LIOCO Information

Established in 2005. LIOCO specializes in restrained, site-driven wines from Northern California's greatest vineyard sites. The focus is on Chardonnay & Pinot Noir, with a playful diversion into heirloom varieties like Carignan and Valdiguie...and for the initiated, a surprising Old Vine Sauvignon Blanc. LIOCO was conceived in the alley behind Spago Beverly Hills by wine director Kevin OConnor and wine salesman Matt Licklider. The two colleagues, critical of the heavy-handed wines of the day, wondered if it were possible to make some local wines that favored nuance over sheer power. In 2005, relying on nothing more than their palates and their rolodexes, the two embarked on a winemaking odyssey. Europe was the inspiration, as were the more restrained California wines of the 1980s. Today the winery is owned and operated by the Licklider family. Husband/wife duo Matt and Sara Licklider and their small team produce the wines at a state-of-the-art winemaking cooperative in Santa Rosa. All of the fruit is purchased from distinctive vineyards spanning 200-miles and three counties (Santa Cruz, Sonoma, and Mendocino).