Livermore Valley Wineries Reopen Tasting Rooms Amid Budding Vines

LIVERMORE VALLEY, CA — Livermore Valley wineries have begun to serve customers indoors again after Alameda County moved into the orange tier last week.

The orange tier is the second-best tier in California's four-tiered, color-coded COVID-19 risk assessment system, which means businesses across the county — including wineries, breweries, distilleries and bars — can operate with loosened restrictions.

Wineries no longer have to require reservations for tastings or enforce a 90-minute time limit at tables. They can now operate indoors, at up to 25 percent maximum capacity or 100 people, whichever is lower.

Read: These Livermore Businesses Can Open; County Now In Orange Tier

This is good news for Livermore Valley wineries, which have recently celebrated the beginning of the 2021 vintage as buds emerge on grapevines, according to the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association. Wineries have eked by with outdoor tastings, but are enthused to welcome customers back inside.

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Lary Dino, owner and winemaker at Cuda Ridge Wines, said in an email that the winery has already seen an uptick in business.

Staff have closed off the wine bar and are only seating customers and two or three tables to ensure social distancing recommendations and state requirements are followed. As the weather warms, most wine tasting customers will continue to be seated outside, where Cuda Ridge Wines continues to make improvements to its patio.

"Our primary goal is to continue to provide a safe environment for our customers and employees," Dino wrote.

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