28250 Tue Mar 09 18:25:57 -0800 2004 10 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 117834 We've got a limo tour of the Livermore Valley wineries and weren't too familiar with the offerings. We'd like to visit the best--anyone have any suggestions? Thanks for your wisdom. (P.S. In addition to tasting wine, we will be eating, lest we fall down. We're leaning towards bringing along our own picnic, but don't know a good spot to enjoy it. Again, we'd love to hear what others have to say on the matter.) Tue Mar 09 18:25:57 -0800 2004 0 chita d. 1 117843 Livermore isn't exactly the hotbed of great chow, so bringing your own is the best plan. Many of the wineries have picnic sites: we had a lovely picnic at Chouinard last spring (on their covered back deck, because it was a wet day), and I the other winery we visited, Thomas Coyne, had picnic tables as well. You can find out more about the wineries at: http://www.livermorewine.com/ Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/23917#91948 Tue Mar 09 19:05:24 -0800 2004 117834 0 Ruth Lafler 2 117851 It's been a few years since I've been out there but I have had very pleasant visits at Cedar Mountain, Chouinard, Elliston and Stony Ridge. Wente is the biggest player in this region, and the winery feels most corporate. In past years, Wente has seemed more interested in reach than quality (Wente was the only California wine we saw in Cambodia a few years back!), but that may have changed. Keep in mind that Wente has significant ownership in Concannon, Murrieta's Well (nice grounds) and Tamas Estates. It can feel like you're in a company town if you concentrate on too many of these in a single visit. Tue Mar 09 19:53:58 -0800 2004 117843 0 amalia 3 117853 Concannon was sold to the Wine Group a while back. Tue Mar 09 19:56:03 -0800 2004 117851 0 Tom Hall 1 117854 I just went tasting out there for the first time. My favorite stop was definitely Cedar Mountain. They had a nice merlot (and I'm not a merlot fan) and some decent ports. Friendliest and least crowded too. Also visited Wente (sparkling wine was okay, the rest forgettable), Concannon (actually weren't pouring because of some kind of event), and Thomas Coyne. I've had the Coyne viognier before and liked it (though it's been driving me nuts because I can't remember where it was I had it). Anyway, Coyne was a letdown because they apparently alternate weekends between their bordeaux grapes and rhone grapes, and so they didn't have the viognier or the other wines I wanted to try available for tasting. It was also very crowded and a poorly laid out tasting area. -Nick Tue Mar 09 20:00:54 -0800 2004 117834 0 nja 1 117858 wente dining room is lovely..u might need a res tho..everything on menu is tasty esp salmon..good salads Tue Mar 09 20:42:46 -0800 2004 117834 0 kc casey 1 117859 murietta's well is supposed to have good zin, but the bottle i had was just ok (97?). the bottle of wente cab i had was better than it's price would suggest. finally, for chow, the wente restaurant is a bit high end, but the pork chop can be quite good. thick, moist, tasty. Tue Mar 09 20:48:53 -0800 2004 117834 0 ed 1 117966 I concur -- Wente restaurant has wonderful food and a nice warm atmosphere. Link: http://www.wentevineyards.com/restaurant.shtml Thu Mar 11 00:18:27 -0800 2004 117834 0 Wendy-san 1 4867625 Ok. I live here. Livermore is one heck of a lot less commercial and less expensive than Napa. And some of the wines are actually better. It is less expensive to taste, too. We have thirty some wineries now. Lots of limo tours as people learn about us. There is a beautiful friendly downtown with trees, fountains, great restaurants. Not too commercial, again. No tourist traps. Some of the shops are downright darling. Our favorites are Cedar Mountain, Bent Creek, White Crane, and Rentzlof. There are many others as good or better, I'm sure. We have not been to every one. Taste around, don't swallow so you can enjoy the whole day. Most expensive taste I know if is $5.00. Coyne has very good to excellent and reasonable prices. Rentzlof is like visiting your wonderful uncle at home. It has a very friendly and easy going atmosphere with garden and owner's home on site. We often purchase from Concannon when they have case sales. Concannon and Wente have good tours (especially Wente, I'm told) but are definitely larger and more commercial. DUIs enforced and everyone must have a seat belt. Fri Jul 17 10:45:35 -0700 2009 117834 1094464 CACatlady 2 4867753 Concannon Central Coast Petite Sirah is very good now. Widely available and a steal @ $10-$12 a bottle. Fri Jul 17 11:37:30 -0700 2009 4867625 19731 Calvinist 1 4867806 We enjoyed the Zin at Mitchell Katz Fri Jul 17 11:58:10 -0700 2009 117834 44708 random