Sandy Sims & Tom Wilmer
Livermore Valley Winery and Tasting Room
Napa Valley & Sonoma Wine Tasting Tours
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 The Steven Kent and La Rochelle Wineries are owned by Steven Kent Mirassou. Both tasting rooms, though completely unique, are on the same property.
Steven’s great, great, great grandfather, Pierre Pellier, emigrated from France in 1852 and planted Old World cuttings in the Santa Clara Valley, where he created world-class wines.
In 2003 the Mirassou family sold its brand and inventory to Gallo. Some family members, however, have continued creating wines.
 The Steven Kent tasting room conjures a cheery wine cellar, with faux painted grey walls, tall barrel tables, ambient lighting, bright paintings. Here you stand around tables, sipping wines, paired with select cheeses.
When Steven Mirassou, split from the Mirassou family’s wine business in 1984, he began the Ivan Tamás winery in Livermore with a friend. Later, his son, Steven Kent—realizing the Livermore Valley was ideal for growing Bordeaux varieties—established his Steven Kent Winery in 1999, producing classic Bordeaux varieties, the fruit grown at Ghielmetti vineyards in Livermore. Steven Kent also produces some Rhones, including Mourvedre and Petite Sirah.
 “We tend to make wines that are densely fruited; you can tell by the nose that there are layers and layers going on,” Steven Kent says. “Livermore cabs have a nice rich and full mid-palate, and the tannins tend to come toward the end, as opposed to Napa cabs, which generally have tannins running all the way through.”
He says his goal is to produce world-class, ultra-premium Cabernet and Chardonnay wines in small, handcrafted lots from the best grapes Livermore Valley has to offer.
Fascinating Fact:
Jennifer Fazio, director of operations for both Rochelle and Steven Kent wineries, attends cheese schools around the country to learn about cheeses and cheese pairings.
 The image to the right links to a video interview with Steven Kent Mirassou where he discusses his family history, his two wineries and the history of grapes and wine in Livermore Valley and Northern California with Thomas Wilmer.
Amenities: Wine club, private pairings
Founded: 1999
Signature Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux wines
Wine Tasting: $10 tasting fee, Reserve $20
Hours: Daily, 12 – 4:00
Steven Kent Winery
5443 Tesla Road
Livermore, CA, 94550
925-243-6440
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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