WENTE FAMILY ESTATES GRAPEVINE
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SPRING/SUMMER 2017
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AROUND THE VINEYARD
WENTE
FAMILY
HISTORY
SHINES
ON
NATIONAL
CHARDONNAY
DAY
c
hardonnay has long
been one of the world's
most popular wine va-
rietals. clean and crisp,
the wine was created from green-
skinned grapes in the Burgundy
region of France, and has since be-
come cultivated in nearly every
wine-producing region.
and Wente Vineyards played
an instrumental role in bringing
chardonnay to the united states,
which is why national chardon-
nay day on May 25 was particu-
larly special for the vineyard –
and the family that operates it.
"When it comes to this particu-
lar varietal, there are few families
who have had as much influence
as the Wente family," said Brand
Manager reinel adajar.
the country's oldest continu-
ously operated family-owned win-
ery has had a connection with
chardonnay since 1912, when sec-
ond Generation Winegrower ernest
Wente imported chardonnay cut-
tings to california from France.
"he believed the variety would
have a lot of potential in his native
state, and he was right," adajar
said. "Because of his efforts, he
and his brother, herman, bottled
the nation's first varietally-labeled
chardonnay, a 1936 vintage. and
the 1959 vintage of Wente
chardonnay was declared the
finest white wine in america by
the Los angeles times."
today, california grows almost
100,000 acres of chardonnay, 80
percent of which is derived from
the Wente clone, making it the
most widely planted in the state.
in honor of that deep connec-
tion to chardonnay, Wente Vine-
yards expanded national
chardonnay day festivities this
year with a sold-out White Party
in the Vineyard that was held on
sunday, May 28. Guests, who
came dressed in all-white, enjoyed
a picnic-style lunch with an assort-
ment of wines, food, live music
and more.
"We wanted to create a special
event where enthusiasts through-
out the Bay area could come cele-
brate national chardonnay day
with us," adajar said.
the Livermore Valley is con-
ducive to most kinds of wine culti-
vation due to the moderating
effects of the san Francisco Bay,
and the marine climate of the Pa-
cific Ocean entering through the
Golden Gate Gap, adajar said.
"during the growing season,
cool and foggy mornings give way
to warm mid-day temperatures,"
he said. "then early afternoon
breezes and evening fog lower
temperatures again, preserving the
fruit's natural acidity. the right ter-
roir helps winemaker Karl Wente
produce high-quality wines."
A SPECIAL PARTY IN THE VINEYARD
I
f you couldn't attend this year's sold-out "White
Party in the Vineyard" on May 28 in celebration
of National Chardonnay Day, be sure to keep an
eye out for details as the event returns in 2018!
Morning Fog was
awarded the Silver
Medal in the San
Francisco Chronicle
Wine Competition
earlier this year.
