Bent Creek Winery

This was my first time wine tasting and Bent Creek Winery was a great place to experience an introduction to wine. The pricing seems to have gone up to $ 10 for 11 tastings, still a good deal, I think. If you decide to purchase a bottle after your tasting, you will get credited $ 10 towards that bottle from your tasting payment. The staff is very friendly and took the time to explain each wine. It’s a small and intimate bar top so it can get a little crowded inside with everyone getting their tastes, but there is plenty of seating outside where you can enjoy the fresh air and scenery. I loved being able to taste all of their wines for a great price. I ended up purchasing a bottle of their delicious Zinfandel.

Very nice small tasting room, but lots of space outside to enjoy the scenery while tasting the wonderful wine. It’s only 5 bucks for 11 tastings. Wow! The service started slow at first, but then after a while we were attended too well. Very casual and beautiful setting. All the wines were rather good. I highly recommend this place and would happily go back.

I loved their Petite Syrah with it’s hints of vanilla bean. My husband liked the sauv blanc and ports! Super nice people and I will be going back for a picnic soon!

First stop on my first trip to Livermore for wine tasting. I really enjoyed this place. It’s not the biggest, but has plenty of tables for many groups. It does fill up pretty quickly so try to get there earlier.
Their tasting was $ 5 for 11 tastings. You get to try their entire menu. Of course each sample is only a couple of gulps, but remember you get 11. I wish all wineries did this, that way I can try a larger variety. I really enjoyed their Cab and ended up leaving with a bottle of their Port.

We are wine club members here and decided to book them as our wedding rehearsal dinner venue. We love the beautiful grounds, fantastic wine and great service.
It was such a pleasure working with Cynthia. She really helped make sure we had everything we needed and was on top of everything. We actually arrived a little late and she already had the place mostly set up for us.
Our guests were loving the wine. We ended up purchasing more than we anticipated because everyone was drinking and having a great time!
I can’t say enough great things about Bent Creek (and Cynthia). It is one of my absolute favorites!

Loved the scenery of this place, and our server gave us all the details on the wine, grapes, property, and recommended other wineries to try. Our servers name was Lorna, very sweet woman — she also cracked a few jokes with our group which made us feel very at home! Id recommend bringing snacks or food to munch on in between the tastings. I will be back, since the tasting fee is $ 5 to try at least 9 or 10 wines.

Might be one of my favorite wineries I have EVER been to, and even in just my two years of legal drinking I have been to many in many different regions of California and other states.
The reasons why?
1. The prices. $ 5 for 10 generous tastings, which gets credited towards a bottle if you choose to buy one. So basically free because you WILL want to buy a bottle at the end.
2. The service. Such friendly people who work here, and you really get the sense of a good-​hearted, family-​run business. They are genuine, give generous pours, and seem to really love what they do. Very different than some of the stuffy Napa establishments. I live in Texas now and this winery embodies what I see at the wineries there a lot which is basically caring, Southern charm.
3. The wines. My FAVORITE port ever is here (Petite Sirah Port), although all three ports they have are wonderful. I love when a winery has even just one port, so the fact that Bent Creek has THREE and they are so reasonably priced (around $ 22 – 24) just sells me on this place even more.
4. The ambience. You feel like you are in someone’s backyard. Plenty of outdoor seating, including a little back patio off of the tasting room that looks into the vineyards. I truly could spend hours out here. Also BYOP! (Bring your own picnic).
Bent Creek would be my number one spot if heading to the Livermore wineries. This winery defines everything a winery should be (friendly, delicious, beautiful), and they don’t nickel-​and-​dime you!

My favorite Livermore winery. Bent Creek is located in the Southern Livermore hills. Most varietals are grown on the estate; all bottles are below $ 30; all wines are… well… delicious. Bent Creek is a family-​friendly, gorgeous, quality winery — on par with similar family run wineries in France and Italy. Must see. You’ll become a regular too.

