Wente Vineyards is a winery in Livermore, California, that is "the oldest continuously operating, family-owned winery in the United States." The Wente Estate is registered as a California Historical Landmark #957.

History

The winery was established by C.H. Wente in 1883 on 50 acres of land. Having received training in wines while working for Charles Krug of Napa Valley, Wente purchased a few vineyards and land with ideal soil for grape growing. In 1934, his sons, Ernest and Herman, introduced California's first varietal wine label, Sauvignon Blanc and in 1936, they introduced the first vintage labeled Chardonnay. The efforts of the Wente family pioneered night-time mechanical harvesting, led in sustainable viticulture practices and established the Livermore Valley as one of the premier wine-growing areas of California. Since then, it has expanded to over 2000 acre, plus an additional 700 acre) in Arroyo Seco located in the Salinas Valley.

Wente clone

The Wente clone is budwood that is used to plant Chardonnay at many California vineyards. In 1908 Ernest Wente selected cuttings from the Theodore Gier Vineyard in Pleasanton and planted the initial Chardonnay on C.H. Wente’s Hayes ranch. In 1912, 2nd Generation Winegrower Ernest Wente while at UC Davis ordered cuttings with the assistance of Professor Leon Bonnet from the F. Richter Nursery in Montpellier France. Cuttings from the Wente vineyard then spread to a number of other wineries after Prohibition 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

Wente Vineyards also offers a golf course, tasting room, private and public events all nestled in the heart of the Livermore Valley.