Three Livermore-based wineries share a commercial space for public interaction. Rosa Fierro, Ehrenberg, and Favalora each produce at least one bottling sourced from Oakley-grown grapes.
Independent News
“The Many Adventures of Rosie, Chris and Frankie”
October 4, 2018
"…After a long search for a location where they could each have a place to serve their respective wines to customers as well as make their wines, Rosie Mangin (Rosa Fierro Cellars), Chris Ehrenberg (Ehrenberg Cellars and Schmidt), and Frankie Favalora (Favalora Vineyard Winery) have finally moved their respective brands into spacious new quarters at 346 Earhart Drive. In doing so, they’ve effectively expanded the boundaries of Livermore wine country westward.
"…What can you expect when you come here for a tasting? Well, in the case of Favalora, Zin, Barbera, and Carignane, from his estate vineyards and a couple of others in Contra Costa County. Rosie’s lineup features Chardonnay and Cabernet from Livermore, along with Zin from Frank and Merlot from Sonoma. Chris Ehrenberg gets Barbera, Carignane, and Zin from Frank, along with a bunch of cool stuff from Amador and Lodi.
"…Each brand offers a totally unique experience, in terms of varietals and in terms of style.
"…For harvest 2018, Rosie plans to get Chardonnay from Tenuta, from which she will make both oaked and unoaked versions. She’ll source Cabernet from Thatcher for her rosé, Zin from Favalora Vineyard and hopefully, Merlot from Moon Mountain. She’d really love to get some Sachau Merlot at some point.
"Ehrenberg’s Schmidt brand will join his Ehrenberg label on the bar, along with the wines from the 14 barrels he bought from Emily Coyne, after Tom passed away. Ehrenberg started making wine at Rock Wall in 2008 and has been hooked ever since. His style is unapologetically big and fleshy.
"…Chris also has a Favalora Zin from Contra Costa, a Napa Cab (big and bold with lots of grilled pepper and good acid), as well as Zin, Barbera and Carignane from Lodi.
"Under the Schmidt label, which honors his father, Chris Ehrenberg also has a Syrah, Zin and Petite Sirah. He’s very excited about the ETC dessert wines that contain some of Tom’s juice. ‘Emilee Coyne said I could use Tom’s name and picture on the label,’ says Ehrenberg. The ETC late harvest Zin is a big fruity monster that would best be consumed seated in a comfortable chair you’re not planning to move from for a while. There’s also an ETC Cabernet port, sourced mostly from Tom Coyne’s legacy barrels.
"…Next it was time to dip into the Favalora selections. Athletic, handsome, with an easy-going demeanor and an LED smile, Frank got started in wine when he was 23. ‘I lived in Antioch and I played basketball,’ he says. Everything changed when he met his father-in-law, Stan Planchon, who asked him, ‘Do you know anything about wine? With a name like Frankie Favalora, you need to know. I’m going to teach you.’
"Frank says Stan had tasted Chris’s wines and liked them, and encouraged the two to team up. Ironically, at an event at Rosenblum Cellars where Chris was making wine, Shauna, Kent Rosenblum’s daughter, came by and said to Frankie, ‘You two need to get together!’
"…After years of growing —Frank planted his vineyard in 1999 using Zin cuttings from the Planchon vineyard of his parents-in-law, Gertie and Stan, which dates back to 1902—he figured it was time.
"…On the tasting bar, you’ll find his 2015 Carignane from Frank’s cousin’s 100-year old dry-farmed vineyard on Live Oak Road in Contra Costa. It clocks in at 16.7% and smells of Bing cherry. It’s big and fleshy, with superb tannins. Carignane is known for its generous texture and thick skin and it gets really ripe out here with lots of hang time. Frank also has a 2016 Carignane from the Del Barba Vineyard, another old Contra Costa gem, this one with more layers, enticing pepper on the finish and good acid, along with coca cola and root beer flavors. He lets it hang until October.
“If you’re a fan of ripe Zinfulness, Frank’s 2015 late harvest Zin from the St. Peter’s Church clone out of Manuel Madruga’s vineyard, also in Contra Costa, will ring your chimes. Frank says that Madruga planted the vineyard in 2000, at the urging of Kent Rosenblum, who was well-regarded as a master of Zin, who asked him to plant the St. Peter’s Church clone. Known for its big berries and elongated clusters, it has developed quite a reputation and following among Rosenblum devotees. Maybe it’s the power of suggestion, but to me it tasted like a sacramental wine, amped up by the addition of Late Harvest Petite Sirah from Tom Coyne’s stash…”.
This article was hard to track down, but it provides two interesting bits of trivia:
· Chris Ehrenberg and Frank Favalora are working with several barrels of finished wine from the late Thomas Coyne, sourced from daughter Emily Coyne. It is used in blending their dessert/late harvest wines.
· Details are given as to which Zinfandel field selections or Clones make up newer Oakley vineyards: “Madruga Vineyard” is composed of “St Peter’s Church” cuttings, “Sophia Favalora Vineyard” includes “Planchon Vineyard” vine material. Kent Rosenblum introduced new Zin clonal selections into the area (link).
Ehrenberg Cellars / Schmidt website:
Favalora Vineyard Winery Facebook page:
Rosa Fierro Cellars website:
East Bay Express Archives
“Best East Bay Winery with East Bay Vineyards: Thomas Coyne Winery”
July 14, 2010
"Tom Coyne started out as a home winemaker (while he was a chemical engineer for Clorox), then started working as a cellar rat at Rosenblum Cellars, then started making a little wine under his own label and selling it there in 1989, and finally made the leap to his own winery and vineyards in Livermore in 1994.
“Along the way, he became one of the Bay Area’s best winemakers, specializing in Rhône varieties and multiple Merlots, but capable of doing a great job with anything from Pinot Blanc to Spanish grapes you never heard of, with local Livermore fruit and grapes from Lodi, Contra Costa County, and the Sierra Foothills. The bonus treat is the winery itself: a venerable Livermore winemaking site, founded in 1881 as Chateau Bellvue, complete with historic buildings and a nifty view. Does Tom Coyne respect tradition? Here’s a clue — he refuses to be bothered with e-mail.”
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