Tenuta Winery – an oasis in Livermore!

One of the keys to a successful day of wine tasting is to find those hidden treasures – places you can’t just stumble upon.

The problem is that word usually gets out and soon it’s gone from hidden treasure to sought out tasting room.

The lone savior is that the location is so out of the way, it continues to fall under the radar.

Tenuta Vineyards is one such place.

For 25 years, Tenuta has been serving great wine and providing a wonderful experience but located off Highway 84 back in the Kalthoff Common (across from the back entrance to the Ruby Hill Country Club), Tenuta is not a place you just happen upon.

“We’re still a hidden treasure after 25 years,” said Rich Rollins, the long-time boyfriend of Tenuta owner Nancy Tenuta, who is also the tasting room manager and sports business cards that say, “Chief Executive Rock and Roll Guy.

Tenuta, who is the only female owner and winemaker, is an amazing woman and one that has really helped the Livermore Valley. Wente is the winery that put the Livermore Valley on the map, but Nancy Tenuta is someone that has helped the Livermore Valley grow to where it is today.

It was 25 years ago when Tenuta made the leap from the world of finance into the wine industry.  She built a 18,000 square foot custom crush facility, bringing other fledgling wineries – but ones that had no facilities – into the industry by giving them a place to make their wine.

Having been in day trading, Tenuta learned and mastered the ability to diversify her portfolio.

By building the custom crush center she was able to make money the following ways: making the wine, bottling the wine, storage of both case goods and barrels, allowing a revenue stream to come from different avenues.

In all Tenuta has had over 110 customers of the crush center ranging from commercial and to personal.

For the first three years she had a winemaker, and Tenuta took it all in, learning everything about the craft. When the winemaker left to spend more time with her family it was a natural for Nancy to step in.

“The four words that describe Nancy – “vision, fortitude, passion, and diversification,” said Rollins.

In 25 years, some of the wineries Tenuta helped launch by giving them a place to make wine reads like a who’s who of some of the top wineries in the area.

McGrail, 3 Steves, Garre, Longevity, White Crane, Occasio, and Elliston are just a few of the wineries that produced wine at the Tenuta facilities.

Hidden treasure, great story of the owner and winemaker, and good wine are reasons enough to visit Tenuta. But what sold me on not just visiting but returning is the tasting experience.

Rollins is a big reason why. If you have read my wine stories over the years, you know the vibe you get at a winery is a major selling point.

You can get good wine at any number of wineries, but you visit because you enjoy the tasting experience. It must be a fun place to hang and relax while enjoying your wine.

Wine is meant to be casually enjoyed, knocking out 45 minutes to an hour, mixing in conservation with the tasting.

This is where Tenuta excels.

From the moment a person walks in the door, they are made to feel like part of the family. It also brings to light the Tenuta motto of “Give us 30 minutes and we’ll be Friends For Life.”

It’s not just a saying but a way of life for the Tenuta crew. The corks in their wine bottles have “FFL” on them.

While the tasting facility is billed as “Tuscan” style, honestly, it’s more like walking into someone’s house. There is a tasting bar with seats but there ample other seating options, including tables and umbrellas outside.

There is a living room type area with couches and a big screen TV.

There is always music playing and Rollins has over 110,000 songs in his computer, hence the “Chief Executive Rock and Roll Guy title.”

There is also a tap room behind the scenes where album covers adorn the walls, has a functional juke box, and of course, beer taps featuring local beers. The tap room opened Memorial Day weekend of 2014.

Now the wine.

In a day where wine tasting costs seem to be going through the roof, Tenuta is both affordable and plentiful. Currently, they are offering 29 selections of wine.

It is $15 for five red wine tastings, with $10 coming back with the purchase of a bottle. Spend $25 and you get tastings of 10 flights, with the purchase of two bottles returning $20.

For $30 you get a reserve tasting of 10 flights. Buy a bottle and $15 of the tasting fee is waived.

The NV Trinty Blend has been the best-selling wine for 20 years and is a wine I made sure to bring home.

The blend is 40 percent 2018 Livermore Cabernet, 40 percent Livermore Petit Sirah, and 20 percent 2016 Livermore Syrah. They all work well together and at $32 a bottle, the wine is a steal.

I also enjoyed the 2017 Livermore Cab Franc, a wine that was aged four years in French Oak. It drank very smooth, something expected of a wine aged for that long in French Oak.

As a big fan of Rhone varietals, I needed to try a taste of the 2018 Livermore Mourvèdre and was not disappointed. It was aged three years in French Oak and had a nice, smoky finish to it.

One more I was intrigued by upon seeing the aging was the 2017 Livermore Malbec.

Aged nine months in French, Hungarian, and American oak, the wine brought the properties of all three. Smooth from the French and Hungarian oak, with the in-your-face nature of the American Oak.

I would also recommend the 2017 Livermore Estate Primitivo. Finally, you will not go wrong with the Estate Pinot Noir. I have always been a big Pinot guy and this one works for me!

The White wine tastings were a different price with a flight of five costing $10, a flight of 10 for $20, and $25 for 10 reserve flights.

But one bottle and the cost for the five flight is waived. Buy two bottles and the 10-flight tasting fee is waived. Finally, $15 is waived off the Reserve tasting fee with the purchase of one bottle.

My wife enjoyed two of the Chardonnay offerings.

The 2020 Estate Reserve Chardonnay, that was aged nine months in French Oak was a refreshing wine on a hot day and is not badly priced at $35 a bottle.

The 2021 Estate Reserve Chardonnay brought a different taste as it was aged nine months if French, Hungarian, and American oak. It is also $35 a bottle.

My wife traditionally doesn’t go for much in American oak, she appreciated the difference in taste.

There is ample space to have a private or a corporate event and it’s apart from the main tasting area.

Another cool thing at Tenuta is that you save the bottles, then bring them back in, you can fill them for $10 out of a barrel in the tasting room.

The current blend is 70 percent Cab, 25 percent Syrah, and five percent Zin. After filling your bottle, you cork the bottle yourself right there in the tasting room.

When we were there a family came in and filled four bottles and it was fun to watch.

I say this so often that I must sound like a broken record. When it comes to a wine tasting experience, it must be about more than just the wine.

It’s got to have a great vibe.

That’s Tenuta winery – if you haven’t been before, make a point of getting out there!

For more information, please visit www.tenutawinery.com.

By Dennis Miller