Concannon Vineyard has a proud history of “Firsts.” Always an industry leader, Concannon is the first successful winery to be founded by an Irish immigrant. When James Concannon planted white Bordeaux cuttings in the late 1800s, we became one of the first wineries to make Bordeaux-style wines in California. In 1950, we hired the first professional, female winemaker, Katherine Vajda. In 1961, we introduced America’s First Petite Sirah, sparking a love affair with the variety.
Charles R Vineyard is one of Livermore Valley's big wine secrets - well maybe that's not true with the number of reviews I have found. Charles R is a great little find, here's why:
Great wines at decent prices: The Sauvignon Blanc that they just made is light, crisp and delicious and their cabs which are good too. Service with a smile: It doesn't matter how many people are packed into this little tasting room, they always have the nicest people helping visitors and who simply love to chat about wine. The Charles R Experience: From the sitting on their patio nibbling on food you brought while savoring a glass of their wine to tasting in their tasting room, the overall experience is so "laid-back Livermore".
La Bonne Vie Cellars produces the following wine varietals: Merlot, Riesling, Rosé, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc and Touriga Nacional.
In 1977 Sunol's grape growing tradition was revived by the planting of 55 acres of premium grape varieties on San Francisco Water Company land. In 1984 the Awtreys obtained rights to the Sunol Valley Vineyards and also replanted Elliston's own vineyard at the estate with three acres of Chardonnay. The original carriage house was converted into the winery, and Don Blackburn was hired as Elliston's first winemaker. Trained in Burgundy, Don's wines from 1985 to 1990 were classically Burgundian in style employing French Oak exclusively, barrel fermentation, "sur lie" aging, and malolactic fermentation emphasizing complexity and the unique flavors of the vineyard. Since 1992 the winery and Elliston Estates have been owned and operated by the Awtrey's daughter Donna and her three children Mark, K.J., and David.
Perched atop Crane Ridge overlooking the beautiful Livermore Valley wine country is where you will discover White Crane Winery. As a guest you can enjoy a wide variety of small lot - limited production ultra premium wines.
El Sol has a range of wines, trending more towards reds than whites. Lots of interesting varietals and it seems that they are usually barrel tasting at least a pair of wines at any time.
Retzlaff Vineyards to experience the best of the Livermore Valley. The Taylor Family and our friendly staff look forward to offering you the pleasure of tasting our award winning, finely handcrafted, organically grown estate wines.
Crooked Vine Winery/ Stony Ridge
The original Stony Ridge winery was established in 1887 at the historic Ruby Hills site in Pleasanton, California. In 1975, a group of young enthusiastic winemakers leased the current Livermore property and continued Stony Ridge Winery. In 2000, the Vaughn family purchased the winery and expanded creating an additional label, Crooked Vine.
A nice find as we were wine tasting in Livermore last weekend. As you drive into the parking lot, you immediately forget about everything since the grounds are so gorgeous. There's even an outside patio where you can enjoy your wine and a packed lunch you may have brought with you. The tasting room is HUGE!
The staff was super friendly and helpful, especially since we'd never been to McGrail before. Enjoyed the '08 Picazo Merlot and the '08 Picazo Proprietary Red.
Winemaking is an homage we pay to our inspiration, BoaVentura Baptiste de Caires, who instilled in his grandson, Brett Caires, a passion for relishing the simple things in life: family, food, and wine. From his legacy, Brett and Monique Caires proudly cultivated the winery’s heritage around the concept of “Boa Ventura,” or good venture.
