By the numbers

Year End 2019
  • 1
    AVAs
  • 50
    Wineries
  • 16%
    % Plantings
  • 5,000
    Area Under Vine (Acres)
  • 18,057
    Crush (Tons)
  • 2,023
    Acreage Under Vine (Hectares)
Key Varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon (27%), Chardonnay (39%), Petite Sirah (4%), Merlot (3%), Sauvignon Blanc (5%)
Climate
Winkler Region III, warm days, cool nights, due to cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay
Key Soil Types
Primarily gravel, with sand and loam.
Livermore Valley Crush Report
Livermore Valley Acreage Report

Overview

Livermore AVA is not only one of California’s oldest wine regions, it has historically been a leader in the California wine industry. Though not quite as prominent today, Livermore acquired international recognition as early as 1889 (eclipsing nearby Napa), when a Livermore white from Charles Wetmore’s Cresta Blanca Winery won the Grand Prix at the 1889 Paris Exposition. Livermore continued to lead the pack as the first California region to release varietally labeled Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Petite Sirah. Its impact on the California wine industry runs deep to this day: The Wente clone of Chardonnay and the Concannon clone of Cabernet Sauvignon, both prolific in California, were originally planted in Livermore in the 1890s.