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Murrieta's Well
LIVERMORE VALLEY
Murrieta's Well is nestled in the scenic countryside of the Livermore Valley
and is one of California's original wine estates, with roots dating back to
its establishment in the 1880s. The land is special and over the years has
repeatedly caught the attention of a few important visionaries, the first of
which is the winery's namesake. Joaquin Murrieta was a good Samaritan who
traveled up to California from Mexico, making a name for himself along the
way. As legend goes, he found the artesian well on what is now the winery
estate and claimed it was the best water he had tasted along his journey.
Today the well is featured as a reminder of the traveler's claim.
Louis Mel and his wife purchased the property in 1884 and used cuttings
from renowned French estates Chateau d'Yquem and Chateau Margaux.
Descendants of those original vines produce some of the estate's current
wines, which visitors can taste at the tasting room, originally a gravity-flow
winery built by Mel. While the Wente family farmed the estate since it was
established, it wasn't until 1940 that Ernest Wente purchased the land; it
remains in the family to this day. Fourth generation winegrower Philip Wente
and acclaimed winemaker Sergio Traverso opened Murrieta's Well in 1990,
naming it after the man who first discovered the special estate.
Robbie Meyer is the name behind the modern magic at Murrieta's Well
and creates a portfolio of wine that lives up to the estate's rich history and
standards. You are invited to sample these wines in a number of ways—all
FACING PAGE: The original gravity flow winery was
converted to a tasting room when Murrieta's Well was
established in 1990.
Photograph courtesy of Murrieta's Well
TOP: Aerial view of the winery and the original estate
purchased by Louis Mel in 1884.
Photograph by Ron Essex
LIVERMORE VALLEY
