Page 80 - 2014 Travel Guide to California

TRI-VALLEY
A fine place to dine, relax, play
THE COURSE AT WENTE VINEYARDS,
top; Alameda County Fair, above.
THIRTY-FIVE MILES EAST of San Fran-
cisco, the Tri-Valley region melds an
agricultural past of ranching, farming, rail-
roading and sleepy country crossroads into a
bustling present of expansive parklands, 21st
-
century viniculture, revitalized historic
downtowns and family-friendly outdoor fun.
East of San Francisco Bay and over the
ridgelines of the East Bay Regional
Parks—with their water- and valley
vistas, networked hiking trails and shady
clumps of dignified valley oaks—are
three connected valleys: Amador, Liver-
more and San Ramon. Nestled in the
valleys and linked by Interstate highways
680 and 580 are the cities of Livermore,
Pleasanton, Dublin and San Ramon and
the town of Danville. At 3,849 feet high,
Mount Diablo is the region’s most dra-
matic landmark; it is well-used by hikers,
mountain bikers and motorists, who go
to the twin summits for a workout or a
lookout to the Pacific.
Back in the 1880s, the Livermore Valley
became the first commercial wine-
making region in California. It kept a
78 2014 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A
B Y D A V I D A R M S T R O N G
relatively low profile until recent years;
these days, more than 50 wineries bring
advanced techniques and sophistication
to Livermore Valley vintages. Local
wineries join forces to pour their wines,
with meals and live music, at Livermore’s
Underdog Wine Bar.
Wente Vineyards’ annual summer
music series features international head-
liners in open-air concerts; the winery also
operates a restaurant and 18-hole golf
course designed by Greg Norman. The
Course at Wente Vineyards is one of 14
places to tee it up in Tri-Valley; many
courses have sterling designer credentials;
Dublin Ranch Golf Course was designed by
Robert Trent Jones Jr.
The city of Livermore’s historic down-
town has recently blossomed with new
places to eat, drink and shop. The Vine
Center, downtown on First Street, encom-
passes shops and the Vine Cinema, which
screens classics, foreign and independent
films and pours wine and beer for
cinephiles in a building with a handsome,
barrel-vaulted ceiling. Livermore Premium
COURTESY OF VISIT TRI-VALLEY