Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/359372
THE VOICE OF FIVE GENERATIONS W hile best known for its Chardonnay, Wente Vineyards has been bottling Sauvignon Blanc for more than 80 years. Sauvignon Blanc has a long history in the Livermore Valley. In the 1870s, a French emigrant named Louis Mel traveled the western United States in search of a place to make wines to rival the great French vine- yards. He found the ideal home in the Livermore Valley. With the help of Livermore Valley pioneer Charles Wetmore, Louis Mel acquired Sauvignon Blanc cuttings from the Marquis de Lur-Saluces, owner of the famed Château d'Yquem in Bordeaux, and planted them in his vineyards. The Wente family acquired their friend Mel's vineyard in the 1930s and has been produc- ing wine from it ever since. In homage to his early contributions in winemaking in Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards produces the Louis Mel Sauvignon Blanc—a refreshing wine with crisp acidity and flavors of honey- dew melon and pineapple. Sauvignon Blanc and the Early Days in Livermore Valley august 2014 / the tasting panel / 17 PHOTO COURTESY OF WENTE FAMILY ESTATES