Lively scene inside, out in Livermore
Winery Adventure: Concannon Vineyard
On a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon, the air is filled with music. Balloons mark celebrations, casual feasts are spread out on picnic blankets on the Concannon Vineyard lawn and pitchers of white and red sangria, spiked with chunks of fruit, make the rounds.
One of the oldest, most venerable wineries in the Livermore Valley, Concannon is anything but stodgy — especially on weekends. An outdoor wine lawn pavilion is party central, serving wine by the casual stemless glass or bottle. You can order pitchers of white or red sangria ($ 6 glass, $ 20 pitcher) on tap, made with flipflop riesling or flipflop merlot. Bring a picnic or pick one up at the winery’s Underdog Wine Bar to enjoy on the lawn.
There’s a lively scene inside the tasting room, as well, with folks vying to sample everything from pinot noir to petite sirah,
At the lawn pavilion, we enjoyed a glass of the 2013 Concannon Pinot Grigio ($ 8), a floral, fruity wine that was crisp and refreshing. In the tasting room, the 2011 Reserve Nina’s Cuvée Petite Sirah ($ 36) is big and bold, with lush black and blue fruit, baking spices and mocha notes.
Page Mill Winery, Steven Kent Winery Concannon Vineyard’s outdoor wine lawn pavilion is party central, serving wine by the casual stemless glass or bottle. the grape most associated with Concannon.
Taste six reserve wines for $ 10. Lawn tables are available by reservation or on a first- come, first- served basis. Dogs on leash are welcome on the lawn. The tasting room is open daily from 11 a. m. to 4: 30 p. m. During the summer, the lawn pavilion is open from 11 a. m. to 5: 30 p. m. 4590 Tesla Road, Livermore; www. concannonvineyard. com