Exploring new wineries is an unrestrained joy! Livermore recently welcomed a new winery, and we couldn’t wait to check it out for ourselves. Here is our first visit to Embodied Wines:
Embodied Wines took the space formerly leased by a signs-to-order store, filling out a wonderful lineup of wine tasting rooms with Nottingham, Occassio, Longevity, and McKahn Family. Together these wineries have adopted the marketing moniker “Block 37.” Having five wineries sharing a parking lot is pretty wonderful! With three more wineries and a craft brewery within easy walking distance, there is far too much fun to pack into a single visit.
We entered the tasting room and were welcomed by co-owner Stephen Spears. He graciously told us about their fledgling winery and gave us a tour of their entire facility. We learned that they jump-started their wine inventory by purchasing the wine inventory from the estate of John Christopher Cellars. This season’s harvest will be the first wine produced under the direction of co-owner and winemaker Kimmie Spears.
Stephen took us behind the huge wooden sliding doors at the back of the tasting area, where we found an even larger space. This room looked perfect for club events or private parties. Bright and airy, with lots of room for tables, or even dancing. As we looked around, there were people bustling around, preparing for a baby shower.
One wall of the room featured a large and dramatically lighted stage. Stephen told us that they were putting together a schedule of live music on Saturdays and Sundays. He also mentioned “Throw-back Friday’s” with a DJ playing hits from different decades every week. For food, they are coordinating with the Posada food truck that is just around the corner. A lot of potential fun packed into one room!
We made our way back to the front tasting room and tasted some wine! Their 2017 “Corset” Rosé of Pinot Noir had a unique rectangular bottle and fun fruit notes of kiwi and lemon. The 2013 Zinfandel was another favorite with all of us. Fun and zippy, with blackberries and cherries up front and white pepper, allspice and cigar notes on the finish. This one followed us home!
With our tour and our tasting complete, we thanked Stephen for all of his time and attention. The newest addition to the Livermore wine scene is off to a great start. Welcome!
About the Author: John grills a mean steak and is always in the market for another wine fridge. Believes that if a winery has more than 10 employees, it's probably too big. Buys wine faster than he drinks it, but who cares?
