Last month's press trip introduced me to a beautiful part of California I had never visited: Livermore Valley Wine Country and the Tri-Valley area, encompassing Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin and Danville. Located just east of San Francisco Bay, Livermore Valley's east-west orientation and coastal diurnal temperature variations (95-degree days can drop to 50-degree nights) makes it a premier wine-growing region with over 50 wineries and some of the country's oldest established vineyards.

Landing at Oakland International Airport, a half-hour Uber ride brought me to Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Livermore Wine Country, where I checked in before meeting my fellow travelers in the lobby.

We would be chauffeured by Black Tie Transportation for the duration of our visit, and being greeted with bubbly daily by our friendly drivers was just one of the nice perks we would appreciate in our weekend's travels.

We were here to experience Livermore Valley’s annual Taste Our Terroir, a weekend of wine-related activities that kicked off with a winemaker and chef pairing competition. What a great event! Click the photo below for a separate detailed recap of our night's festivities

The next day, we headed to Danville to spend the morning at Blackhawk Museum. An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, this museum houses traveling exhibits, The Spirit of the Old West, and an acclaimed collection of vintage and custom automobiles (look for an upcoming feature highlighting this impressive destination).

For lunch, we gathered on the shady patio of Danville Harvest, and I loved everything about this quaint spot! From the cozy atmosphere and friendly service, to the well-crafted cocktails (a refreshing Lavender Harvest with vodka, lavender, lemon and cava was perfect on a warm summer day) and farm-to-table menu. Like this seasonal special of beet and fennel gazpacho with an almond and pumpkin seed crumble.

And you can't go wrong with the other delicious dishes that we dined on, such as shrimp and grits with a zippy Creole sauce and farmers cheese; scallion hush puppies accompanied by butter drizzled with sugar cane syrup (I was tempted to order another); a salad of grilled shrimp decorating a melange of garbanzo beans, arugula, red onion, cucumbers, Easter egg radish with fresh herbs and a bright grilled lemon vinaigrette; or sandwiches served on flaky croissants with a side of fries or a farm-fresh salad.

And the desserts were just as wonderful, including buttery poundcake, vibrant tangerine sorbet, and a silky chocolate mousse.

We were also in the heart of the Tri-Valley Ice Cream Trail, which includes 14 gelato and ice cream stops in San Francisco's Bay Area. In the pretty town of Pleasanton was Meadowlark Dairy, whose history dates back to the early 1900s and was the first certified dairy in California. It has been operating as a drive-thru since 1969, and you can also walk up for their popular soft serve cones. Offering year-round flavors of chocolate, vanilla, orange and strawberry, look for seasonal specials such as Dole Whip pineapple in the summer and pumpkin in the fall.

Happy and well fed, we were off to the Wente Vineyards Winemakers Studio for a wine tasting class. Wente is the largest winery in the Livermore Valley AVA and this year celebrates their 135th anniversary. It is also the oldest continuously-operating, family-owned winery in the country with Karl Wente its fifth generation winemaker and CEO Carolyn Wente, his aunt, a fourth generation winegrower.

Wente is also recognized has helping to establish the Livermore Valley as one of the celebrated wine-growing regions in California. In 1912, C.H. Wente imported chardonnay grapevine cuttings from Burgundy and this Wente Clone is credited as the genetic source for 80% of the California chardonnay plantings existing today.

Next on our agenda was a wine tasting that really showed how much we rely on our senses when drinking, especially sight. At our Black Glass Blind Tasting, four Wente wines were poured into opaque black glasses, making it impossible to ascertain if they were red or white, light or dark. Our session was led by Wente's knowledgeable sommelier, who educated us on points such as sipping on a sparkling brut between tastings ("the acidity and lemon notes cleanse your palate") and using familiar analogies to grade varietal signatures ("think of tannins as going from silk to velvet, suede, corduroy and burlap"). I had to lean heavily on the aroma and taste - citrus? floral? firm tannins? oak? - in trying to discern the varietal characteristics to identify the wine, which made this a lot of fun with our lively group. I missed a riesling which I thought might have been malvasia, but congratulations to my friend Elaine of Carpe Travel, who correctly identified all four!

The Wine Maker Studio offers a range of other classes and experiences, such as identifying aromas in Wine Aroma Discovery, how to pair sparkling wine in Tiny Bubbles, and exploring your inner winemaker at the Winemaking Blending Experience.

Though we were still full from lunch, on my next visit, I'll plan to settle in on the inviting patio at Wood Fire Kitchen at Wente Vineyards for a bite. Serving pizzas and rotating specials such as sliders, chili and wings, this casual eatery turned out one of my favorite dishes at the previous night's Taste our Terroir (maple compressed watermelon with pork belly, balsamic reduction, and fennel pollen).

Darcie Kent Vineyards was our final stop on our afternoon exploration. Owned by a fifth-generation winemaking family, this vineyard is named for artist and vintner Darcie Kent, whose great-great-grandfather came from Switzerland in 1874 to become a viticulturist. His Alpine Winery was in St. Joseph, Missouri because he felt the area represented the Rhine River region, and wine ambassador Diane shared that the clean and crisp grüner veltliner we were sipping on was his favorite varietal, and also the first varietal he produced.

"Darcie knew of the heritage and had always been fascinated and got her Master's degree at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she met her husband David, who had the same passion," said Diane. Eventually, David worked for Gallo Winery in marketing while Darcie was producing her first 120 cases of California merlot. Fast forward to 1997 when Darcie Kent Vineyards was established, and they've owned their present location since 2013 (trivia: this property was once owned by Bing Crosby). Take note of the artwork in the tasting room gallery - Darcie has been a professional artist for 25 years and her paintings are commissioned worldwide.

We then sat down to a tasting led by Diane including the 2015 DeMayo chardonnay we enjoyed next (the 2010 has been poured at the White House), followed by the Alpine White, a refreshing blend of 50/50 sauvignon blanc and grüner veltliner.

We then progressed to a tasting from their portfolio of reds, including Madden Big Petite from Madden Ranch Vineyard owned by former NFL coach John Madden ("you're going to get your boysenberry, your blackberry, your currants; it's really big and bold"), and the 2013 Clone 337 Cabernet Sauvignon ("one of the most consumer-friendly cab clones that loves the Mediterranean climate here, doesn't ripen too fast, and has lots of cherry with soft tannins)."

Another highlight was the 2012 Stone Patch Cabernet, a well-balanced blend of 80% cab franc and 20% merlot aged for 24 months in Burgundian oak, with notes of cassis, vanilla and nutmeg. The label, like all of the wines, was designed by Darcie, and the name? "The myth is that there are stones that surround the vineyards. They take them out to irrigate, but when they return to prune the vines, the stones are back again."

Then it was back to our hotel for a brief respite before heading out to Taste our Terroir's Winemaker Concert (click photo for details, including a video).

Click here for part two, as we visit Sauced BBQ, Concannon Vineyards, Cuda Ridge Vineyards, Murrieta's Well, and Retzlaff Vineyards.

I partnered with the local tourism boards for my trip, and you can find more information on the region's activities, dining, lodging, and annual events at Livermore Valley Wine Country, and Visit Tri-Valley.

Livermore Wine Country: 9 Places to Wine and Dine (Part One)