Our Story

Murrieta’s Well is one of California’s original wine estates and has been growing grapes since the 1800s. Our vineyard was started with cuttings from the famed Chateau d’Yquem and Chateau Margaux vineyards in France; today it continues to produce the highest quality fruit. We are proud of our heritage and believe our wines truly reflect the sense of place we love so much.

Our Story

History

Estate

Winemaking

People
history

1884

Louis Mel fell in love with the estate and purchased the land for him and his wife. He built a gravity flow winery into the hillside and planted a vineyard from cuttings from famed Chateau d’Yquem and Chateau Margaux. Today descendants of those original vines still grow on our estate and our tasting room is located in the original gravity flow winery building.

1940

Louis Mel sold the property to his friend, Ernest Wente. The property has been part of the Wente family’s estate ever since.

1990

Philip Wente and Sergio Traverso partnered together to revive the winery. They named the winery and wine label, Murrieta’s Well, paying homage to the rich history of the property.

2015

Acclaimed winemaker, Robbie Meyer, is appointed to oversee our estate vineyard and craft wines that inspire people to think about where the grapes are grown.

2024

As Murrieta’s Well enters their 30th anniversary, Jordan Wente, 5th generation winegrower and eldest daughter of Phil Wente, begins her journey leading a beloved vineyard.

2025

Alec Fraser has been appointed Head Winemaker at Murrieta’s Well, after four years as an integral part of our winemaking team under the guidance of the Wente family and former winemaker Robbie Meyer. With over a decade of experience crafting wines in the Livermore Valley, Alec brings both a deep understanding of the region’s terroir and a personal connection to the estate.

estate

Our Estate

Since the 1880’s, Murrieta’s Well is considered one of Livermore, Valley California’s original wine estates. Our vineyard was started with cuttings from the famed Chateau d’Yquem and Chateau Margaux vineyards in France; today it continues to produce the highest quality fruit.

The Livermore Valley has a unique east to west orientation. The warm days of the Livermore Valley are tempered by the marine influence, of the San Francisco Bay, providing cool foggy mornings and lower evening temperatures. This climatic variation allows the fruit to develop and ripen while maintaining its natural acidity.

Our estate consists of multiple unique soil types ranging in elevation from 560’ to 860. The diversity in terroir gives us the opportunity to plant varietals that thrive in specific locations throughout the estate.  Over the last 130 years, we have used our experience in farming our estate to produce the highest quality wine that showcase a true expression of our estate.

winemaking

Winemaking

  • Acre by Acre farming to ensure only the highest quality fruit is grown each vintage
  • Barrel by barrel approach to winegrowing to enhance the wine’s unique expression
  • Artful blending to integrate grace and balance into each glass
  • All Murrieta’s Well wines are California Certified Sustainable
  • To date, the Murrieta’s Well portfolio has received over 30 90+ ratings and Gold Medals from the world’s top wine publications and competitions.
people

People

Phil Wente

From the time he was a young boy growing up in Louis Mel’s home, Phil Wente connected with the estate and knew he wanted to do something with the aging winery building and its surrounding acreage.

In 1990, he partnered with Sergio Traverso to develop Murrieta’s Well and together they created a portfolio of wines that not only showcased the high-quality grape growing aspects of the estate, but also served to show the world that the Livermore Valley was a premier wine growing region

Alec Fraser

Alec has been an integral part of our winemaking team for the past four years, working under the guidance of the Wente family and former winemaker, Robbie Meyer. With over a decade of experience crafting wines in the Livermore Valley, Alec brings a deep understanding of the region’s terroir and a personal connection to the estate—he and his wife were married at Murrieta’s Well, long before he joined the team. His appreciation for the property and passion for the wines are evident in his thoughtful, quality-driven approach. Alec will continue working closely with the Wente family to evolve the Murrieta’s Well portfolio, honoring our rich history while shaping an exciting future.

Jordan Wente

Inspired by her father’s vision, Jordan joined the company full time in 2015 heading up the renovation of the historic estate winery. She has always had a deep connection to the estate and became passionate about carrying on the legacy. Today as brand manager and spokesperson tirelessly works to build a bright future for Murrieta’s well.

“I truly believe that the outstanding quality of the wine is a testament to the passion of all the people who touch it along the way.”