Page Mill Winery

Livermore Valley Winery and Tasting Room

The small building, its river rock facade and arched, double doors, brings to mind a rustic church in rural Mexico. Enter, however, from a side door. (Double doors are for forklifts.) Barrels curtained off, the small tasting room is like a Victorian living room, dark, red walls, tall ceiling, crystal chandeliers, candles, a couch.

In 1975, after discovering the wine lifestyle in Europe, Dick Stark quit his job selling lasers, dug a cellar at his Los Altos Hills home on Page Mill Road, and started a winery—purchasing grapes from around the state.

Dick retired in 1996, and his son, Dane, took over. When the winery outgrew the land, they moved it to Livermore, not far from their clientele. They liked the terroir, the way Livermore focuses on the wine industry and the rural lifestyle.

Dane follows European winemaking methods, favoring under-oaked wines, as well as medium to medium-soft tannins. He says it’s hard with California grapes to not wind up with fruit forward wine.

“I’ve been accused of harvesting under ripe grapes …” He says intensely fruit forward wines don’t age as well and are not as food friendly. Today, the winery secures more than 90 percent of its harvest from the Livermore Valley.

Fascinating Fact:

The tasting room building was originally a hay barn.

Amenities: Wine club, barrel tasting
Founded: 1976
Signature Wines: Petite Sirah, Sauvignon Blanc
Wine Tasting: $5 tasting fee (waived with purchase)
Hours: Friday – Sunday 12 – 4:30 and by appointment.

Page Mill Winery
1960 S. Livermore Avenue
Livermore, CA, 94550
925-456-7676

info@pagemillwinery.com
www.pagemillwinery.com

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Sandy Sims, an award winning journalist, newspaper editor, and travel writer, also writes fiction.
Thomas C. Wilmer is an award-winning author and travel writer. His latest book; Wine Seeker's Guide to Livermore Valley is available from White Cloud Press or Amazon.com.

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