Wente Vineyards

Infobox Winery
winery_name = Wente Vineyards
winery_
location_city = Livermore, California
location_country = USA
appellation = Livermore Valley AVA
former_name =Wente Brothers Vineyard
other_labels= The Nth Degree Small Lot
year_founded = 1883
first_vintage =
key_people = Karl D. Wente, Winemaker
parent_company =
cases_per_year =
signature_wine = Charles Wetmore Cabernet Sauvignon
varietal1 = Cabernet Sauvignon
varietal2 = Merlot
varietal3 = Zinfandel
varietal4 = Pinot Noir
varietal5 = Syrah
varietal6 = Chardonnay
varietal7 = Viognier
varietal8 = Sauvignon Blanc
varietal9 = Riesling
varietal10 =
other_product1=
other_product2=
other_product3=
other_product4=
other_product5=
homepage= [http://www.wentevineyards.com/ www.wentevineyards.com]
distribution
tasting=

Wente Vineyards is a winery in Livermore, California and holds the distinction of being "the oldest continuously operating, family-owned winery in California." The Wente Estate is registered as California Historical Landmark #957.

History

The winery was established by Carl Wente in 1883 on 47 acres of land.cite book| last =Lichine | first =Alexis | title =Alexis Lichine's Encyclopedia of Wines and Spirits | publisher =Cassell & Company Ltd. | date =1967 | location =London | pages =p.551 ] Having received training in wines while working for Charles Krug of Napa Valley, Wente purchased a few vineyards and land of excellent soil. In 1935 his sons, Ernest and Herman, introduced California's first varietal wine label, Sauvignon Blanc. The efforts of the Wente family, including pioneering night-time mechanical harvesting, have helped establish the Livermore Valley as one of the premier wine-growing areas of California. Since then, it has expanded to over 2,000 acres (8 km²), plus an additional 700 acres (3 km²) in Arroyo Seco.

Wente Clone

The Wente clone is budwood that is used to plant chardonnay at many California winemakers. In 1912, a member of the Wente family took cuttings from the University of Montpellier viticultural nursery in France. Cuttings from the Wente vineyard then spread to a number of other wineries before eventually being certified by the Foundation Plant Materials Service of the University of California, Davis. Clones taken from the certified vines are known as "Wente" or "heat-treated Wente," and clones taken from vines before certification are known as "Old Wente."

Estate

The Wente Estate currently consists of a golf course and club, Tasting Rooms, a catering service, and a gourmet restaurant all nestled in the heart of the vineyards. During the summer, they host Concerts in the Vineyard, featuring performing artists from classics like The Doobie Bros. and Frankie Vallie, to comedians like George Carlin and jazz artists such as Diana Krall.

References

*cite web | url=http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=21388 | title=Alameda | work=California Historical Landmarks | publisher=Office of Historical Preservation | accessdate=2005-08-25
*cite web|url=http://www.adastrawines.com/vineyard/index.shtml|title=Old Wente: A Brief Convoluted History|publisher=Adastra Wines |accessdate=2006-01-24;Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.wentevineyards.com/ Wente Vineyards official site]
* [http://www.winecountrychampionship.com/ Wente Country Championship Golf]