Monday, July 2, 2018 / by Abio Properties, Blogger
East Bay Wineries: Luscious Sips for a Long Holiday Weekend
Forget Napa Valley for your next wine tasting tour, because we have something easier. East Bay locals can explore an award-winning wine country much closer to home – in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, where the reds, whites and rosés are ripe for sipping.
Some East Bay wineries, like in the Livermore Valley, are historic and lush with mature vines. Others are uniquely urban and located just blocks from BART and Jack London Square. (As Sunset magazine recently pointed out about East Bay wine tasting: “California’s newest wine country leaves the ‘country’ behind.”)
Hop on the Livermore Wine Trolley or walk the Oakland Urban Wine Trail. Or hit one of the East Bay's many wine and food festivals, like the annual Taste Our Terroir, Livermore Valley’s annual quest for food and wine pairing excellence. Tickets for July 26-29, 2018, are available at www.lvwine.org.
This is a perfect time to test the greatness of local grapes, so let's get this East Bay wine tasting tour started...
Urban Wine
- Brooklyn West Winery Located at 201 3rd St. in the oldest warehouse in the Jack London Square Warehouse District in Oakland.
- Campovida’s The Taste of Place The family-owned winery actually is based in Hopland and uses organic Mendocino County grapes, but you don’t have to drive that far for a sip. Enjoy Campovida at its tasting room in a historic brick building Thursday-Sunday at 95 Linden St. in industrial West Oakland.
- Dashe Cellars Come for the wine, stay for the live music every first Saturday of the month. 55 4th St., Oakland.
- Rock Wall Wine Company This Alameda winery is the project of Shauna Rosenblum, daughter of local winemaking legend Kent Roseblum of Rosenblum Cellars. Enjoy city skyline views at 2301 Monarch St., Alameda.
- Rosenblum Cellars Billing itself as “the original urban winery,” Rosenblum has been making wine since 1978 and is all about the Zin. The tasting room is located just steps from the Oakland Ferry Terminal in the heart of Jack London Square.
- Two Mile Wines Their tag line literally is “Yes we are in Oakland.” Get a taste every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 477 25th St.
- Urban Legend Cellars Try the competition-worthy tempranillo. Open Thursday-Sunday in Oakland's Jack London District at 200 2nd St.
- Urbano Cellars Open Friday-Sunday at 2323 B 4th St., Berkeley.
Livermore Valley
Many wineries are nestled in the area's rolling hills, on or near Tesla and Vasco roads. Drive yourself or take the Livermore Wine Trolley. Download the Livermore wineries app here.
- 3 Steves Winery 5700 Greenville Rd., Livermore
- Bent Creek Winery 5455 Greenville Rd., Livermore
- BoaVentura de Caires Winery These wines are considered truly hand-crafted; the grapes are hand-picked by family and friends. Read about winemaker Brett Caires in this Huffington Post article. 9309 Tesla Rd., Livermore.
- Caddis Winery 7878 Cedar Mountain Rd., Livermore
- Cedar Mountain Winery & Port Works Creativity defines this winery owned by Earl and Linda Ault. Taste their wine and view their art and sculptures on display. Open Friday-Sunday at 10843 Reuss Rd., Livermore.
