A metal archway greets visitors as they drive back past a house and the fermentation tanks of Bodega Aguirre Winery. The boutique winery, which produces only red wines, is the passion of Dr. Ricardo Aguirre, who prides himself on producing rich red wines from his Livermore Valley vineyards.

In1995 he planted 12 acres of grapes - half Merlot, and the other half Cabernet Sauvignon - on a 32-acre parcel. He later grafted some of the grapes over to Cabernet Franc. He bought more land and planted seven acres of Petite Sirah, which has become his signature wine. The Petite Sirah vineyard is pruned to yield three tons per acre, while the Cabernet and Merlot blocks yield four tons per acre.

The tasting room is attached to the winery building, situated across from a lawn area under Italian Cypress trees. There is a small, elevated covered patio in front to use for relaxing as you taste their wines. The cozy room hosts visitors on the weekends. The label art for Bodega Aguirre Winery is from the artist Carlos Canas of El Salvador, who was a disciple of Pablo Picasso. His bright bold artwork is often on display in the tasting room.

The wines have a minimum of five rackings, and the barrels are topped every two weeks during the winemaking process. Ninety percent of their cooperage is French oak, and ten percent American oak. The winery offers Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Trio, Postre (dessert wine), Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva, Merlot Reserva, Petite Sirah Reserva, and Castello.