In the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards has become a true destination for all who appreciate exceptional wine paired with exquisite cuisine. The 134-year-old family-owned winery is home to The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards, which is highly acclaimed for its ingredient-driven California wine country cuisine using sustainably and organically grown local ingredients.
“I’ve designed the menu to focus on the bounty of California and its diversified culture,” says Executive Chef Mike Ward. “For me, California cuisine means amazing curries, outstanding Japanese cuisine, and o ff-the-chart Mexican food. I look back at all of the amazing meals I’ve had from various cultures, and I tap my memories, fresh ingredients, and the talents of our highly trained culinary team to create our menu.”
The menu changes daily, utilizing produce from the estate’s organic garden, which has grown from a small area at the back of a vineyard to a one-half acre parcel of inspiration for Chef Mike. Overseen by Master Gardener Diane Dovholuk, who started the garden in 1983, The Garden at Wente Vineyards provides fresh seasonal vegetables grown using sustainable practices without the use of pesticides. At the start of each growing season, Diane and Chef Mike review seed catalogs to determine what vegetables and herbs to plant. Diane always reserves a few beds for experimentation.
“There’s something soothing and a bit magical about growing your own produce,” Chef Mike says. “We feel an almost primal sense of victory when we reap a bountiful harvest and turn it into spectacular creations for our guests to enjoy.”
Beyond produce, Wente Vineyards raises free range steer on the hillsides above the winery. After roaming freely and grazing on clover and vetch, they’re switched to a diet of grain and the equivalent of two glasses of red wine per day in their feed to produce a finer marbling and more robust flavor profile. Chef Mike and his team have also created a unique dry aging program. Steaks are aged from 21 to 42 days.
The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards features an award-winning wine list with more than 1,000 selections to complement its ever-changing menu. Wine Director Jorge Tinoco works closely with Chef Mike to find the best food and wine pairings. They collaborate by first imagining several pairings and writing them down before they meet. They then get together and taste the wines along with all of the estate’s seasonal offerings as well as other local organic ingredients available to them.
“When there is a great ingredient that I am super pumped about, Jorge will look through his arsenal of wine and find multiple varietals to pair with,” Chef Mike says. “At other times, Jorge will introduce me to a newly released wine or something amazing and unique from Wente’s cellar, and we will build a dish around the wine. As far as for who makes the final decision on what we pair with what, it’s always what tastes the best.”
Jorge heartily agrees and says that although the wine list offers more than 1,000 choices, they often settle on a wine from Wente Vineyards. “Wente wines are exceptionally food-friendly,” Jorge explains. “Backed by a 134-year family legacy, the wines are consistent and balanced. But more importantly, our Fifth Generation Winegrower Karl Wente thinks of every wine as a musical symphony with many varietals coming through with high, medium, and lower notes. The wine’s perfect balance of fruits, aromatics, acids, structure, mouthfeel, and beauty complement the superb fare created by Mike and his culinary team.”
Check out Wente Vineyards' Preferred Member Offer