Wente Vineyards is a historic California winery in the Livermore Valley, near San Francisco Bay, founded in 1883 by C.H. Wente, a German immigrant who learned the art of winemaking from Charles Krug. According to the winery, it is the oldest continuously family-owned and -operated winery in the United States, now in its fifth generation.

The name Wente is inextricably linked with Chardonnay. In 1912, Ernest Wente imported vine cuttings from France and, by selecting and propagating the best plants, created the famed “Wente Clone,” which the winery says today accounts for over 75% of the Chardonnay planted in California. In 1936, Ernest and his brother Herman began labeling wines by variety, releasing the first California Chardonnay labeled as such.

In the 1950s, Karl L. Wente led the modernization of the winery, and in 1962 the family purchased land in Arroyo Seco in Monterey County, among the first to plant vineyards there, dedicated to cool-climate varieties. In 1968, Wente opened the first dedicated tasting room at a California winery.

Sustainability is a priority: in 2010, Wente was among the first wineries certified by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, and in 2022 it received the California Green Medal Leader Award for regenerative agriculture, water conservation, and renewable energy. Today, the fifth generation is at the helm, with Karl Wente responsible for winemaking and operations.

Since 1883, Wente Vineyards has been synonymous with California Chardonnay and family tradition in the Livermore Valley.