- Charles R Vineyards 8195 Crane Ridge Rd., Livermore
- Concannon Vineyard The 130-year-old vineyard isn’t stuck in the past when it comes to food pairings, sponsoring summer food trucks events in the summer. The tasting room, a historic landmark, was named one of the Top 25 Most Awesome Tasting Rooms in California by IntoWine.com for its pressed tin ceilings, stone floors and century-old cedar planks. 4590 Tesla Rd., Livermore
- Crooked Vine and Stony Ridge Winery 4948 Tesla Rd., Livermore
- Cuda Ridge Wines 2400 Arroyo Rd., Livermore
- Dante Robere Vineyards1200 Wetmore Rd., Livermore
- Darcie Kent Vineyards Don't forget to tour the art gallery here. Or reserve a guided tasting on their sundeck. Check the calendarfor live music dates. 7000 Tesla Rd., Livermore
- Eagle Ridge Vineyard 10017 Tesla Rd., Livermore
- Eckert Estate Winery and Artisan Spirits Distillery Taste their release of Navy Gin. 5963 Graham Ct., Livermore
- Ehrenberg Cellars 5143 Tesla Rd., Livermore
- Elliston Vineyards The estate is gorgeous and features a neo-Romanesque mansion built in 1890 with graceful stone arches and 32-inch-thick walls of blue sandstone quarried in nearby Niles Canyon. 463 Kilkare Rd., Sunol
- el Sol Winery Open weekends at 8626 Lupin Way, Livermore
- Fenestra Winery 83 Vallecitos Rd., Livermore
- Garre' Vineyard & Winery Make a meal at Garre' Cafe part of your visit. Reservations recommended. 7986 Tesla Rd., Livermore
- Las Positas Vineyards 1828 Wetmore Rd., Livermore
- Leisure Street Winery By appointment only. 503 Leisure St., Livermore
- Les Chenes Estate Vineyards 5562 Victoria Ln., Livermore
- Longevity Wines 2271 South Vasco Rd., Livermore
- McGrail Vineyards and Winery Since McGrail won awards for its Cabernet Reserve in 2012, the winery’s popularity has skyrocketed. Now McGrail is expanding its vineyard with 10 more acres. 5600 Greenville Rd., Livermore.
- McKahn Family Cellars 2245 South Vasco Rd., Ste A, Livermore
- Mitchell Katz Winery 2481 Buena Vista Ave., Livermore
- Murrieta's Well Reservations required. 3005 Mines Rd., Livermore
- Nella Terra Cellars Beautiful wine for beautiful brides! This is a popular spot for tasting and wedding ceremonies. 5005 Sheridan Rd., Sunol
- Nottingham Cellars 2245 C South Vasco Rd., Livermore
- Occasio Winery 2245 B South Vasco Rd., Livermore
- Omega Road Winery 2135 South Vasco Road, Unit C, Livermore
- Page Mill Winery 1960 S. Livermore Ave., Livermore
- Pat Paulsen Vineyards 5143 Tesla Rd., Livermore
- Retzlaff Vineyards 1356 South Livermore Ave., Livermore
- Rios-Lovell Estate Winery Enjoy a panoramic view of surrounding vineyards and mountains. 6500 Tesla Rd., Livermore
- Rodrigue Molyneaux The boutique producer won gold for its 2012 Merlot and Silver for its 2011 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon at the 2016 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. The charming tasting room is a former horse barn, but sipping while picnicking outside also is encouraged. 3053 Marina Ave., Livermore.
- Steven Kent Winery 5443 Tesla Rd., Livermore
- Vasco Urbano Wine Company 2245 C South Vasco Rd., Livermore.
- Wente Vineyards 7x7 magazine recently named Wente a must-visit destination for anyone looking for more than just a wine tasting. Dine at The Restaurant, golf the premiere course, learn about vinification in the Winemakers Studio, and enjoy the summer concert series in the winery's amphitheater. See the summer lineup here. 5565 Tesla Rd., Livermore
Contra Costa County Winegrowers Assoc.
- Campos Family Vineyards 3501 Byer Rd., Byron
- Bhachu Vineyards Call 925.370.0723 for information on how to visit this Alhambra Valley winery in Martinez.
- Bloomfield Vineyards Get a taste at Coco's (the Contra Costa County Wine Company) at 633 First St. in Brentwood.
- Four Fools Winery 13 Pacific Ave. Rodeo
- Hannah Nicole Vineyards 6700 Balfour Rd., Brentwood
- Tamayo Family Vineyards Tastings and tours by appointment only. Call 925.766.8124
- Viano Vineyards 150 Morello Ave., Martinez
A Digestif: East Bay Winery Fun Facts
- East Bay wines go way back. Charles Wetmore's dry white wine from his Cresta Blance vineyard in Livermore Valley won the grand prize at the 1889 Paris Exhibition.
- At least one East Bay varietal has made it into the Smithsonian. A bottle that once held sherry produced by Concannon Vineyards in 1929, at the height of Prohibition, is part of the National Museum of American History collection. Concannon worked around Prohibition by making this legal altar wine for the Catholic Church.
What's your fav East Bay winery? Dashe Cellars in Oakland is one of ours. Come share a glass of vino with us and chat about how Abio Properties can support your dreams of living in the wine country. Call us at 888-400-ABIO (2246) or email at hello@abioproperties.com.