Great Experience ~ Relaxed & Fun Vibe.
We arrived late in the day, about 40 minutes before closing. They were kind to allow us the time to complete our tasting. We didn’t feel rushed at all.
At one point some of the owners were even there pouring for us and asking us if we had any questions. This is the kind of place where you feel like everyone is family. Very welcoming and relaxed environment.
I believe we tried 11 wines/​ports for $ 5. We bought 3 bottles of wine and were given our tasting fees towards our purchase. We took home the Sauvignon Blanc & Cabernet Franc
We will definitely be back for another visit!

You can taste 10+ wines for $ 5, which is an insane deal. The wines are decent, but I preferred the ones I tasted at Concannon. Still, it’s super affordable, and there are tables underneath shade here. Important for the summer! Not as scenic as some of the other vineyards, but definitely still very cute and quaint. If you buy a bottle, they refund you the $ 5 for your tasting. Lots of ports at the end of the tasting menu, so if that’s your thing, you’re in luck!

Bent Creek Winery had a tent with only 2 barrels of cab and a few drops of petite syrah.
Event:LVBTW (³⁄₂₂)
barrel tastes:
–comparateive tastings of 2013 cabernet savignon
new french oak vs. old french oak
–old french oak taste was smoother. new french oak tasted more tannin, harsher
–added a drop of petite syrah to combo of old and new french,
result was a spicier witn with blackl pepper notes.
wine notes:
–Bent Winery experiements with wine mix ratios to find unique and saleable wines.
will return to try some finished product some day.

Lots and lots of tables and trees everywhere. Barrel tasting was on the weak side, but I’m sure glad I came. Like the chill muted ambience here. The can blend was quite smooth and yum— liked.
Chilled at a table and just kicked it with this scenery…

Bent Creek is definitely a winery that has made its way to our worth a return visit list. (We’ve been twice now.) A reasonable $ 5 for a lengthly tasting list of whites, reds, and port. They were quite busy, with people filling the tasting room. I was impressed that the folks pouring were so attentive and friendly. In addition to delicious wines, they have beautiful grounds with tables for tasting and perhaps a nice picnic lunch. They can also accommodate groups*.
*Wine Tasting PSA: For everyone’s benefit, if a winery allows it, make a reservation if there are eight or more in your group. I was amazed at how many large groups were leaving or arriving at the wineries we visited. Especially for small places, a reservation will make it much easier for them to serve you AND their other guests. Plan ahead, people.

4 – 5 stars for service and price of wine tasting.
We came in a group of 4 and the wine tasting is only $ 5 for nine tastings. It’s an excellent deal and if you buy a bottle they credit your tastings towards your purchase. The scenery is ok and there’s a small out door seating. It’s also dog friendly and we bought our dog inside while wine tasting. We’ll definitely visit again.

Tastings were $ 5 and you get 11 wines to taste! (Seems like they were at one point free — wow!) The fellas here were so friendly and welcoming. Most of the wines were steel barreled FYI.
We were really there to try their ports they had three on the tasting menu! They were all equally good but in different ways. My friends bought one and I bought a Syrah.(around $ 15 with the $ 5 put towards the price of the bottle — what a deal!)
I’d highly recommend starting at this place especially if you are new to wine tasting.
The vineyard and grounds were nicely kept and the building was warm (it was cold out). Again, the people that work doing the tastings were engaging and knowledgeable.

