Murietta’s Well

3005 Mines Rd, Livermore, CA 94550

Website: https://www.murrietaswell.com/

Visiting Murietta’s Well in Livermore was such an awesome experience!  Sometimes it really pays to plan ahead when visiting wineries. This winery requires reservations, and so I made a reservation through their website about a month in advance.  Soon after, I got a phone club from the wine club manager. She informed me that the winery was throwing a wine club event the day I wanted to visit.  However, instead of turning us away she offered us complimentary tickets to the party. I was excited to tell my husband that we scored free tickets to a wine club party, but I really wasn’t sure what to expect.  When we arrived at the winery, the parking lot was completely full and there were several employees guiding people where to park. Before getting out of the car, my husband turned to me and said “what have you gotten us into?”.  We followed the crowd of people walking toward the winery. As we approached the winery we were greeted by a host who handed us a glass of Rosé and a lemon ricotta tart to pair with it.

My husband and I stood there for a few minutes taking it all in.  In front of us was a large expanse of lawn with some benches and Adirondack chairs scattered about.  To our left was the winery which looks like a large barn. To the right of the entrance to the winery was a patio area with picnic tables and umbrellas.  People were lounging outside despite the fact that it was a bit chilly that day. The crowd was socializing and having a good time sipping their wine. After we finished our first wine and tart, we decided to head toward the crowd inside the winery.  Murietta’s Well has two levels. The tasting room is on the second floor. We joined the party on the first floor. There were lots of people all around the wide open space which was framed by wood beams. Chandeliers hung from the center of the ceiling and tables covered with white linens were set up throughout space.  There were several different stations of food each paired with wine. Both the food and wine were great. We tried a Small Lot Merlot that paired perfectly with sausage rigatoni; The Spur paired with balsamic cranberry and brie crostini; and a Petit Verdot. I found myself liking all of it. I felt so privileged to be a part of the event.  After trying each of the tables, we ventured upstairs.

Club Lounge at Murietta’s Well

There were more surprises on the second floor. We first checked out the outdoor club lounge that had a bunch of tables. Even though it was all open air, it felt closed in because of the sheets of canvas hanging from above like the roof of a tent. Behind the lounge and winery is a pretty view of vineyards.  There was more wine outside.

Murietta’s Well Tasting Room

Back inside, we ventured over to the tasting room. The room has a rustic but modern feel. There are sleek tasting bars on each side of the room and in the center are glass doors that lead out to a deck looking down on the front lawn. As if we hadn’t already had enough wine, we had the opportunity to try any of the other varietals that we hadn’t sampled yet.  We left feeling full of wine and food and had a great time even with the large crowd.

Despite the fact that we really lucked out getting tickets to the wine club event, I would still highly recommend this winery for a typical tasting experience.  They have a lot to offer. All of the wines are sourced from the estate. The property is one of California’s original wine estates dating back to 1884. A man named Louis Mel founded the winery.  He started growing grapes that were original cuttings from the famed Chateau Margaux and Chateau d’Yquem in France. The tasting room resides in the original building.  In 1940, Louis Mel sold the winery to Ernest Wente, and the family still runs the winery today.  Some of the more widely produced wines have fun names like The Whip and The Spur. I felt that the winery was casual, but they still produce premium quality wines. They have lots of varietals including Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, and some less common varietals found in California like Petit Verdot, Dry Orange Muscat, Tempranillo, and Port.  I really loved the smooth Small Lot Merlot with flavors of black cherry and plums. The Spur red blend was also one of my favorites because it was velvety and full bodied with dark fruit flavors. This is a winery worth seeking out.