Concannon Vineyard

Concannon Vineyard is a Central Coast wine producer known for its lengthy heritage and its involvement in the proliferation of Cabernet Sauvignon plantings in California. It was also the first American producer to bottle Petite Sirah as a varietal wine in 1961.

The estate was founded in 1883 by Irish immigrant James Concannon in the Livermore Valley. The vineyard was first planted with white Bordeaux varieties, before red grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon were introduced. Cuttings were brought from Bordeaux from esteemed estates like Château Margaux and Château d'Yquem. In turn, Concannon provided cuttings to Mexican growers at the turn of the 20th century to improve and expand viticulture in Mexico. The estate survived Prohibition by selling selling sacramental wine, and today is one of California's longest continually operating estate.

During the 1970s, Concannon worked with the University of California at Davis to develop several Cabernet Sauvignon clones from its vineyards. These became Concannon Clones 7, 8 and 11, and were used in an expansion of Cabernet Sauvignon plantings throughout California as it became a popular regional varietal. Estimates suggest up to 80 percent of the modern Cabernet population in the state comes from these clones.

Concannon Vineyard makes a range of wines from throughout California, from popular grape varieties like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel.