For Wine Wednesday this week, Alicia had the honor of being joined in studio by a man who is essentially wine royalty – Karl Wente of Livermore’s Wente Vineyards. Karl is a 5th generation winemaker carrying on the family tradition after his great-great-grandfather Carl H. Wente started the winery back in 1883.
Wente has been at the forefront of innovation in the wine industry by establishing the Wente Clone of Chardonnay, pioneering the Arroyo Seco, Monterey winegrowing region in 1963, and they were the first to varietally label the Chardonnay back in 1936.
With Wente set to celebrate their 135th anniversary this year, Karl stopped by the KFOG studios to walk Alicia and I through a tasting of some very special offerings including: the Riva Ranch Chardonnay, which has a nice balance of acidity and richness, their Celebratory Chardonnay, which was made specially for this year’s anniversary, and the Charles Wetmore Cabernet Sauvignon that features bold tannins and ripe fruit characteristics.
Listen in for all the fun and wine knowledge, and if you’d like to join Wente for their White Party in the Vineyards Sunday, May 27th, tickets are available for the previously sold-out event, which includes general admission, three paired wine, and food offerings inclusive of four wine pours and a commemorative wine glass.
Wine Wednesday is presented by Alaska Airlines, where Wine Flies Free for Mileage Plan™ members.