THE LIQUIDITY
OF LIVERMORE
WINEMAKING HAS A ROBUST
HISTORY IN LIVERMORE VALLEY.
Livermore Valley wine culture has
aged well over the centuries since
Spanish missionaries began growing
wine grapes in the 1760s. Robert
Livermore realized the area’s
potential value, planting the first
commercial vines in the 1840s. The
quality of the regional wines was
confirmed at the 1889 International
Paris Exposition, when judges
awarded the Grand Prix to a white
from Cresta Blanca Winery (the site
of Wente today)—a first for an
American wine.
The Livermore Valley’s distinct
terroir makes it a prime wine
location. Surrounded by coastal
range mountains and foothills, the
area has a unique gravel-based soil,
which increases flavor concentration
in the grapes. Coastal fog and
marine breezes come in from the
Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay
every afternoon, cooling the warm
air in the valley. This mix of sunny
days and chilly nights creates ideal
conditions for fully ripened and
balanced fruit.
As a testament to this optimal
setting, early wineries Wente
Vineyards and Concannon Vineyard
have thrived since they were both
founded in 1883. The Livermore
Valley AVA was formed in 1982, and
in the ensuing years, more growers
and winemakers have flocked to the
area. In 1993, only 13 wineries were
members of the Livermore Valley
Winegrowers Association; to date,
there are nearly 60 wineries.
NEXT-GENERATION
WINEMAKERS
MEET TWO 30-SOMETHINGS WHO ARE BRINGING
THEIR A-GAME TO LIVERMORE’S WINE SCENE.
Youth isn’t always wasted on the young. Not when the
young are making world-class wine.
Take Dave Hendrickson, 34, one of several upand
coming Livermore Valley vintners at the
vanguard of the region’s vibrant wine scene.
As the head winemaker at Occasio Winery,
Hendrickson draws on small lots of cabernet
sauvignon, chardonnay and other
Bordeaux-style varietals that have
found a natural home in Livermore,
producing wines with a vivid sense
of place. He also distills gin, whiskey
and eau-de-vie under Occasio’s justlaunched
Sidewinder Spirits Company,
which is set to release its first bottles next
year. “Distillation is a beautiful process,”
Hendrickson says. “And working at a small winery
has given me an opportunity to explore it.”
Another young winemaker with a taste for adventure
is Collin Cranor, 34, who founded Nottingham
Cellars with his parents in 2009.
Sourcing from Livermore vineyards,
Cranor coaxes cabernet sauvignon,
merlot and other select fruit into wines
of wonderful complexity. Because
he also has a passion for Rhone-style
wines such as grenache and petite
sirah, Cranor makes those, too, under
the Vasco Urbano Wine Company label.
“Livermore is a lot like midvalley Napa,”
Cranor says. “When you plant the right
clones in the right places, you get incredibly
expressive wines.”
SIP ‘N STAY WEEKEND
STAYING OVERNIGHT IN THE TRI-VALLEY IS RECOMMENDED IF
YOU’RE GOING WINE TASTING. WE MAKE A SWEET DEAL EVEN
BETTER WITH THIS LODGING PROMOTION.
Purchase a Tri-Valley Wine Pass for your
next weekend getaway to the Tri-Valley and
receive exclusive Sip ’N Stay discounts to select
Clean + Safe Certified hotels in our area. Each
Tri-Valley Wine Pass includes a tasting flight
at several local wineries and is delivered
instantly to your mobile phone at a 40% savings
to you. Click here to see what’s included.
sip n stay weekend
Purchase a Tri-Valley Wine Pass for your next weekend getaway to
Tri-Valley and receive exclusive Sip ‘N Stay discounts to select
Clean + Safe Certified hotels in our area. Each Tri-Valley Wine Pass
Liquid Assets / WINE
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