Murrieta's Well — Attraction in Livermore

Vino! Vino!

Looks like I might have to start frequenting Livermore more often. My trip over the weekend to celebrate one of my friend's birthday was a big eye opener...

I visited Murrieta's Well a few years back and definitely don't remember it being THIS nice! I vaguely remember the main building and a bunch of land around it...more of a barn room tasting set up. I can easily appreciate the amount of effort and time put into the remodel...

However, along with the fancy ambiance comes the higher price tags and gone is the small town local winery feel... The tastings fees are a very Napaish now, at $25 per person! I remember the tasting being $10 or $15 per person...I guess things change. Looks like it's for the better in this case.

On to the Wine tasting... We were told to make a reservation since we had decent size party at 8 people. The staff prepared a table for us near the lawn. As soon as we got there, we were served with a glass of White Wine; The Whip, a white blend. Easy to drink, but nothing outstanding.

Next up was the Dry Rose; This was a hit at the table. Definitely not sweet, but not too dry either, crisp and refreshing. Perfect summer wine. We actually ended up getting a bottle.

We also had the fortune of trying the Muscat Canelli. This was my fave of the day...as I am not a huge White Wine fan. I usually associate any sort of Muscat with sugar on the pallette. The Muscat Canelli surprised me; it had a pleasant floral scent and was light, crisp and refreshing. Brilliant for a warm day.

All the Reds were smooth, easy to drink and flavorful. However I can't say any of them stood out to me. I will have to come revisit all of them. I believe the tasting menu included Merlot, Malbec and the Petit Verdot.

In order to thoroughly immerse ourselves in the tasting experience we also opted to try some of the bites offered from the kitchen. We got all 3 Small plates from the Patio Menu

Market Fresh Board: I wasn't a big fan of this plate, but that is due to my own personal preferences. The root vegetable theme did not work for me. I didn't think this was a good complement to a wine tasting. I did however appreciate this dish and its uniqueness, and the Cauliflower Hummus was pretty good. I was just not expecting to eat Parsnips, Heirloom Carrots and Celery Roots.

Charcuterie & Cheese Board: What's not to like? Cheese, Meat, Fruit & Nuts complimented with what I believe to be homemade flatbread crackers. My only complaint is...well more like a personal gripe...I wish the Cheese selection included Sharp Cheddars or heavier and more flavorful Cheeses.

Housemade Barrel Bites: Brilliant! This was the best plate of the three IMHO. Inspired by Indian Cuisine; some sort of Naan bread with a Garlic, Cauliflower Humus dip. Great flavor and aroma.

Well done Murrieta's Well! I look forward to returning here...

Don’t bother with planning a group event here. Very unprofessional. Brian helped us book our company holiday party weeks in advance. Was very helpful and friendly. we talked twice, preordered food, confirmed times, received confirmation emails with time. Day of event I received an automated email with a new reservation time - zero explanation. I called and emailed back explaining I had worked with Brian to set this time because we had events that followed. No response.

Long story short we arrived, our guests were told our reservation was cancelled. I spoke to a young woman at the front, she kept going up the stairs and down the stairs to talk to her manager. Proceeded to tell me that her manager Erica had called me(and spoke directly to me), told me about the reservation change (complete lie). If that were the case we would not have had people from across the Bay Area and Central Valley drive there to stand in the cold. The young woman also proceeded to tell me “my manager doesn’t lie” so I guess I was the foolish liar. Then I asked her if we could have a quick wine tasting…she went back up the stairs and came down 5 min later that we could have one for 15 min but we would have to leave right at 5 “since this other party (who must have booked for a private party more recently) paid a lot of money to be here”. I asked if the tasting was discounted and she said “not sure we will have to see”.

I don’t think we need to get into more than that. I waited this week to see if anyone would bother to call reach out to apologize. Unfortunately not. Not even Brian or the manager sitting upstairs that couldn’t be bothered to walk down the stairs.

Could have all been handled very differently. Very...

I’m a big fan of the East Bay Wineries that remind you of Napa, and grateful to have come across this one Murrieta’s Well for the first time visiting in October at the recommendation and small gathering hosted by a dear friend and business partner. They have a cute barn that’s indoor and even event space and patio upstairs, just based on the venue and our service from our hostess Paulette I would give it five stars or more but the overall experience probably a lot less. I host a meet up for ladies wine and the other manager was generous to remind us of many selections of wine missing and even where we were not allowed to sit. Some of the ones I visit go out of their way to offer you a free sparkling upon entry, or even a membership but not this one. At some you get a QR code to scan of the tastings and offerings as well as sold on becoming a member or discount for buying bottles, I’m pretty sure the vibe was we don’t want you here or to come back. I wouldn’t mind giving it another try but not anytime soon. Tasting wise the wines are actually also pretty good and the pour is decent not too light and not too full. There was a Portuguese or Spanish red wine that they’re also known for if they have it I would really go for it. The Rose was light but a little too light for me. It’s $40+ and theirs different tiers based on if you want them to serve you or come inside vs. other places it may be cheaper being it’s Livermore but the wines may not be as good or tiers are based on the wine not the service. Wine great, service has some...