Tis The Season.

Holiday activities in the Livermore Wine Country this weekend.
Vendors, carolers, arts and crafts and of course great wine.

For a concise list of all the actives click here.

Eckert Estate Winery

I visited Eckert Estate Winery last Monday. Mike Eckert initially came to the Livermore Valley to raise horses. After attending a wine event and tasting some of the local wines from Livermore he decided to start making his own wine. After several years of home wine making he decided it was
time to go commercial. In addition cases of wine where everywhere in his house and started to become some of the furniture. He opened up Eckert Estate Winery in 2001.

I tasted the 2007 Viognier grapes for this wine came from Lodi. Lodi is quite friendly to Rhone varietals. Spicy and fruity. Try this wine with Mushu Chicken topped with plum sauce.

The 2001 Livermore Cabernet is a full bodied wine. Full of fruit very berry. Mike put 10% Merlot and 5% Malbec in to the blend. Aged in French and American Oak for 22 months. Drinkable now but it can also be put away for a couple years. I took a couple of bottles of this home.

Next was the 2000 Lodi Petite Sirah. If you looking for a "BIG" red, this is it. I get blackberry flavor. Despite it is a 2000 vintage it could still be put away in the cellar. Yet has aged enough to drink now. Couldn't pass this one up. I took a couple of bottles home of this one too.

On the property is Arroyo Windmill Grove, an olive oil mill. It is open on Saturdays for olive oil tasting.