards. It was first established by C.H. Wente in 1883, making it and Concannon the oldest vineyards in the valley. (Call it Senior Wente). The original 48 acres have grown to almost 3,000 and Wente wines are sold in over 120 countries, but it is still run by the Wente family. Of course, wine tastings and tours are available.

The nearby Wente Vineyards Restaurant and Visitors Center includes an 18-hole golf course designed by Greg Norman and a world-class restaurant. In fact, dining on the patio at Wente is the quintessential California experience. The handsomely tailored estate includes an organic garden that helps supply the restaurant.  This facility rivals anything in Napa or Sonoma.

n the summer there are concerts in an outdoor amphitheater. The summer of 2001 featured performances by such acts as Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, and the Buena Vista Social Club. You can combine the best of all of these worlds because outdoor seating at the restaurant also gives you good seats for the show. Concerts are in the evening, so you can get in a round of golf first, but don’t forget to visit the winery and taste the wines.

Concannon, the next largest winery in the valley, invites visitors for tastings every day except holidays and tours on weekends. You are also welcome to picnic on their lawn. They also offer wine classes, a three hour “Boot Camp for Wine,” and structured wine tastings on Thursday evenings, all at modest fees. Call the winery for times and reservations.

The other wineries are small; some are family operations. Most of them will provide tastings and tours but request notification in advance. Many also sell food and provide picnic facilities. You can get complete information from the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association.

Of course, there are many other things to do in the Tri-Valley area. You can ride an historic steam train on a leg of the original transcontinental railroad through Niles Canyon, scene of many silent movies by Charlie Chaplin and Tom Mix.

The Orchid Ranch in Livermore houses three different orchid nurseries. The five acre ranch covering 28,000 feet of greenhouses is open for visitors every day except Monday. Established shortly after World War II, the Orchid Ranch supplies florists all over the world. If you have a question about orchids, or just like looking at them, this is the place.

Visit historic downtown Pleasanton. It is one of the few town to retain its 1930s era street arch. The silent movie “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm” was shot here. The seven blocks along Main Street present the visitor with a range of construction dates from the 1860s to the 1950s, and while none of the buildings are spectacular they do offer a hodgepodge of styles, including Spanish Colonial, Mission Revival, Italianate, Victorian, and more. Just off Main Street is an 1852 adobe building that is on the National Register of Historic     

Buildings. Constructed as a barn in 1852, it became the town’s first jail. Bandits, including the notorious Joaquin Murrietta and “Three Fingers” Jack Garcia, were housed there. Pick up a Walking Tour Guide at the Visitor’s Bureau.

Accommodations in the Tri-Valley area range from authentic Victorian Bed & Breakfast homes to the luxurious Hilton Pleasanton at the Club. The Hilton will pick you up at the BART station in Pleasanton or at the Oakland airport.

The east-west route through the region is Interstate-580 out of Oakland. 

Wente Restaurant & Visitors Center, 5050 Arroyo Road, Livermore, CA 94550. Phone: 925-456-2400 (visitors center); 925-456-2450 (restaurant).

Wente Vineyards, 5565 Tesla Road, Livermore, CA 94550. Phone: 925-456-2300. www.wentevineyards.com

Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association, phone: 925-447-9463. http://www.livermorewine.com.

Fordyce Orchids, 1330 Isabel Ave., Livermore, CA 94550. Phone: 925-447-1659.

Niles Canyon Railway, P.O. Box 2247, Niles Station, Fremont, CA 94536.  Phone: 925-862-9063. http://www.ncry.org

Tri-Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau, 260 Main St., Pleasanton, CA 94566. Phone: 925-846-8910 or 1-888-874-9253. www.trivalleycvb.com

Wente restaurant photo courtesy Wente Vineyards; Wente golf course and Rios-Lovell courtesy TriValley CVB.

Pleasanton photo © J. Richard