Cresta Blanca Winery
Encyclopedia
Cresta Blanca Winery was one of the original Livermore Valley
wineries
. It was founded by Charles Wetmore in 1882 with cuttings of Sauvignon blanc
from Meursault
, Burgundy
, France
. Its first vintage, a dry white wine in 1884 won Grand Prize at the 1889 Paris Exposition, becoming the first California
wine to win a competition in France. The victory also assured the future of the California wine
industry, which had fallen upon hard times.
cliff that dominates the Livermore Valley landscape, the winery was thriving prior to Prohibition
, at which time it had to be shut down. Wetmore died before Prohibition's repeal, but it was re-opened by his brother Clarence. It was sold in 1941 to Schenley Distillers, who closed the business in 1965. The name was then sold to the Guild Wine Company in 1965. The land remained fallow until it was purchased by the Wente family
in 1981, and revitalized as the "Sparkling Cellars."
The winery is registered as California Historical Landmark
#586.
.
Livermore Valley
The Livermore Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area in Alameda County, California, surrounding the city of Livermore in the Tri-Valley region. Both the AVA and the city are named after Robert Livermore, a landowner whose holdings encompassed the valley. The groundwater basin underlying the...
wineries
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
. It was founded by Charles Wetmore in 1882 with cuttings of Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
from Meursault
Meursault
-See also:* Communes of the Côte-d'Or département* Route des Grands Crus* French wine-External links:* * In French.* * In French....
, Burgundy
Bourgogne
Burgundy is one of the 27 regions of France.The name comes from the Burgundians, an ancient Germanic people who settled in the area in early Middle-age. The region of Burgundy is both larger than the old Duchy of Burgundy and smaller than the area ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy, from the modern...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Its first vintage, a dry white wine in 1884 won Grand Prize at the 1889 Paris Exposition, becoming the first California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
wine to win a competition in France. The victory also assured the future of the California wine
California wine
California wine has a long and continuing history, and in the late twentieth century became recognized as producing some of the world's finest wine. While wine is made in all fifty U.S. states, up to 90% of American wine is produced in the state...
industry, which had fallen upon hard times.
History
Named for a white limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
cliff that dominates the Livermore Valley landscape, the winery was thriving prior to Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, at which time it had to be shut down. Wetmore died before Prohibition's repeal, but it was re-opened by his brother Clarence. It was sold in 1941 to Schenley Distillers, who closed the business in 1965. The name was then sold to the Guild Wine Company in 1965. The land remained fallow until it was purchased by the Wente family
Wente Vineyards
Wente Vineyards is a winery in Livermore, California and holds the distinction of being "the oldest continuously operating, family-owned winery in California." The Wente Estate is registered as California Historical Landmark #957.-History:...
in 1981, and revitalized as the "Sparkling Cellars."
The winery is registered as California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmarks are buildings, structures, sites, or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide historical significance by meeting at least one of the criteria listed below:...
#586.
Vineyards
The vineyards were located on the South end of Arroyo Road in Livermore, CaliforniaLivermore, California
Livermore is a city in Alameda County. The population as of 2010 was 80,968. Livermore is located on the eastern edge of California's San Francisco Bay Area....
.