Livermore Valley

Located just 30 miles east of San Francisco, this 237,000-acre region in Alameda County (and within the larger San Francisco Bay AVA) was one of the first AVAs established in California in 1982.  The region is known for its unique gravel-based soils and the cooling marine winds that travel down the valley in the afternoons from San Francisco Bay.

Winegrapes have been cultivated here since 1844, when Robert Livermore planted the first commercial vines, and nearly 80 percent of California Chardonnay vines can trace their genetic roots to a Livermore Valley clone.  The Wente and Concannon wineries were among the first founded here in the late 1800s and are still industry leaders in production today.

Livermore Valley has more than 5,000 acres of winegrapes and about 50 wineries.  Petite Sirah and Sauvignon Blanc are among Livermore’s most successful varieties, while Chardonnay, Semillon, Merlot, and  Italian and Rhône varieties also thrive in the region’s fertile canyons and ridge tops.

Livermore Valley Winegrowers: www.LVwine.org
info source: http://www.lvwine.org/history.php
and http://wine.appellationamerica.com/wine-region/Livermore-Valley.html