The valley was named by Robert Livermore, an 18th century landowner whose holdings encompassed the area who planted the first grapevines in the region.

The 96,000 acres (150 sq mi) AVA was established on September 1, 1982 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by fifteen Livermore Valley vintners and growers to establish a viticultural area in Alameda County named "Livermore Valley.

However, at the time, the Valley, part of the Rancho Valle de San José, was more famous for horses than viticulture.

The Spanish family names of Bernal, Amador, Pico and Noriega were noted in horse racing circles as far as Mexico City.

In 1834, Robert Livermore, an English sailor who deserted ship in 1822, settled in Alta California, became a local businessman and later married a Spanish heiress of the Bernal family.

While Noriega raised horses, Livermore built a large house, planted olives, pears, wheat and the first vines in the valley.

The owners, with their diverse backgrounds representing English, German, Irish, Italian, French and Spanish cultures, contributed many viticulture philosophies to the rapidly growing industry.

He built a gravity flow winery into the hillside and planted a vineyard with cuttings from the famed French estates Château d'Yquem and Chateau Margaux.

The valley's geographic location is generally the area covered by the political boundaries of Murray and Pleasanton townships.

The cool marine winds and the morning fog are important factors in temperature control during the growing season and in keeping the area relatively frost free during the early spring.

The greatest part of the vineyard acreage is in Region III as classified by the University of California at Davis system of heat summation by degree-days.

After evaluating the petition and comment, ATF has determined that due to the topographic and climatic features of Livermore Valley, it is distinguishable from the surrounding areas.

Those formations include Pleistocene, alluvial, mostly nonmarine terrace deposits on the basin floor; Pleistocene, Pliocene, Miocene, and Cretaceous sandstone, shale, gravel, and conglomerate in the northern, eastern, and western hills; and Franciscan Complex fragmented and sheared sandstone in the southern hills.

Erosion and weathering of base material on the slopes and deposition of sediment carried in runoff onto the valley floor have, over long periods of time, formed the soils of the region.

[3] Viticulture in Livermore Valley has flourished since the 19th century, with the Cresta Blanca Winery, founded in 1882, being one of the earliest, and well-respected vintner, being the first California wine to win an international competition with its initial 1884 vintage awarded the Grand Prix medal at the 1889 Paris Exposition.

Wente Vineyards has long been the largest producer in the Livermore Valley, making around 700,000 cases of wine annually with wholesale, tasting room and export sales.

The other valley winery, Concannon Vineyard, was also established in 1883 and their vintages are nationally marketed with a tasting room for direct sales.