Livermore Valley Vintners Overcome the Odds to Create Thriving Industry

The Livermore Valley has an east-west orientation, making it unique among northern California winegrowing regions, according to the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association. "The east-west orientation of the valley allows the coastal fog and marine breezes to come in from the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay and cool the valley's warm air, resulting in warm days and cool nights ideal conditions for producing fully-ripened, balanced fruit," notes the association. Perhaps that explains why the Livermore Valley was California's primary grape-growing area before the National Prohibition Act was passed in 1919. Before the law banned the production and sales of alcoholic beverages across the United States, between 60 and 70 wineries in Livermore Valley produced a variety of prized wines.

Note to our Readers: Here is the second installment of our story on the history of wine in the Tri-Valley. The work undertaken in developing these pieces produced a treasure trove of fascinating history that is all part of the vibrant and important industry we see around us today. We look forward to coming back to this topic to relate more of what we found in future issues and, until that time, hope you will enjoy this current offering.

Prohibition nearly destroyed American viticulture. Most vintners either removed their vineyards entirely or replaced existing vines with table grapes or with thick-skinned grape varieties that could withstand long shipping distances so they could sell the grapes to hobbyist winemakers, who were allowed under the law to make wine at home.

Wente and Concannon were the only two Livermore Valley wineries to survive the long years of Prohibition. They managed to survive partly by making and selling sacramental wines to churches. That and medicinal wine, allowed to be prescribed by doctors, were other exceptions under Prohibition. Wente also went into the dairy business during that time and planted lots of hay and grain, according to Philip Wente, whose great-grandfather founded Wente Vineyards in 1883, the same year Concannon was founded. The new focus was not as lucrative as wine for Wente, but provided steady enough business to keep the company afloat.

After Prohibition

Nearly 2,500 American wineries existed prior to Prohibition. When Prohibition ended in December 1993, fewer than 100 remained. Some 10 to 15 wineries reopened in the Livermore Valley area after Prohibition ended, but not all of them flourished as challenges continued for the industry and the nation.

In 1934 the Wine Institute of California was established to support California wineries but that was no easy task. America was still climbing out of the national economic disaster known as the Great Depression, which began in 1929 and ended 10 years later. By 1933, the worst year of the depression, half of American banks had failed and an estimated 15 million Americans-more than 20% of the population-were unemployed. Even so, Livermore Valley vintners never gave up. In 1936, Wente Vineyards produced the first ever varietally-labeled Chardonnay, which made Livermore Valley the first region in the US to label and market varietal wines.

The Great Depression ended in 1939, the same year that World War II began. It is no wonder that the California wine industry struggled until 1949, when the state's vineyards produced approximately 50 million cases of wine.

"The pairing of wine with recipes was an important aspect of wine education in post-Prohibition America as trade organizations and vintners alike encouraged people to think of wine as part of a meal," according to National Museum of American History, which keeps "The Story of Wente Wines" in its collection. This marketing booklet was produced in 1954 by what was then called the Wente Bros. and includes recipes for various dishes and complementary food and wine pairings. This educational approach may have helped the California wine industry reach steady growth by 1960, when it produced just over 54 million cases of wine. Livermore Valley wineries were still actively making history; in 1961, Concannon Vineyard produced the first ever varietally labeled Petite Sirah.

An astonishingly high number of wineries-more than 200-were established in Livermore Valley in the 1970s. That number dropped dramatically; by the late 1980s only six remained. A variety of factors contributed to that drop. One of them was a growing demand for housing, which began to threaten agricultural land. In response, Alameda County and the cities of Livermore and Pleasanton began a multi-year planning process to save the famous wine area from overdevelopment. Those efforts resulted in the South Livermore Valley plan, which requires housing development to be combined with the preservation of agricultural areas as a mechanism for maintaining the now world-famous wines and vineyards of the Livermore Valley.

Livermore Valley Today

Today the Livermore Valley wine region has some 50 wineries and more than 5,000 acres of vineyards. The historic Wente and Concannon wineries continue to thrive among a host of neighboring wineries that range from small efforts that produce limited releases of 100 cases to industry giants that produce up to 400,000 cases.

The local wine industry produces highly prized wine. In addition to that, the industry contributes to the wonderful quality of life enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. It does that in part by providing employment through the wineries, in part by contributing to the beauty of the area, and in part by helping draw nearly two million visitors eager to visit local wineries, eat at local restaurants, and experience related events.

Year-round events help keep visitors coming and wineries busy. This year local wineries have teamed up with local Bay Area artists to create the first annual Painted Barrel Trail. On weekends from February through March 11, 2018, guests can follow the Barrel Trail to sample great wines and enjoy the colorful and original barrel artwork. Visitors will also have the opportunity to participate in a Painted Barrel Raffle and, if they win, bring a unique wine barrel home as well as a case of wine. Several local restaurants have also partnered with local wineries to offer special Painted Barrel Brunches on Saturday, March 10.

Another notable upcoming wine event is this year's Annual Wine Stroll in Pleasanton. For the three hours of the stroll, more than 25 downtown locations will become tasting rooms starting at 5 pm on Saturday, May 19.

For more information about Livermore Valley vineyards, please visit the Livermore Valley Wine Growers Association at: www.lvwine.org.

For more information about the Painted Barrel Trail and Barrel Tasting Weekend, please visit Visit Tri-Valley at: visittrivalley.com/event/barrel-tasting-weekend-livermore-valley.

For more information about Pleasanton's Annual Wine Stroll, please visit Downtown Pleasanton at: www.pleasantondowntown.net/event/details/430.

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