Wente Family

California’s First Family Of Chardonnay

Wente has always had our roots firmly planted in a family of hard-working farmers. In 1883, Carl H. Wente, a German immigrant, purchased 48 acres of vineyard land in the Livermore Valley, California and began building a winery. In 1912, 2nd Generation Ernest Wente persuaded his father and founder, C.H. Wente, to import Chardonnay cuttings from a well-known vine nursery, F. Richter Nursery in Montpellier, France, to the Livermore Valley. Ernest hand-picked vines that showed the best health and pronounced flavors, grafted the two together, and propagated those characteristics forward. The result was aptly called the ‘Wente Clone’, which today makes up over 75% of all Chardonnay planted in California!

Today, Wente Vineyards is the longest, continuously family-owned and operated winery in the United States. 5th Generation winegrower Karl D. Wente continues the Wente Clone through the family’s legacy of Chardonnay with four different styles: Morning Fog Chardonnay, Riva Ranch Chardonnay, Small Lot Eric’s Chardonnay and nth DEGREE Chardonnay. We continually pursue excellence in winemaking by blending traditional and innovative winemaking practices and possessing a true love for the journey.