The Tasting Panel magazine

August 2016

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august 2016  /  the tasting panel  /  45 THE RECENTLY REMODELED peaked building of Murrieta's Well is set among rows of vineyards and overlooks a spacious green lawn. The stone façade, refined yet rustic, is the original gravity flow winery built by Louis Mel in the late 1880s. In 1930, Ernest Wente purchased the original 92-acre parcel from Mel, and the property has been a part of Wente Family Estates ever since. In 1990, Philip Wente, Fourth Generation Winegrower, and acclaimed winemaker Sergio Traverso partnered to revitalize the property. They transformed the gravity-flow winery into a tasting room and named it Murrieta's Well—paying homage to Joaquin Murrieta, who originally discovered the estate and its artesian well. This year, Murrieta's Well underwent renovations designed to enhance the overall guest experience and create an oasis for its loyal club members. It is this recent chapter in the property's storied history that led me to Livermore Valley, where I attended a preview event hosted by Carolyn Wente, Fourth Generation Winegrower and CEO of Wente Family Estates, and Robbie Meyer, Winemaker for Murrieta's Well. PHOTO PROVIDED COURTESY OF MURRIETA'S WELL The spacious new tasting bar on the second floor of the property. Carolyn Wente, Fourth Generation Winegrower, among hundred-year-old olive trees in the Murrieta's Well estate vineyards. T A K I N G T A K I N G Root MURRIETA'S WELL EMBRACES ITS ORIGINS by Jesse Hom-Dawson

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