There’s a place you need to go, high above the Livermore Valley, where the views are breathtakingly panoramic and the wines as engaging as the folks behind the tasting bar. And at least one of them will be named Steve.
Welcome to 3 Steves, at the apex of Greenville Road. Here, at the former home of Red Feather, three guys — Steve Burman, Steve Melander and Steve Ziganti — will wow you with their charm. They met courtesy of a wine partnership that went as sour as it gets, yet they parlayed a disaster into something pretty darned sweet.
The tasting bar, imported from a bowling alley in Colorado, is literally a trip down memory lane, where one or two of the Steves pour their wines, made from grapes primarily sourced from Livermore, with side trips to Sonoma and San Benito counties. The Steves love zin and their ladies love oaky chardonnay, but their forte is well-crafted Bordeaux. The winemakers proved their mettle with a win for Best White Wine at the Tri Valley Conservancy’s Livermore Valley 2013 Uncorked Wine Competition for their splendid 2012 sauvignon blanc.
After taking in the jaw-dropping views of the entire Livermore Valley, take a hike down the very steep cabernet sauvignon vineyard that careens into the laps of two ancient eucalyptus trees. Then, when the tasting room closes at 4:30 p.m., join the Steves as they move the party downtown to Blacksmith Square, where the 3 Steves pour in a lively wine bar setting next to Swirl. The combination of good wine, great food and beer make hanging out at the Square the perfect finish to a superb afternoon of wine tasting.
The details: The winery at 5700 Greenville Road is open from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. Tasting is $5. They pour at Swirl on the Square (21 S. Livermore Ave.) from 4:30 to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and until 7 p.m. on Sundays. http://3steveswinery.com.
The sips: The 2010 Three Cabs Blend ($28) combines the dark fruit and plush mouth feel of cabernet sauvignon, the perfume and lift of cabernet franc and the intense pepperiness of the rare cabernet pfeffer grape. The 2011 Cienega Valley Ancient Vine Zinfandel ($34), from 110- year-old vines, will set your mouth afire with intense red fruit; the bold and balsamy 2011 Cabernet Franc is worth joining the wine club just to obtain a bottle.
Two wineries nearby: Bent Creek and McGrail.
— Laura Ness, correspondent
