Barrel Tasting Weekend in Livermore Valley

The Livermore Valley is rich with agricultural history, hops, olives, fruit orchards, and especially wine. Unlike some of the newer or more prominent wine-growing regions in California, Livermore is a champion of an underdog, and wine isn’t a new crop of this region. In fact, wine grapes have grown here since the mid-1700′s, and it was the first place where Petit Sirah was cultivated for commercial production in the United States.

It is one of my favorite spots to go when I crave a new viticultural discovery – the tasting rooms are friendly and less crowded than in neighboring Napa, the prices are reasonable, the people are jolly, and the sun is hot. Lavender is planted everywhere, so when I say the air smells sweet, I really mean it. (Rows of regal, columnar cypress trees don’t hurt the atmosphere either.)

Coming the weekend of March 19 and 20 is the once-a-year chance to taste the previous years results, straight from the barrel. Some will go straight to the bottle, others will be blended by masters of their craft. Your ticket to the Barrel Tasting Weekend earns you two days of tasting at wineries open throughout the valley, plus several enticing events like a blending lesson at Eckert Estate Winery at 1 and 3p each day.

Pick and choose your favorites, there are a surprising number of wineries in the area. Some are more well-known than others. Concannon, for instance, is a name you might find on the shelves of Safeway and the like, but the wines they pour at the estate are really stellar (I’m partial to the 100% grenache). The estate itself is a sight to behold, especially if you get a glimpse of the bottling plant, what the winemaker calls “the UN of winemaking.”

Les Chenes is tiny but very worthwhile – there’s a magnificent rose garden and romantic picnic area next to the tasting room. La Rochelle is another favorite, coming from six generations of Livermore winemakers from the Marissou family. Cedar Mountain and Fenestra are very committed to sustainable practices – they both are nearly off-grid with the amount of solar energy they harness!

Livermore Valley may still hold the stigma of the Livermore Labs, but from the chats I’ve had with scientists who work there or have retired, there are a number of eco-minded projects in progress. And this area is committed to its agriculture, and sustainable future. Developers who wish to build in the area must purchase and preserve two acres of land for agricultural purpose for every one acre on which they build. Good thing, because there are some seriously amazing hiking trails around these parts too. I see the area as a little paradise – as soon as you venture off the highway you see the rolling hills, flecked with green acres, wild trees, and myriad small batch wineries that are more inviting than almost any other wine region I’ve tasted through. They hold the promise of the unknown, backed up by historic roots. Just my kind of place.

My reminder: Remember to carry along a designated driver, or make sure you use those stainless steel barrels for post-taste spitting. (So glad my hubby isn’t fond enough of vino to mind being mine!)

PS. There are more photos on the GrassRoutes Flickr stream here, and remember you can click on almost any of the photos you see on my posts to get there too!

Good Idea

Taste wine off the beaten track. You might find a more consistent experience along the busy corridors of California’s most famous wine-growing regions, but here in Livermore there’s so much potential for discovery. The area has many influences – historic, scientific, agricultural – and promises adventure to even the most well-traveled of California wine aficionados. The committment to sustainability is something that’s taken very seriously around the valley, and when things are run on a smaller scale like most of these wineries, they can more easily and efficiently incorporate environmentally-safe procedures and make change.

Deets

Livermore Valley Barrel Tasting Weekend 2011, March 19-20, 12-4:30p each day, buy tickets here, get more info and directions here