Our History
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Owner William Westover Smyth purchased land in the Livermore Valley in 1986. He decided to plant grape vines on the property to increase the value of the land and earn extra money selling to the local wineries. The rich soil of Castro Valley and the shade of the trees lining the surrounding hills provided the ideal growing environment for a number of varietals. Eventually the hills produced so many quality grapes Bill decided to keep some and try his hand at making wine. He founded Westover Winery with the goal of producing high quality small lot wines. Westover received its first alcohol license in 1991, and the tasting room opened in 1994.
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Westover began producing port soon after opening as a way to experiment with leftover Zinfandel grapes. Originally the winery produced Zinfandel, Tawny and Ruby port. Port production has expanded over the years until we became the producer of the largest variety of ports in the United States, bottling anywhere from 20 to 30 varieties at a time. Our inventory ranges from delicate, lightly sweet desert wines to rich, heavy Tawnies and Portuguese style ports. Those new to drinking port will be sure to find a number of ports to match their developing taste. Port aficionados will become instant fans of the quality and variety of the ports offered on our extensive tasting menu.
Over the years our production has grown from a few hundred cases per year to a few thousand. We pride ourselves on being able to compete with the large producers in the Valley. Westover’s wines continue to impress visitors and judges, and despite the increase in production, our winery has never lost its family atmosphere or the intimacy of a small producer.
Our friends and visitors are the main inspiration at Westover. We develop wines and ports based on visitor suggestions and ideas brought to us by family and friends. We only produce wines that we want to drink. You won’t find any “fashionable” or “trendy” blends or wines on our tasting menu. You will find quality wines and ports that are interesting, unique and taste amazing. We invite you to join us and experience Westover for yourself.