I went to Wente and so should you – Livermore Valley Wine Country

Have you ever been to Livermore Valley Wine Country?

If you asked me this question two weeks ago I would have said, HARD NO. The only reason to go from San Francisco to Livermore was for the outlets, specifically the Gucci store at the San Francisco Premium Outlets (that just happens to be in Livermore). So when the invite came to join the Livermore Valley Wine Country for their Taste Our Terroir weekend I was a little hesitant and decided to do some research. Livermore is the birthplace of California Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon – two of my favorite wine varietals and it is less than an hour from anywhere in the Bay Area. So, I called one of my girlfriends and we decided to pack our bags and head to Livermore for the weekend.

The drive from San Francisco to Livermore Valley Wine Country on Saturday morning was quick…surprisingly quick. From my friend’s house in San Francisco’s financial district to Wente it was less than 40 minutes. I had always heard good things about Wente, so we decided to make it our first stop on our Livermore Valley Wine tour.

Now, let’s talk Wente: Founded in 1883, Wente Vineyards is the country’s oldest continuously operated family owned winery. Blending traditional and innovative winemaking practices the winery draws from approximately 3,000 acres of sustainably farmed Estate vineyards to create an outstanding collection of wines.

What do you wear to Wente?

First things first let’s talk about the weather! Livermore is hot. I’m talking almost thirty degrees warmer than San Francisco…so be prepared. Most of the wineries (including Wente) have indoor and outdoor options for tastings and I chose to taste outside at Wente both times because:

1. I love the heat 2. We had the dogs (and Wente is VERY dog-friendly) and 3. They had outdoor music.

Now let’s talk dress code in Livermore. It is not nearly as formal as Napa and most closely aligns with Sonoma when it comes to apparel – so casual. Think summer dresses, sandals, a statement hat, and shorts. There were a few parties that were pretty dressed up celebrating birthdays and bachelorette parties so you can easily get away with dressing up, but I love the fact that you don’t NEED to!

This look is from my second visit to Wente and if you follow along on Instagram you know that this dress has been on heavy rotation this summer. Now, I’ve easily worn this dress 3 or 4 times and this is the 1st time I have ever worn it correctly (shout out to my friend Lindsay for showing me how to tie it). It is actually quite simple to tie, but I do recommend having someone else do it to ensure that the ruffle details lay flat correctly. The 100% cotton feel of the dress was perfect for the Livermore heat and made me never want to take it off! And at $87 this piped ruffle dress with an on trend off-shoulder neckline makes this a summer wine tasting MUST.