This morning, during the cool part of the day, we embarked on a tour of several winery’s that are part of the history of the Livermore Valley. The Ravenswood Winery was established by Richard Buckley in 1890.

The window frames have survived 133 years thanks to being built of old growth Redwood. The grain of the wood is very tight and is still hard even after being exposed and not cared after.

The concrete also tells a story of how the walls were built. I see this same type of stone as well as voids in the concrete foundation of my 1908 home. The stones can be found all around area, especially in the arroyos, in the south Livermore valley. This stoney ground is what attracted the first wine growers to this valley.

The history tour ended at Wente Vineyards and a tour of the old wine caves. Wente is the oldest family run winery in the United States as well as the oldest continuously run winery. It was one of a few wineries that were allowed to produce wine during Prohibition.