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“Agri-tourism is one of the big draws of this valley,” said Derek Eddy, owner of Purple Orchid Wine Country Resort & Spa in Livermore.
It’s key to the Livermore Valley’s sustainability, Eddy added as he leaned against the wine bar set up at Purple Orchid Oct. 23 for a gathering of local officials and organizational leaders called, “Celebrating Livermore’s Agricultural Bounty: Agri-tourism’s Growing Impact.”
Hosted by the Livermore Valley Chamber of Commerce, the event aimed to celebrate and promote education, entertainment and recreation focused on wineries, breweries, ranches, rodeos, farmland and open space.
While the tone of the event was largely positive, the subject of unincorporated areas south of Livermore lacking sewer services arose as an issue for the wine country and potential lodging in the area.
Each sharing their perspective on agri-tourism were event panelists: chamber CEO Sherri Souza, Tri-Valley Conservancy Executive Director Rebecca Spector, Livermore Valley Winegrowers Foundation Executive Director Brandi Lombardi and Visit Tri-Valley President and CEO Tracy Farhad.
“The area’s established agricultural presence combined with our fabulous downtown shops and restaurants position Livermore as a destination,” Souza said.
Regardless of the specific activity, agri-tourism helps generate income for agricultural businesses and the overall local economy, Souza said during the panel.
Wineries in particular offer tastings and event pairings such as comedy, music, game nights, book clubs, karaoke and drag shows, Souza said.
“Almost everything goes with wine”, she added.
In an effort to give the Livermore Valley a voice in the “global wine conversation”, The Global Artisan Vintners Alliance was founded earlier this year.
The alliance connects wine regions across the world for sharing best practices relevant to the wine industry.
“We’re a small, boutique region compared to some out there, yet when we combine together in this alliance, we become big,” Lombardi added.
Also this year, the Livermore Valley Wine Community declared Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc as the region’s signature varietals in part to establish the region’s identity in the wine industry.
During the panel, Farhad noted that lodging is an important element of tourism.
Visitors who stay longer, spend more, Farhad said, expressing her support for a hotel downtown Livermore as well as wine country lodging.
Lombardi shared similar sentiments regarding wine country inns and boutique hotels.
But a lack of sewer services in the unincorporated areas south of Livermore has proved itself to be a barrier to developing boutique hotels, Spector later said.
In November 2022, voters approved Measure P to amend South Livermore urban growth boundary policies to permit the extension of sewer services to properties along Buena Vista Avenue from East Avenue to Tesla Road, down Tesla Road and part of Greenville Road.
Given the passage of Measure P, Spector expressed optimism during the panel discussion about the South Livermore Valley Sewer Extension Project.
However, the conversation surrounding the project gained urgency in the days following the panel event, during the Livermore City Council’s Oct. 27 regular meeting.
As part of the consent calendar — composed of items typically considered noncontroversial and passed with a single motion — the council considered a cooperation agreement wherein Alameda County would reimburse the city with up to $700,000 for project management and engineering services for the project.
Ahead of the council’s approval, commenters expressed a dire need for the extension, requesting its rapid development.
“Please do everything in your power to expedite this along,” said Karl Wente, fifth-generation winemaker at Wente Family Vineyard. “Time is of the essence for our wine country.”
“This would really help us stay alive,” winemaker Mark Clarin of McGrail Vineyards added.
Vice Mayor Evan Branning expressed a similar urgency for the project and encouraged staff to proceed quickly.
“When we’re talking about the existential threat that wineries face right now, this is something that will ripple throughout the county”, Branning said at the meeting.
The faster we move and the greater the investment, the better for everyone, Branning added.
Following council approval, the project gained further momentum Oct. 28 when the Alameda County Board of Supervisors greenlit the cooperative agreement to reimburse the city for developing a basis of design report for the project.
Funding for the report utilizes money from the East County Economic Development Fund, according to a report prepared by Alameda County District 1 Supervisor David Haubert.
Previously, another obstacle to building lodging in the wine country was the East County Area Plan, which covers 418 square miles of eastern Alameda County including the cities of Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, a portion of Hayward as well as surrounding unincorporated areas.
But an amendment to the ECAP this year opened the door to the clustering of buildings as well as additional conditional uses including commercial establishments directly related to agriculture such as tasting rooms, inns and food and beverage stores.
In addition to wineries, aspects of agri-tourism that attract people to the area include outdoor activities and the Livermore Rodeo, accompanied by restaurants and hotels.
Bringing attention to the agriculture-related draws of the area is a big part of what Visit Tri-Valley does, Farhad explained during the panel event.
Even the agri-tourism event itself offers location exposure and builds community, said David Victor, attendee and owner of On the Vine Catering.
“The individual businesses can’t do it on their own,” he added. Rather, success in the Livermore Valley is a communal effort.
