Drink: What do you get when you blend vineyard hikes and wine tasting? Irresistible ‘wiking’ options.
Livermore wineries set the scene and provide the sips for an adventurous pairing
We like wine. We like hiking. And “wiking” — wine + hiking — is the wine-adventure fusion we didn’t even know we were missing.
Wiking has become a thing in recent years, a trend embraced by wineries from Sonoma to Livermore and beyond. Some offer vineyard hikes followed, preceded or pleasantly interrupted by a wine tasting. Others are situated so conveniently close to park trails, it’s enough to inspire all sorts of DIY wine country rambles. You can get outdoors, take a hike, sip wine and repeat.
Murrieta’s Well, a secluded vineyard and winery on Mines Road in Livermore that’s part of the Wente wine family, offers guests a chance to hike the vineyards while enjoying breathtaking valley views. The 1.5-mile guided hike takes about 75 minutes, as participants learn about the vineyard’s ins and outs and the winery’s small-lot winemaking practices. Afterward, sip through a lineup of handcrafted wines paired with small bites from the winery’s culinary team. Or join the Sunset Hiking Experiences being offered this month and enjoy those golden hour views with a bottle of wine and a sunset picnic.
If you prefer to create your own wiking experience, the 5.2mile Livermore Winery Loop makes it easy to design a custom blend of hiking and wine tasting. Ruby Hill Winery — which straddles the PleasantonLivermore border — anchors one end, offering several different flight options so you can pick and choose based on your own palate. Then add the wineries of your choice, Cora Vina Wine, perhaps, or Picazo Vineyards, Tenuta Vineyards or Fenestra Winery.
The city’s beloved Sycamore Grove Park centers it all, offering an easy 3-mile trail with towering trees, active wildlife and cute photo ops, including a wooden bridge. It’s the perfect spot for a hike before stopping at nearby vineyards. There are two park entrances, so choose wisely based on your next moves.
Some of my favorite Livermore vino comes from Las Positas Vineyards, which offers tastings, food pairings and live music on Friday nights for the 21-and-up crowd, just 2 miles from one of the park’s entrances. Also close by: Wente Vineyards’ original, historic property with a golf course, restaurant and tasting lounge.
And you’ll find Dante Robere Vineyards just across the street from the Sycamore Grove entrance. The indoor tasting room has reopened, but the patio is so lovely, we suggest requesting an outdoor perch. The views of vineyards and rolling hills makes a spectacular backdrop for the lineup of awardwinning estate syrahs, syrah blends and more.
IF YOU GO
Murrieta’s Well: This Livermore winery’s guided hikes ($75) begin at 10 a.m. on the third Saturday and Sunday of each month. The Sunset Experience ($65) is offered at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 26. Make reservations at least 72 hours ahead. Find the winery at 3005 Mines Road in Livermore; murrietaswell.com.
Dante Robere Vineyards: Open from 1 to 5 p.m. Fridays and 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends at 1200 Wetmore Road in Livermore. Make reservations for patio tables at danterobere.com.
Las Positas Vineyards: Open from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday (reservations recommended) at 1828 Wetmore Road in Livermore; www.laspositasvineyards.com. Ruby Hill Winery: Open from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily — weekend reservations required — at 400 Vineyard Ave. in Pleasanton; www.rubyhillwinery.net.
Wente Vineyards: Open from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday-Sunday. You’ll need reservations. 5050 Arroyo Road in Livermore; wentevineyards. com.