Livermore Rising

Photo courtesy Concannon Vineyard

Leaning into its rich legacy while leveraging curiosity and collaboration, this Northern California wine region is flourishing once again.

WORDS Kelly Magyarics

Spend enough time in the Livermore Valley, and conversation will inevitably turn to “the lab.” Established during the Cold War as a response to the Soviet Union detonating its first atomic bomb, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is now a federally-funded facility conducting groundbreaking research in nuclear science, biotechnology and technology—there’s even a synthetic chemical element named after it: livermorium.

But the innovative experiments in the Livermore Valley, situated roughly 40 miles east of San Francisco, extend well beyond the laboratory walls. Bolstered by its heritage as a renowned­ wine-producing region, forward-thinking winemakers grow and source grape varieties outside the mainstream and implement alternative production methods while maintaining a laser focus on collectively empowering producers of all generations and years of experience.

Over the years, in fact, the wine community has adopted­ the unofficial motto of “a rising tide lifts all boats,” says Alex Wolfe, winemaker at 3 Steves Winery. “If I make a wine another­ winemaker loves, I will absolutely walk them through how we made it in hopes that they can make another great wine…and so on.”

Behind this current winemaking renaissance is a pedigree that dates to the 1800s. In the 1840s, Robert Livermore planted the first commercial vines here; decades later, winemaker James Concannon planted the first Cabernet Sauvignon in the state, while his contemporary, Carl Wente, planted California’s first Chardonnay. Today, around 80 percent of these two planted varietie­s in California can be traced back to these mother vines. Equally impressive, in 1889, a dry white wine from Charles Wetmore, secretary of the California Viticultural Commission, stunned the crowd by winning the Grand Prix at the International Paris Exposition—almost a full century before Napa wines triumphed at the 1976 Judgment of Paris.

But as the decades passed, the Livermore Valley started­ to take a backseat to showier California wine regions—including­ Napa and Sonoma—becoming more closely associated with the endeavors of that aforementioned lab and boasting the “World’s Fastest Rodeo” rather than its liquid expressions. But that’s changing.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Trailblazers Wente Vineyards and Concannon Vineyard remain­ the largest producers, and Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon still dominate, but in the past few decades, Livermore has grown from 11 to 41 wineries—with exciting results.

“We take great pride in and want to honor our history, but we’re also not solely tied to it,” says Wolfe.

To that end, Wolfe recently started vinifying Cabernet Pfeffer after falling in love with the light body, red fruit character and spicy finish of this rare grape from Bordeaux, where it’s known as Mourtaou. As the grape has become harder to source, his winery decided to graft some in their own vineyard. Fans have warmed up to this unique red wine, whose peppery notes pair well with barbecue and spicy food.

Joe, Jim and Joe Concannon Jr. in 1963 / Courtesy Concannon Vineyard

Labeled Minima, the former is a blend of Barbera, Merlot and Tempranillo, while the latter combines Verdelho, Albariño and Chardonnay; both were vinified traditionally, after which the alcohol was removed.

“Our wines fill a necessary niche in Livermore, as many customers are looking for alternatives to Cab and Chardonnay,” says Amos. The climate here is ideally suited to the classic Iberian varieties he grows, like Tempranillo, Monastrell and Verdelho.

Flowering at 3 Steves Winery / Courtesy 3 Steves Winery

EMBRACING PLACE

Much like the winemaking regions in Santa Barbara County in the southern part of the state, the Livermore Valley runs from east to west, ushering in coastal fogs and marine influences that moderate the climate and allow for slower ripening and longer hang time for the grapes in the vineyard. Though the region was once deemed “too hot” to produce light-bodied reds and aromatic whites, winemakers including Meredith Sarboraria of Rodrigue Molyneaux Winery are countering that long-held belief.

“A lot of Livermore’s wines are acid-driven,” says Sarboraria.

When the owners at Rodrigue Molyneaux Winery were seeking varieties that aligned with their Italian- and Bordeaux-focused portfolio, Sarboraria turned to Dolcetto.

“The great thing about acidic wine is that it brings out a tremendous amount of fresh red fruit and berry,” she says.

Mother Vine Cabernet Sauvignon at Concannon Vineyard / Courtesy Concannon Vineyard

She always takes a restrained approach to oak, using it to season and elevate the fruit and round out the acidity without overpowering the character of the grape. After maturation in vanilla-forward barrels, she’ll bottle the Dolcetto as both a single-variety wine and part of their Cal-Ital blend called Il Segreto, which also incorporates Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Barbera.

Sarboraria is excited about the upcoming first harvest of Fiano and Teroldego—respectively a white and a red grape from Italy. For the Fiano, she is planning to make a bright, fresh, unoaked wine, while she’ll let the character of Teroldego guide her direction for the red.

Meredith Sarboraria, winemaker at Rodrigue Molyneaux Winery / Courtesy Bryan Gray Photography

Though she ultimately lets the fruit speak for itself, each harvest Henkelman researches and converses with her growing partners about what she’s looking for, and samples other winemakers’ version of that grape or blend for added reference.

Steve Ziganti, owner and winemaker of 3 Steves Winery, says that it’s this unifying spirit that makes the Livermore Valley such a special wine region.

“Everyone here works together to make a quality product, with no secrets,” he says, adding that producers regularly meet up for mutual barrel tastings and to review lab results and discuss techniques. “There’s no better way to learn than doing it yourself with expert help from your neighboring wineries, which is the norm.”

Barrels at Las Positas Vineyard / Courtesy Ron Essex Photography

THE RISING TIDE

In Livermore Valley, fellow producers are seen not as competitors, but as comrades, a philosophy which convinced Ziganti to move here and pursue his own winery. During the early stages, he recalls how legends like Mark Clarin of McGrail Vineyards and Dane Stark of Page Mill Winery not only helped him, but became best friends. Ziganti and the team, in turn, have helped three burgeoning wineries get their wings, guiding them through their first vintages and the logistics of running the business.

After Rhonda Wood and her husband Michael purchased a 20-acre parcel in 1995 on which to build a home, raise their kids and learn how to make wine, the former airline pilot recalls how volunteering in area cellars and soliciting advice helped forge her path as a winemaker. Tim Saucer at Livermore Valley Cellars mentored her in small-scale family winemaking, and under his tutelage (and with his equipment), she made her first barrel of Merlot from her own vineyard.

“As my dream was taking flight, I was able to get help from ‘the big guys,’ including former Wente Vineyards winemaker Willy Joslyn and former Concannon winemaker Tom Lane.”

Wood Family Vineyards pays it forward, hiring local­ talent to work as harvest interns and mentoring wine­makers like Rosa “Rosie” Fierro, who launched her winery Rosa Fierro Cellars in Vasco Row, Livermore’s warehouse winery district.

Perhaps nowhere is the collaboration more evident than in the Livermore Valley Vintners Collective (LVVC). Membership is open to any producer who agrees to work together each year to make a blended wine from Livermore fruit, with no more than 50 percent new oak and no additional adjuncts.

Parameters change every other vintage; the upcoming 2020 release includes five varieties, each comprising 20 percent of the blend, and will culminate in a community release party. The group also convenes every month or so to discuss industry trends and future plans for LVVC blends over shared bottles.

“There is a wealth of passion, friendship and the common­ goal of showing the world how we excel at making world-class wines here,” says Wood. “Livermore Valley is really­ what winemaking and the wine industry is, and should always be, about.”