New White Wine Portfolio Honors Almost a Century and a Half of History, Heritage, and Innovation in American Winemaking
April 23, 2026 (Livemore, CA) — Wente Family Vineyards, America’s oldest continuously family-owned and operated winery, is proud to introduce Cresta Blanca, a thoughtful revival of one of California’s first and most historic wine labels. Launching today, the collection focuses on a portfolio of white wines that bridge Cresta Blanca’s Gilded Age roots directly with the modern consumer palate, featuring crisp, refreshing styles of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Blanc de Blancs. The wines debut with elegant packaging that reflects the craftsmanship and heritage behind the label.
Established in 1882 on the site that is now Wente Family Vineyards, the Cresta Blanca winery predates Wente’s 1883 founding by one year. The story of Cresta Blanca’s illustrious founder, Charles Wetmore, later dovetailed with that of Wente Family Vineyards’, but he is best known for bringing California wine into the international spotlight. Cresta Blanca made history when its 1884 dry white wine earned the Grand Prix at the 1889 Paris Exposition, becoming the first California wine to receive major international acclaim and helping place American wines on the global stage.
Along with Cresta Blanca, Wente Family Vineyards helped define Livermore Valley as a benchmark region for California winemaking, and has long been recognized for its pioneering spirit, enduring family leadership, and commitment to preserving the region’s winemaking history. Since 1981, the Wente family has stewarded the historic Cresta Blanca property and its important artifacts. Today, that legacy continues with the reintroduction of the Cresta Blanca label, which marries the property’s history and tradition with modern consumer preferences.
“This collection of wines is about honoring the people and moments that shaped California wine history,” said Aly Wente, Chief Revenue Officer at Wente Family Vineyards. “As a fifth-generation family-owned winery, we are uniquely positioned to preserve and reintroduce Cresta Blanca’s iconic legacy, serving as storytellers who bring its most defining moments to life for today’s wine drinker in a way that feels both respectful of the past and relevant to the present. White wines are having such a moment right now – it felt appropriate to revive a brand that made its name here in the Livermore Valley and abroad on its white wine bona fides!”
The inspiration for the revival came while Aly was walking past the historic barrel cellar on the Wente Family Vineyards property, which still houses the beautiful carved redwood barrels that date back to the estate’s Cresta Blanca days. One such barrel was commissioned to celebrate Cresta Blanca’s grand prize win at the 1889 Paris Expo and has a striking classical wine goddess carved into the barrel’s face. Embodying the same spirit of abundance, optimism, and exuberance shared by her ancestors as reveled in the expansive bounty of late 1800’s California, Aly was moved by the weight of the legacy these barrels contained. In that moment, she knew this remarkable piece of history was worth preserving for future generations, ensuring the Cresta Blanca story continues to evolve while remaining true to its origins.
She also knew the Cresta Blanca label design would honor that iconic barrel design, still prominently on display in the Wente Family Vineyards cellar.
Each wine in the inaugural portfolio also pays tribute to a defining chapter in Cresta Blanca’s history and Charles Wetmore’s pioneering vision for California Viticulture. In the 1880s, Wetmore famously imported prized vine cuttings from some of France’s most revered wineries and regions, including Sauvignon Blanc from Château d’Yquem in Sauternes and Chardonnay from Meursault in Burgundy, and planted them in Livermore Valley, helping lay the foundation for California’s enduring white wine legacy.
The Cresta Blanca portfolio features the 2024 Chardonnay (SRP: $29.99), 2025 Sauvignon Blanc (SRP: $24.99) and NV Blanc de Blancs (SRP: $34.99). The 2024 Chardonnay honors the Meursault derived cuttings that would later become the iconic Wente Clone, which today accounts for the majority of California Chardonnay plantings. The 2025 Sauvignon Blanc nods to the historic Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon blend that earned Cresta Blanca international acclaim in 1889. It also honors the Château d’Yquem cuttings that the Wentes preserved throughout Prohibition and which later became the famed Sauvignon Blanc Clone 1, now propagated throughout the New World thanks to the Wente family’s foresight. The NV Blanc de Blancs, pays homage to the family’s 1981 revival of the Cresta Blanca estate as the Sparkling Wine Cellars at Wente Family Vineyards, celebrating the enduring history of the property itself.
To learn more, visit https://wentevineyards.com/cresta-blanca/
About Wente Family Vineyards
Founded in 1883, Wente Family Vineyards has been celebrated for its industry-wide contributions to innovation as the oldest continuously operated, family-owned winery in the country. Now owned and managed by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family, women lead the charge from grape to glass. The winery draws from certified sustainable estate vineyards in the Livermore Valley, San Francisco Bay, and Arroyo Seco, Monterey appellations to create an outstanding array of fine wines distributed in all 50 states and over 70 countries worldwide.
In 2010, it joined the top 10% of California wineries that meet all three tiers within the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing codes and designation for both the estate vineyards and winery. In April 2022, the winery won the Wine Institute’s California Green Medal Leader Award. This award is given to one winery each year and recognizing leadership in sustainable practices that span both its vineyards and winery as well as Wente Family Vineyards’ socially responsible initiatives that benefit its employees and greater community.
Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Family Vineyards is recognized as one of California’s premier wine country destinations, featuring wine tasting, food and wine experiences, cave tours, outdoor wine & music events, unparalleled wedding venues and The Course at Wente Family Vineyards, an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Greg Norman. For more information, visit wentevineyards.com.
