Birth of an Industry

Birth of an Industry. . Olivina is the name of the estate Julius Paul Smith built in the Livermore Valley. He and other local entrepreneurs recognized the similarities in climate and soil to the fine wine regions in Europe. The wines produced from their Valley estates were the beginning of the wine industry in the Livermore Valley. From the late 1880s until Smith's death in 1904, Olivina was the largest wine producer in the region., The Olivina gate at the corner of Wetmore Road and Arroyo Road was built by Mrs. Smith in 1905 as a tribute to her husband. The Olivina Gate, the winery ruins, and the walnut-lined lanes between them were designated by the state as a point of historical interest in 2008., Smith named his estate Olivina after the olive trees and grape vines he planted. In addition to wine making, olive oil was pressed from the olives grown here., Take the Wagon Road Trail up the hill to walk under those same olive trees, planted over 120 years ago.