|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
As the Livermore Valley wine region has worked to establish and strengthen its identity in recent years, the latest milestone in that process is announcing Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc as the area’s signature varietals.
“The Livermore Valley played a pivotal role in shaping California’s wine industry and this announcement further commits the region to be a driving force in the future of California wine,” said Brandi Lombardi, executive director of the Livermore Valley Wine Community, in a statement.
“We anticipate wine lovers across the country and visitors to the region will come to know Livermore Valley for their favorite Cabernet Francs and Sauvignon Blancs – and stay for all of the other award-winning varietals that we have to offer,” she added.
A strong historical significance, excellent growth potential in the valley and increasing market demand for the two varietals are among the factors that contributed to the decision, LVWC officials said in a statement.
Sauvignon Blanc traces its roots in the region back to Concannon Vineyard. In 1882, Charles Wetmore planted cuttings of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon from Chateau d’Yquem in his Cresta Blanca Vineyard. Wine from these grapes won the Grand Prize at the 1889 Paris Expo, becoming the first American wine ever to win a prize in France, according to LVWC officials.
Cabernet Franc was planted in the Livermore Valley in the 1880s. In the early 1900s, pioneering winemaker Theodore Gier, who had vineyards in Livermore Valley and Napa, considered the Cabernet Franc from Livermore Valley the finest example of this wine anywhere in the world.
More recently, a 2022 UC Davis report found that Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc are two grapes that are poised for successful growth in the Livermore Valley given the agronomic conditions, including the climate, soils and irrigation water.
“Climate change is a real thing in wine country. Over the last 10 years temperatures have consistently risen in California, and the wine landscape as we know it today may be radically different twenty to thirty years from now,” said Steven Mirassou, sixth-generation winemaker and proprietor at The Steven Kent Winery. “These grapes are poised to withstand the most extreme effects of climate change. This really sets up the region for significant success in the years to come.”
Prior to the region formally naming the two signature varietals, winemakers and growers in Livermore have been shining a brighter light on Cabernet Franc in recent years with the CabFranc-A-Palooza festival that launched in 2023 and has become an annual event where wineries from near and far come to the region for the “biggest Cabernet Franc festival in the world.”
The next step for the region is replanting the Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc grapes throughout the valley.
The Tri-Valley Conservancy has initiated a replanting program for the two varietals that provides low interest financing for replanting. Also, Lemmons Family Vineyards and Darcie Kent Vineyards have announced plans to support these grapes.
“With our recent acquisition of Concannon Vineyard, we are committed to re-planting the vineyards to Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc,” said David Kent, CEO of Darcie Kent Vineyards and Almost Famous Wine Company. “We’re excited about the future of the region and believe putting a stake in the ground for these two grapes is an exciting development for Livermore Valley.”
For more information on the Livermore Valley Wine Community, visit lvwine.org.
