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Historic Cresta Blanca Winery

Livermore

(Now owned by the renowned Livermore Valley Wente Family)

One must appreciate the fact that The Wente family of Wente Wines have saved much of the historical site of Old Cresta Blanca Winery.  The site is now called Wente Sparkling Cellars and features a World Class Golf Course, Superior Restaurant and the Summer Concert series.  Deacon Dave salutes the Wente Family for preserving the historic site.

Deacon Dave’s father Charles Rezendes was employed by Cresta Blanca Winery for 43 years.  Charles worked his way from cellar worker to lab technician.  Cresta Blanca Wines were a premium quality wine.  The wines won world wide Gold Medals.  Many of the Medals are displayed at the Wente Wines Tasting Room on Arroyo Road.

Deacon Dave worked at Cresta Blanca for a very short time one summer during his college years.  Deacon Dave has a few Cresta Blanca  historic items. The original beautifully wood carved Guest Book, historic Cresta Blanca labeled uncorked Wines, historic Cresta Blanca pamphlets and books.  Not to mention miniature labeled bottles of Cresta Blanca Wine.  The original Cresta Blanca sign that hung above the Tasting bar, One half of double doors that were hung in the Cresta Blanca Wine Caves serves as the door to Deacon Dave’s Wine Cave in the Giant Water Fall Cave.  The door is over 100 years old.

Deacon Dave named the Giant Water Fall in his front yard “Cresta Blanca Falls.” The cave on the inside of the falls called “Cresta Blanca Wine Cellar” stores the deacon’s wines year around at a cool even temperature because of the three small holding ponds on the top and side of the structure.  The items were given as gifts by former Cresta Blanca Winery Managers, Wine Makers such as World Famous Wine Maker Myron Nightengale.

The following information is from the historic book titled “Nature Smiled and there was Cresta Blanca.  The book is clearly a training book for those working at the tasting room and those Cresta Blanca representative that traveled to wine tasting promoting the products.  Book was published in 1944 and each book is a numbered. 

The slogan “From the finest of the vines comes Cresta Blanca Wines”

Norma and Charles Rezendes were also friends with Beringer's Myron Nightingale (see article below)

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