Wine & Wineries

Taste Our Terroir’s sold out lineup of seminars and outings this year ran the gamut from a rosé party at Retzlaff to a falconry demonstration with Kimmie Spears, of Embodied Wines, at el Sol. There were bubbles at Page Mill and Somm Secrets revealed at McGrail, but nothing had the Midas touc…

For the very first time in all the years of this event, parity was achieved on the number of white and rosé wines vs. red — eight of each. Had Darcie Kent Winery participated as planned, (unforeseen circumstances prevented their appearance), there would have been one more red offering, as th…

Valley Humane Society has forged a partnership with Darcie Kent Vineyards to benefit local dogs and cats through the sale of Dog Day Cabernet, which is newly available at eight Northern California Costco warehouses.

Tickets are available to the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association’s annual food and wine pairing contest that partners wineries with Bay Area chefs to compete for coveted honors.

After the big 4th of July Holiday, with all its hot diggity excitement and overload of beer and cocktails, you might be looking for something a bit different to wag your fun meter. How about a luau at two of the most scenic spots in the Valley?

The very fact that Concannon Vineyard wines still are made in a deliberate and intentional manner, with great respect to the land from which the grapes draw life, and in keeping with the longstanding tradition of this historical brand, is something of a miracle. They are effectively a small …

Viognier is an aromatic delight, typically with floral notes singing of white peaches, apricots, tropical fruits, sometimes grapefruit, jasmine, and, almost always, honeysuckle. The taste provides more of the same and has an undeniable sweetness but not an icky sweetness. You get a full roun…

John Kinney and Dave Hendrickson have been hard at work perfecting the three new gins they are set to bottle, now that they have label approval on two out of the three. “Learning the TTB rules for distillates takes a little navigating,” admits Kinney. “We’ve learned a lot about how to do spi…

Vineyards all over the Livermore Valley are bursting forth with the beauty of spring, and the first sign of life returning to dormant vines. Bud break is typically first seen in Chardonnay, that harbinger of spring, that promises us a golden reward come fall.

The Painted Barrel Trail will be part of the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association Barrel Tasting Weekend, March 23 and 24. Local artists, some of whom are winemakers, have expressed themselves on the outside of the barrel, as well as in. Following are examples of creativity and inspirati…

About a dozen wineries have teamed up with local artists this year to create Livermore Valley’s second annual Painted Barrel Trail. The public is invited to buy raffle tickets for a chance to win a painted barrel, plus a case of wine. Raffle tickets are $20 each, or six tickets for $100, at …

As part of their Twilight Tasting series of benefits for worthy causes, Page Mill Winery has agreed to host a fundraiser for Livermore mechanic, Detlev Hanschke, who is battling a rare form of cancer. The fundraiser will be held on Thursday, February 28, from 4:30 to 8pm, at the Winery. All …

Growing up in an American wine family that is now in its fifth generation of living on and cultivating the same land makes you something of a special breed. While children born to the vine do not always set fruit in this grape-focused business, for Niki Wente, fifth generation grapegrower, i…

Do sweets really pair with wines? The answer is “yes.” At Steven Kent Winery, on February 10, join pastry artist, Melody Anne Lorenzo, owner of Sweet Condesa Pastries in Oakland, for Filipino inspired desserts paired with a flight of Steven Kent wines, plus wines from around the world. Steve…

The options for spending Valentine’s Day are coming fast and furious. Choose your favorite winery, or perhaps someplace you’ve not yet been. Then, it’s Presidents’ Day weekend, with plenty more to tempt your calendar to fullness.

January is that transition month, named for Janus, the Roman god of doors, who is depicted looking forward at the new year and back at the old. We sometimes find it hard to move forward out of the holidays, but time marches on, and soon it will be March and barrel tasting will be upon us. Bu…

Have you experienced the pleasure of a wine cruise yet? If so, like many, you’re ready to book your next. If not, perhaps 2019 is your year. With several Livermore Valley wineries planning European cruises this coming year, it might be time to get on the boat.

As the sun sinks lower in the sky and the sunsets ratchet up the drama to 11, especially with the wildfire smoke in the air, you know the seasons are changing, even if the days remain warm and some grapes still hang. It’s time to get out and enjoy the splendid fall colors before all the leav…

The 2018 harvest will undoubtedly go down as one for the record books, in a good way, as opposed to last year, when extreme heat scorched the day. This year, the cool summer weather has meant a longer hang time than in the drought years of 2012—2016. Many vineyards are reporting a slightly b…

Local family-run winery, Charles R Vineyards, adds depth and a fresh artistic nuance to boutique wine offerings with their new winemaker, Lisa Lee. With harvest in full swing, Lisa is hands-on and ready to bring her expertise and unique style to advance the Charles R legacy of delivering qua…

This has been one of those sagas of unbelievable disappointment and dashed hopes, met by promise after unmet promise until, finally, the impossible happens - that dream spot comes along.

Did you know that Concannon Vineyard is only one of a handful of wineries that continuously produced labeled wine throughout Prohibition? Thanks in part to the Catholic church, they remain America’s oldest, ongoing winery under the same family label and stewardship since 1883. That means the…