Livermore Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Alameda County, California, centered around the city of Livermore in the Tri-Valley region which is composed of Amador, San Ramon, and Livermore valleys. The valley was named by Robert Livermore, a 19th-century landowner whose holdings encompassed the area who planted the first grapevines in the region. The appellation was established as the nation's nineteenth, the state's thirteenth and the county's initial AVA on September 1, 1982 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by fifteen Livermore Valley vintners and growers proposing a viticultural area in Alameda County named "Livermore Valley."

In 2006, the Livermore Valley viticultural area expanded its boundaries into northern Alameda County and southern Contra Costa County, approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), initiated by the petition submitted by the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association.

History

Livermore Valley's viticultural history began with the planting of vines during the Mission Period (1796–1833). However, at the time, the Valley, part of the Rancho Valle de San José, was more famous for horses than viticulture. The Spanish family names of Bernal, Amador, Pico and Noriega were noted in horse racing circles as far as Mexico City. In 1834, Robert Livermore, an English sailor who deserted ship in 1822, settled in Alta California, became a local businessman and later married a Spanish heiress of the Bernal family. He was a grantee of the Rancho Las Positas in partnership with José Noriega. While Noriega raised horses, Livermore built a large house, planted olives, pears, wheat and the first vines in the valley. He also named the valley after himself. Louis Mel sold his property to his friend, Ernest Wente in 1940 and the property has been part of the Wente family's estate ever since. As of 2024, there are 17 vineyards cultivating approximately and over 50 wineries.

Terroir

Topography

Livermore Valley is one of the coastal intermountain valleys that surround the San Francisco Bay depression. The valley floor is approximately . Starting in the east, the watershed area of Livermore Valley is bounded by the Altamont Hills and Crane Ridge, to the south by Cedar Mountain Ridge and Rocky Ridge, in the west by the Pleasanton Ridge, and in the north by the Black Hills. The valley's geographic location is generally the area covered by the political boundaries of Murray and Pleasanton townships. The elevation where the vineyards are cultivated starts at above sea level and slopes toward the valley floor to about above sea level. The main streams in the valley are the Arroyo Mocho, Arroyo Del Valle, and the Arroyo Las Positas which are formed by the watershed run-off of the previously named ridges.

The drainage pattern is well developed with the streams flowing in a westerly direction. These streams converge about one mile west of the town of Pleasanton and form the Arroyo de la Laguna. This stream in turn joins Alameda Creek and empties into San Francisco Bay. Livermore Valley possesses a predominately gravel based soil and lies on a unique east–west orientation, unlike many other winegrowing valleys.

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Image:CudaRidgeWinesEvent.jpg|Cuda Ridge Wines

Image:RioLovell.jpg|Rios-Lovell Estate Winery

Image:StevenKent.jpg|Steven Kent Winery

Image:DrivewayREtzlaff.jpg|Retzlaff Vineyards Driveway

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See also

  • Bernal Subbasin
  • Mocho Subbasin
  • Pleasanton Fault
  • Tesla Fault

References

  • Livermore Valley Vintners and Growers
  • Livermore Wine Trolley
  • TTB AVA Map