As one of California’s oldest wine regions, Livermore Valley began its wine odyssey in 1840 with the planting of the regions’ first wine grapes. It went on to become the leading wine region in the state, with more than 50 wineries. In fact, the first Grand Prix Award for a US wine was won by a Livermore winery at the 1889 Paris Exposition. When Prohibition put a stop to most of the wine production in the region, C.H. Wente‘s and James Concannon‘s wineries survived by making sacramental wine.
Livermore’s vineyards are the source of vines planted all over California and Oregon, including the vast majority of California Chardonnays. The region has produced award-winning Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonny for six decades. The wineries range from small-family owned operations to historic leaders of the California wine industry.