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The Livermore Valley AVA is located within Alameda County in the San Francisco Bay region of California’s Central Coast. It’s one of the oldest regions, with a grape-growing history that dates back to the 1700s, beginning with missionaries planting grapes for ceremonial wines and expanding with the pioneer settlements into the 19th century. The region is named for Robert Livermore, who founded the first commercial vineyard in the 1840s. The successful vineyard started by James Concannon in 1883 has been named a historical landmark. By 1889, wines from Livermore Valley were winning gold at the Paris Exposition. It’s also the region that is credited with the first varietal labellings of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Petite Syrah and it is thought that a large percentage of Chardonnay vines grown today are descendants of Livermore Valley vines.

Once it recovered from the triple threat of Phylloxera, the Prohibition and the Great Depression it emerged as one of the state’s most innovative and high quality regions. The benefits of cooling winds off the Pacific Ocean mixed moderate sunshine and well-drained, gravel soils ensure a long growing season for well-balanced grape-growing. Today, in addition to popular Bordeaux and Burgundy varietals, Livermore Valley also grows Rhone and Spanish grapes such as Syrah, Viognier and Tempranillo. ~Amanda Schuster
 
– Description from Amanda Schuster

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Description 2 of 2

put California on the international wine map in 1889, capturing America’s first gold medal at the Paris Exposition. The winemaking history here is long and fascinating, beginning in 1844 when Robert Livermore (an English sailor) jumped ship and planted the first vineyards. The Wente and Concannon vineyards, established in the 1880s, are still industry leaders in production today.

Livermore Valley boasts one of the original U.S. appellations granted by the BATF way back in October, 1982. This designation was largely based on the unique, gravel-based soils and the marine winds that are drawn into the valley every afternoon from San Francisco Bay. As with Santa Clara Valley, wineries here struggle with the relentless pressures of urban expansion throughout the Bay Area. About 40 wineries survive, not only on grapes grown in the Livermore Valley, but also from grapes sourced in surrounding appellations. Livermore Valley has always had a strong reputation for the Bordeaux white varietals and continues to produce remarkable Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, even though acreage devoted to these two stars continues to dwindle. – Description from Appellation America (view original content)

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