The Livermore blend
What happens when six winemakers blend personalities and grapes? The winemakers of Livermore Valley Vintners’ Collective — Aaron Luna of Fenestra Winery, Brent Amos of Las Positas Vineyards, Dane Start of Page Mill Winery, Rhonda Wood of Wood Family Vineyards, Steve Burman of 3Steves Winery and John Marion of Big White House Winery — have spent the last three years looking at the role personality plays in crafting wine.
The parameters of their project were simple. Use 100% Livermore Valley grapes — 30% to 40% merlot and 30% to 40% syrah, with no more than 25% cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, petite sirah or zinfandel and 5% of the varietal of their choice — to make a blend that showcases the very best of their region. Barrels? Fifty percent new oak. No additives. And the final wines would spend a minimum of six months aging in bottle before being released at the same time. We haven’t tasted the first batch but we can tell you they’re showing well: All the LVVC wines from the inaugural vintage earned medals at the recent San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the largest North American wine competition.
Now you can taste them for yourself. The first vintage, six editions of the 2017LVVC Red Blend ($42 each), will be released Friday through March 15 and available for tasting and purchase at each LVVC member winery. Buy a bottle and you’ll be given a passport to visit and taste at the other five wineries. The wines also will be available April 17-19 and May 1517. Find details on these and other Livermore Valley wineries at www. lvwine.org.