Our Story
Tom Heineman always dreamed of owning land, and in 1981 he and his wife Pat purchased 12 acres in Livermore CA with the idea of growing grapes for local wineries. They took viticulture classes from UC Davis and planted Bent Creek Vineyard. After selling their grapes to Livermore wineries for several years, Tom and Pat decided to open a winery with their friends Rich and Carol Howell. The two couples studied enology at UC Davis and began making wine from Bent Creek grapes. Together, they opened Bent Creek Winery in 2002. Soon they were producing award-winning wine.
Bent Creek’s owners work together on every aspect of wine production from caring for the vines, to processing the grapes, to greeting guests in the tasting room. Between eight and nine of the original 12 acres are currently in production, with 6,000 vines planted. The winery produces around 3,500 cases of wine per year.
Our Tasting Room
Sample our comprehensive flight of eleven wines: two whites, six reds, and three Ports. Our wine is also available for purchase by the glass, bottle, and case.
Group Tastings at Bent Creek
To make a group reservation, contact us at 925-455-6320 or events@bentcreekwinery.com.
We can accommodate groups up to 12 on our patio and groups up to 20 in our pavilion adjacent to our tasting room. Groups may be seated at tables for a private wine tasting.
There is a $10 tasting fee per person, payable upon arrival. When a guest purchases wine by the bottle, that tasting fee will be applied toward the cost of the wine.
Please reserve ahead! Groups of eight or more must have a confirmed reservation. In order to accommodate our regular customers, we may not be able to serve larger groups arriving without reservations.
Our Vineyard
Bent Creek’s vineyard thrives in the well-drained soils, warm days, and cool nights that define the Livermore Valley terroir. A synergy of climate, soil type, topography, sun exposure, and drainage, the flavors that are tasted in wine made from a particular grape variety will change depending on the terroir where it grows, and the expression of the terroir will change depending on which grape variety is growing in it.
Our Team
Check them out here.
