Wente Bros. Winery

The centennial bronze credits the Wentes' first varietal label to Sauvignon Blanc and never names the grape that made their reputation. In 1912 Ernest Wente had Chardonnay cuttings sent from a nursery at Montpellier, added them to budwood from the Gier vineyard in Pleasanton, and spent decades selecting the best vines. With the 1936 vintage the brothers put Chardonnay on a label, the first in the country, and after Prohibition other growers came here for cuttings; the Wente selections now underlie most California Chardonnay. Their Sauvignon Blanc began with Charles Wetmore's cuttings from Cresta Blanca.

What the plaque says

Wente Bros. Winery Here the first Wente vineyard of 47 acres was established by C.H. Wente in 1883. In 1935 his sons, Ernest and Herman, introduced California's first varietal wine label, Sauvignon Blanc. The efforts of the Wente family have helped establish the Livermore Valley as one of the premiere wine-growing areas of California. In their centennial year, Wente Bros. is the oldest continuously operating, family-owned winery in California. California Registered Historical Landmark No. 957 Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with Joaquin Murrieta Chapter 13, E Clampus Vitus, and Livermore Heritage Guild, September 24, 1983.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Concannon Vineyard — 0.8 mi
• Livermore Memorial Monument — 3.2 mi
• Cresta Blanca Winery — 3.3 mi
• Site of Carnegie — 10 mi