Wente Vineyards Announces Harvest

LIVERMORE, CA – September 2011 – The early autumn season that heralds harvest has finally arrived.  This year, in particular, patience is a necessary virtue as harvest is starting later than usual due to a summer of unseasonal weather. The Livermore Valley appellation experienced an unusually cool, wet spring and early summer that created a challenge for several winemakers in the region.  Regardless of capricious weather conditions, Wente Vineyards looks forward to another fruitful year.

Wente Vineyards celebrated their first day of harvest on September 12, 2011.  Sauvignon Blanc from the east side of the Livermore Valley was the first to be harvested, followed by Chardonnay. “The yields at this point are on track with our estimates and the quality of grapes is superb,” said Fifth Generation Winemaker, Karl Wente. “The cool spring and summer, combined with oddly timed rains created a challenge this year, however this season is quite similar to last year, which produced some great wines.”

The Wente family was one of the earliest advocates of sustainable farming, and has a well-documented history filled with articles on the wisdom and benefits of a holistic approach to farming. Today, the fourth and fifth generations continue to lead the way with respect to stewardship of the land. In the early 1990s, the Wente family established their “Farming for the Future” program, which took into account the health and well being of its employees, local community and the planet.   This system of practices not only enhanced the vitality of the soils on the family’s 3,000 acres of Estate vineyards in the Livermore Valley and Arroyo Seco appellations, but created a balanced sustainable ecology that minimized water use and reduced non-organic waste.  This philosophy also carries over to the three Estate wineries (Wente Vineyards, Murrieta’s Well and TAMÁS Estates) and includes every aspect of the family operation (The Restaurant, Concerts, Catering and The Course at Wente Vineyards). In 2010, the company achieved California Certified Sustainable Winegrowing certification by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, becoming one of 18 wineries leading the way in sustainable practices.  For more information about CCSW, please visit: www.sustainablewinegrowing.org.

About Wente Vineyards
The country’s oldest continuously operated family-owned winery; Wente Vineyards is led today by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family. More than 125 years of committed stewardship to the land has led to the development of Wente Vineyards’ Farming for the Future, a system of sustainable viticulture practices designed to produce the best quality wines with the least environmental impact. This philosophy extends to all aspects of winery operations, where energy efficiency, waste reduction, recycling and social responsibility are all integral to the culture.

All of the wines within the Wente Vineyards portfolio are Estate Grown, crafted by Fifth Generation Winemaker, Karl Wente from Estate vineyards in the Livermore Valley and Arroyo Seco appellations. Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards is recognized as one of California’s premier wine country destinations, featuring wine tasting, fine dining and championship golf. For more information, visit www.wentevineyards.com.   For more background on Karl Wente’s interest in wine, music, yoga and food please visit his blog at www.wentevineyards.com/blog.

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