Wineries With Barn Settings in Livermore Valley

For a tasting experience that is authentic to small, family owned wineries, check out these four wineries that sit inside historic, beautiful barn settings.

If you are looking for a family-friendly tasting room, Boa Ventura de Caires Winery is the perfect stop. Between the Instagram-worthy red barn and chickens, there are plenty of photo ops in addition to delicious wines.

Just down the street is the newest location for Leisure Street Winery. Stop by for a laid-back tasting experience in their newly built barn and sip their Swirly Girl Rosé while enjoying the scenery.

While working your way towards the west side of Livermore Valley, make sure to stop at Mitchell Katz Winery, which was the 16th winery to open in Livermore Valley (there are more than 50 today). It is best known for its Fat Boy Cabernet Sauvignon, so make sure to grab a taste.

For the last stop of the day, visit Fenestra Winery, which has been family owned and operated since 1976. Enjoy their beautifully shaded grounds and spend the rest of your late afternoon tasting great wines in a historic building.

Best Wineries for Picnics in Livermore Valley

3 Steves Winery is the perfect place to enjoy a picnic. If it's too chilly for the patio, the barrel room is ideal, and you're sure to discover new Chilean-style wines.

Steven Kent Winery opened in 1996 with a goal to make cabernet sauvignon to rival some of the greatest in the world. Make an appointment for a tasting in their sophisticated Barrel Room, or purchase a bottle to enjoy with a picnic among the vines on their patio.

Cuda Ridge Wines tasting room is located inside the barn of an old olive mill and is known for delicious Bordeaux varietals. If you haven't heard, merlot is back, and Cuda Ridge Wines is ready to show you why.

Just around the corner from Cuda Ridge you will find Dante Robere Vineyards, a winery known for producing an excellent estate-grown syrah. Bring your pup to the shaded patio with rural views for sipping on great, small lot wines.

Caddis Winery is dedicated to producing premier small lot wines and is only open a handful of weekends. Plan your trip accordingly to enjoy some lunch and taste winemaker Chris Sorensen's wines that reflect the terroir and please the palate.

Livermore Valley's urban wine scene is flourishing.

In Livermore Valley Wine Country, the urban wine scene is expanding. Start your journey at Wood Family Vineyards, where you will find wine made exclusively from grapes grown in the Livermore Valley and crafted by former airline pilot and winemaker Rhonda Wood. With live music every Wednesday and Friday night, there's something for everyone.

Longevity Wines produces a little more than 2,000 cases of wine yearly and handles everything from bin to bottle. White wine fans must be sure to taste the award-winning pinot blanc.

Walk right next door for the newest winery on the block, Embodied Wines, where there's a vibrant tasting room and always something fun happening. If you're lucky, you might bump into winemaker Kimmie Orani-Spears and her pet falcons that help her out in the vineyards.

Head on over to Occasio Winery to experience very small batch, expressive wines with an indelible sense of place.

For an urban winery ran by a father-daughter duo, head over to Omega Road Winery, perfect for discovering new varietals.

Ehrenberg Cellars has you covered for fun events—think Paint Night and barre classes—paired with great wine.

Wineries With Killer Views of Livermore Valley

Wine pairs well with a beautiful view, and these wineries have it all.

Eagle Ridge Vineyard promises sweeping views of the Altamont Hills from the patio.

Head down the road to McGrail Vineyards & Winery for panoramic views from their patio and sprawling lawn. With wines crafted only with Livermore Valley grapes, you will get a true taste of the region.

Follow Tesla Road a bit further west and enjoy your time at Murrieta's Well, which serves a variety of wines sourced exclusively from their estate with views onto the vines. Keep an eye on their events calendar to attend a popular guided hike through the vineyards.

Last but not least is Las Positas Vineyards, winners of the San Francisco Chronicle Red Sweepstakes award for their delicious 2016 Estate Malbec. Taste award-winning wine while looking out onto olive orchards and vines as far as the eye can see.

