Big White House Winery, 585 S L St, Livermore, CA 94550, US

Livermore Valley Cellars, tucked away at the end of an unpaved lane in the middle of a development of new homes, is easy to miss. Follow signs to the tasting room and you'll eventually arrive at a quaint collection of old buildings, barrels and a few picnic tables. This is a small, family-run winery, typical of Livermore's down-home wineries run by folks who are passionate about wine without the snootiness sometimes found at larger wineries. The small tasting room in an old shed and the casual, folksy atmosphere belies the excellent quality and wide variety of wines found here. The Lagiss family started LVC in 1978, and founder Chris Lagiss, who was a key figure in the rebirth of the Livermore Valley's wine region, recently passed away at the age of 92. The current generation of owners has retained the quirky character of the winery. As they say here, "Wines with character, made by characters."