Witnessing the Rebirth of Livermore Valley Wine Country

French poet Paul Valéry observed, “that which has always been accepted by everyone, everywhere, is almost certain to be false.” I like to call this Valéry’s law. I observed this law too frequently when I practiced science, and now I see it today in the popular belief that Livermore Valley is one of the oldest wine producing regions in California. There is, among many, the strong desire for Livermore Valley to be an old winegrowing region, as if age justifies greatness. So strong, in fact, is this desire to be old that people can become upset when I explain that Livermore Valley is a young winegrowing region – among the youngest in the state.

For me, it is our relative youth that is the most inspiring aspect of our history. I find it remarkable that Livermore Valley, in the ten years between 1880 and 1890, was able to transform itself from wheat and grazing lands into one of the finest wine producing regions in the world. Napa and Sonoma had been producing wine for much longer, but without the success of Livermore’s pioneering wineries. Livermore’s meteoric rise was not a flash in the pan; our Valley would remain at the pinnacle of wine quality for another seventy years, until rising land values began to exchange vineyards for home sites.

Two decades ago, winegrowing was revitalized when far sited Valley residents created the South Livermore Plan. Today, Livermore Valley is producing nearly ten times the quantity of wine grapes than it was in 1990. Many of these plantings are now reaching maturity, and are producing fruit of the finest quality.

Now, with the return of the vineyards, Livermore Valley is poised to regain its former stature. Writing over a century ago, famed Sonoma winemaker Charles Bundschu attributed Livermore’s winegrowing excellence to its soils, its climate, and the talent of its winemakers. We have always had the soil and climate, and the vineyard replanting is bringing with it the new winemaking talent we need to take the next step. Truly, these are exciting times, as we witness the rebirth of Livermore Valley Wine Country.