In an effort to prepare for a future of changing climate — and to set itself apart from other famous wine regions — Livermore winemakers announced Tuesday they are designating Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc as the valley’s signature grapes.
The announcement is meant to help forge an identity for the region, which is one of the state’s oldest winemaking regions, but isn’t as well known as nearby Napa and Sonoma.
“It reinforces an idea that Livermore Valley believes there are certain grapes that reflect the world-class quality of our appellation,” said Steven Mirassou, owner of Steven Kent Winery and a champion of Cabernet Franc. “We want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to talk about that story all the time.”
Beyond the marketing pitch, the designation by the Livermore Winegrowers Association is also about climate change. As the Livermore Valley has become hotter and windier in recent years, winemakers like Mirassou believe the two grapes are better adapted for the changing climate.
Mirassou said because of changes in the valley’s weather, many of the area’s grapes aren’t ready for harvest until mid-November, which puts those crops at risk of unpredictable cold weather. Because Cab Franc develops flavor earlier, it can be picked sooner in the season.
“It gives us that great opportunity of working with Mother Nature, with fruit that ripens at a timing spectrum that works great for the grape and our style of winemaking," Mirassou said.
The announcement doesn’t place any requirements on valley winemakers who make a plethora of different wines from Cabernet to chardonnay. In fact, Cab Franc is currently only planted on 80 of the area’s 3,000 wine grape acres. But with the lifespan of a commercial vineyard only about 30 years, Mirassou said vineyard owners need to plan for the future.
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“If you’re planting a vineyard today, 30 years from now the environment — if we don’t get a handle on climate change soon — is going to be a far different place than it is now," Mirassou said.
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Among the newest crop of winemakers in the Livermore Valley, Bob and Deb Pruett opened a winery on the 25 acres they bought about 11 years ago near downtown Livermore. The land came with a small vineyard of Chardonnay grapes, which Bob turns into wine. While he hasn’t planted any of the newly designated signature grapes, he supports the plan to make them the region's official varietals.
“It’s a way of drawing people into the valley, something that’s really unique,” he said. “And then once they’re here, they can see all the other cool things we have going on.”
Pruett, whose farm includes rare chickens and a pair of alpacas, made the decision two years ago to start making wine from Cabernet Franc grapes grown elsewhere in the valley.
“It’s a varietal that’s not only incredibly unique, but it’s more robust to be able to handle climate change," Pruett said.
Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc are not new to the valley. Both varieties were planted in Livermore starting back in the 1880s. But with a nod toward the past and the future, the group says a 2022 UC Davis report found that Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc are “poised for successful growth in the region given agronomic conditions.”
In the last few years, the regional winemakers have thrown their weight behind the signature grapes, with an annual Cab Franc-A-Palooza where visitors sip Cab Franc wines from around the world — and the recently formed Cab Franc Guild of Livermore Valley.
Mirassou said several local wineries have pledged to plant more Cabernet Franc going forward, and a new program is aimed at increasing new Cab Franc and Sauvignon Blanc plantings around the valley.
“It allows us to shorthand the message in a way. For us, to say if you want world-class red wine, world-class white wine — Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon – all you have to do is say Livermore Valley," said Mirassou.