Livermore Valley Wineries for Art Lovers

The first stop on a day filled with art and wine should be Big White House Winery on Greenville Road. The winery is filled with art from the winemaker's sister, Laura Marion, both on the wine labels and on the walls. Sip on big reds while admiring the realistic paintings around you.

El Sol Winery not only has art on its labels but also around the tasting room in the form of handmade jewelry thanks to proprietor Kathy Liske, who is also co-owner of Sol Sisters jewelry company. Stop by for some retail therapy and great wine.

Fifth generation vintner and artist Darcie Kent, of Darcie Kent Vineyards, looks to express the beauty of the vineyards through her passions for both wine and art. She creates all the labels for their award-winning wines, and haer canvases hang throughout the tasting room. Stop by to taste one of their Bordeaux-inspired red blends and take in all the beautiful acrylic and watercolor paintings.

Wente Vineyards, the country's longest, continuously operated family-owned winery, is home to a fun, small lot series of wines named The Artist Series. The collection features art from a different San Francisco Bay Area artist each year. Stop by to taste the wines, enjoy the art on the labels, and learn more about 2019's artist, Lisa Elley.

When you start to feel those creative juices flowing, visit the Winemakers Studio to blend your own perfect bottle of wine.

Eco-Friendly Wineries in Livermore Valley

Cedar Mountain Winery & Port Works is your first stop on a tour of sustainable wine tastings. The Certified Green winery strives to be as sustainable as possible at no compromise, of course, to the quality of their wines. Be sure to ask for their beloved Bellini Bomb recipe.

Page Mill Winery is committed to quality, sustainability, and community through their newest practice of biodynamic farming. Owner and winemaker, Dane Stark, has been practicing organic farming for 14 years, and is excited to take it a step further.

Retzlaff Vineyards & Estate Winery, located on a historic Victorian estate, is proud to produce estate wines from their own organically certified vineyard—no pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, or GMOs. Enjoy the peaceful setting under the pepper trees and among the sprawling vineyards.

Rodrigue Molyneaux Winery is not only home to award-winning wines, but also home to a drought-resistant garden. Owner Nancy Rodrigue has been a lifelong gardener, and her passion can be seen throughout the serene setting. Sip on their sangiovese while admiring the environmentally conscientious setting.

Livermore Valley Wine Country Wedding Venues

Crooked Vine Winery is in the heart of Livermore Valley Wine Country, right on Tesla Road. Enjoy the 180-acre estate vineyard and the abundance of delicious wines that your guests will be sure to remember for years to come.

Garré Vineyard & Winery is another wonderful option, with various locations on the property to make every wedding unique. Enjoy delicious Italian varietals among the classic California setting.

Sunol is a small rural town within the Livermore Valley AVA, just a handful of miles southwest of the city of Livermore. Two wineries here are known for beautiful weddings and great wine. Elliston Vineyards, nestled into a hillside and home to a historic stone mansion dating back 170 years, has space for more 200 guests or an intimate 70-person wedding. Nella Terra Cellars, meanwhile, is located conveniently off I-680 but feels like worlds away. This fairytale venue has lush gardens, vineyard views, and even a creek-fed pond. Enjoy estate-grown viognier and dance the night away.

The Best Dessert Wine and Port in Livermore Valley

The Singing Winemaker is exactly that, and no where else can you experience owner/winemaker Steve Powell sharing both his music and his wonderful dessert wines. Be sure to ask for a taste of the tawny Port called Karen's Kisses, named after Steve's wife.

Just up the road is Rios-Lovell Estate Winery, a must for finding your favorite Port. Order up the Port flight which includes their award-winning Chardonnay-Viognier Port and finishes with three red Ports that will leave you wanting more.

Bent Creek Winery offers Ports with an intense deep color and rich dark fruit aromas and flavors. Enjoy one of their three current Ports to see what Bent Creek is all about.

Travel back on Greenville Road to stumble upon the tranquil Charles R Vineyard, where you can enjoy live music and nature's beauty on their back patio while sipping Ports made in the true Portuguese method. All Ports must be tasted alongside Bonnie's Port Brownies—trust us!