Bent Creek Winery - Livermore

However, about 20 minutes later, an older man approached us looking quite upset. We suspect he might have been the owner. He informed us that the winery closed at 4:30 PM and that they wanted to leave. His tone and demeanor made us very uncomfortable. He stated that the chair we were using was private property, not meant for that area, and needed to be returned. I apologized, explaining that we hadn’t realized the time, that Rex had told us to relax, and that the chair had been there when we sat down. He insisted it was 5 PM, noted it had been a long day, and reiterated that they wanted to leave. We exchanged astonished glances, taken aback by his rude behavior. What a poor way to treat customers, especially considering that our friend is a member. I believe in being direct, but there is a way to do so with dignity and respect. Rudeness reflects poorly on one's character. There's a saying I've heard: "Rudeness is a weak man’s imitation of strength." The photo we took was before this older man asked us to leave, and I noticed there were still three other groups enjoying their wine when we left. We have never experienced such terrible treatment in Napa, which might explain why we hadn’t heard much about the Livermore wineries before.

Let's begin with the details. Bent Creek is located just off the main street, and parking can be a bit tight, so it’s not the best fit for larger vehicles—just a heads-up. We were welcomed with a complimentary glass of wine as soon as we arrived. There was a cover band playing, but since we hadn’t come for a concert and wanted to chat, we chose a spot far from the music. The band was good, just to note. Unfortunately, since we were seated far away, the spot we found was on a slope with uneven ground. One of our friends almost toppled out of her chair when it sank into a hole in the dirt (and no, she wasn't tipsy; she's just someone who drinks lightly). Then we met Rex, our server. Rex was fantastic. He took the time to answer all our questions, got to know us a bit, and shared some details about himself without neglecting the other guests. He even made sure we had a chance to try some port when he learned that some of us were fans. Thanks to Rex, the experience was leaning towards the positive. As for the wines we tasted, they were decent—nothing extraordinary but still enjoyable. However, things took a turn when an older gentleman—who I later found out was likely the owner—approached us. His demeanor was anything but gentle. I was so taken aback by his behavior that I didn’t even think to ask for his name. When closing time rolled around, Rex served us the last of our wine and encouraged us to take our time. About 20 minutes later, the older man showed up and was extremely blunt and rude. Even though there were at least two other tables where people were happily chatting and enjoying their wine, he harshly announced that they closed at 4:30, it was now 5:00, and we needed to leave so they could go home. While I understood the essence of wanting to go home, the saying "You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar" came to mind, as he was practically drenching us in vinegar. I was ready to leave anyway, but since we were having a good time, I was watching the other tables and was prepared to suggest we leave too—though I never got that chance. As we started packing up, the man also complained about a chair we were using, claiming it belonged to private property and needed to be returned. He didn’t bother to ask any questions or apologize for his brusque manner. One of us said sorry and explained that the chair was already at our table, so we weren’t responsible for the mix-up. But he merely repeated his insistence that we needed to leave and loomed over us as if we were children. At that point, if I’d been planning to buy something to take home, that thought quickly vanished as if birds were flying away for the winter. We apologized again and continued to pack up. There were underlying demographics at play here that I won’t mention to avoid any issues, but suffice it to say we didn’t respond to his blunt rudeness the same way some might have, considering the location and clientele. It would have been so much better if he had approached us with something like, “Hi folks, how was your experience? Good? Great! I hate to be that person, but we’re x minutes past closing and need to close up. Is there anything we can do for you? No? Okay, let me help you clean up since it’s been a long day.” The bathroom was a slight walk away and appeared to accommodate one person at a time. We managed to get three people in before we had to leave.

We had a wonderful experience and really enjoyed the wine. Barbara was incredibly kind and made our visit memorable. We will definitely be returning!

Felt like I was greeted and treated like family. Very good award winning wines and sat next to the beautiful vineyard.

Such a lovely winery with the kindest people working there. Dog friendly as well! We did the wine tasting, and I liked every single wine that I tried (which is honestly rare for me . With a tasting, you get 20% off a bottle purchase I brought back home a bottle of Zinfandel. : Would definitely come back again. What a gem. I think I prefer this place over a lot of the wineries in Napa!