I was spending the weekend with the roommate’s family. Since he had to work, I spent last Saturday hitting a couple wineries in Livermore.
There was a Bent Creek wine club member in our group, so I believe our tasting was free. But with a tasting fee $ 5 per person, it’s a steal! Plus the money gets credited towards wine purchases. We were able to sample 11 wines from their November 2014 tasting menu.
2013 mendocino county sauvignon blanc
2011 livermore valley chardonnay
2011 livermore valley cabernet franc
2010 livermore valley zinfandel
2009 livermore valley syrah
2010 livermore valley red on red
2010 livermore valley cabernet sauvignon
2010 livermore valley petite sirah
2009 livermore valley zinfandel port
2008 livermore valley petite sirah port
2011 amador county vintage port
My favorites were the Red on red, Cabernet sauvignon and Petite sirah. I like the bigger, bolder wines, so the last 3 reds on the tasting list were my favs.
I’ve never been to Livermore for wine tasting, so this was a first. Definitely more of a quaint neighborhood feel than Napa. But who can complain at $ 5 for 12 tastes! Definitely a nice first stop.

Bent Creek’s tasting room is an excellent bargain. For $ 5 pp we sampled TEN wines. The least good was still «okay» and several were very interesting, including three different ports. Even better, the bottles are reasonably priced. My friends and I bought a few each.

FIRST STOP at the livermore valley harvest wine celebration:
samples:
2011 livermore valley chardonnay — excellent, crisp taste with a bit of citrus and apple. loved this one! the perfect cool wine for a hot afternoon!
2009 livermore valley syrah — this one tasted really bitter for some reason. granted, red wine is served at room temp, but this one just didn’t leave a good aftertaste in my mouth
perks:
+live music outside
+patio seating, most with umbrellas
+free shuttle from our car (parked up the street) to the winery
+some vendors selling arts and crafts outside on the lawn
other:
additional wine tasting inside for an extra $ 5

For those looking for a free wine tasting, it looks like this policy was changed sometime in August (based on the July reviews I’m reading here), and it is now $ 5 a person (but that can be applied towards the purchase of a bottle).
My girlfriend and I came on a Saturday afternoon since we were in the area for lunch, and weren’t aware of the free tasting, so we didn’t mind the $ 5 considering prices up in Napa. While we got to sample a large variety of wines, unfortunately the pours were not as generous as other reviewers have mentioned, and it was difficult to get a taste for the wine.
It’s not fancy or upscale like Napa estates, but it was a pleasant experience and we enjoyed being seated right next to the vineyard. It’s a very narrow road to drive up to the winery (barely fits two cars), and there is no structured parking area, but you can park on the gravel outside of the winery if the designated area inside is full.

The only two times I’ve been to Livermore was to shop at the Paragon Outlets. I’ve been wanting to check out the wineries out there as I’ve heard great things about Livermore wine scene… smaller production, many family owned, limited distribution, etc. I had no idea where to start so I looked up some wineries through handy dandy trusty Unilocal.
My gf and I visited Bend Creek on our first stop during a nice warm afternoon. The parking area was crowded, which meant that it was certainly the place to be. Turned out that it was their monthly wine club day. When we got to the common area, it was evident that it was a very family friendly scene bc there were young toddlers with their parents and also a few dogs on the premises with their owners. There was also a tent set up outside and a fellow with a guitar and mic graced the crowd with his singing.
The tasting room wasn’t huge but spacious enough for people to go in and out or linger at the bar. Bent Creek has unlimited complimentary tastings featuring 11 different wines including 2 whites, 6 reds and 3 ports. The gentlemen at the bar were super duper friendly and educated us on the wines. They answered our questions and even shared with us some personal stories. I learned that Bent Creek only sells their wines locally (Tri-​Valley); you cannot find it anywhere else. The pours were generous. When they noticed anyone with an empty glass, they’d summon you to the bar and fill up your glass again and again. Definitely a fun place to go for wine tasting. They also set out plates of crackers and bowls of chocolate chips at the bar. The vibe was completely unpretentious and there was no pressure to even buy anything.
My favorites were the Mendocino Sauvignon Blanc, Livermore Valley Petite Sirah, and Livermore Valley Cabernet. I didn’t care too much for the different Livermore Ports bc those are generally too sweet for me. Their wines are also priced attractively at $ 15 — $ 29 per bottle. Overall, a wonderful wine tasting experience with exceptional service and good wines!