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Gourmet food options now highlight wine tastings and special dinners at Wente Family Vineyards and Murrieta’s Well.
Many people wonder if fine dining is returning to Wente Family Vineyards after the closure of The Restaurant in 2020. The answer is no. But food choices at Wente Vineyards’ The Grill and Tasting Lounge and sister winery Murrieta’s Well’s tastings and periodic wine dinners have undergone a major upgrade. During September, the first Wente Vineyards Food & Wine Festival launches, and discounts are offered on select tastings to celebrate California Wine Month.
The Grill at Wente Vineyards overlooking the 18th hole is no longer just a burger place aimed at golfers playing The Course. Dishes such as Dr. Pepper spareribs, arugula strawberry salad, or shawarma bowls are served until 6:00 p.m. New sunset dinners on the patio drew crowds this summer.
Murrieta’s Well wine tastings offer elevated à la carte food options from sliders to gourmet lettuce wraps. A four-course gourmet lunch accompanies a twice-monthly Terroir to Table wine tastings. Plus, a full-on paella wine dinner is on tap for Sept. 7th.
At Murrieta’s Well Winemaker Harvest Dinner in September 2024, a hint of the upcoming changes arrived with the first course of paella española featuring prawns, mussels and chicken and then free range lamb chops with a side of white truffle bread pudding.
Jordan Wente, Brand Ambassador at Murrieta’s Well, unveiled Wente’s secret ingredient for the gourmet food revival by introducing Daniel Massie, the new executive chef for Wente Family Estates who is an employee of Levy Restaurants. Wente contacted with Levy, a professional foodservice company, to run culinary operations at both wineries. Levy serves over 350 entertainment, dining and sports venues.
Murrieta’s Well special, multi-course paella wine dinner on Sept. 7th kicks off with savory empanadas and a wine cocktail on the patio followed by wine pairings for the paella buffet with a vegetarian option and a Spanish-style dessert.
To accompany Murrieta’s Well’s two wine tasting experiences, Chef Massie and his team prepare a seasonal food selections menu that translates to full meals. The cheese and charcuterie boards are standard tasting room fare. But the à la carte food selections are a step up from offerings at most Livermore Valley wineries. Consider a generous plate of pork bulgogi (spicy meat) lettuce wraps, Harris Ranch beef sliders, crispy Brussels sprouts, and house made truffle tater tots.
At the Seated Wine Tasting, the recommended wine pairing with the truffle tater tots was the Murrieta’s Well Sparkling Blanc de Blanc, but we preferred the rosé. We agreed with the suggestion for Cabernet Sauvignon with the sliders. Merlot is paired with the lettuce wraps. The Walk-Up Self-Guided Tasting is offered in the upstairs tasting room overlooking the front lawn.
The Murrieta’s Well semimonthly Terroir to Table Tasting is a food and wine experience comparable to a high-end lunch. The summer menu featured lemon garlic shrimp and wood-fired pork tenderloin. The two September tastings carry a discounted price to celebrate Calif. Wine Month.
The upcoming autumn food selections and Terroir to Table menu may include pretzel bites with grilled sausage, Mission fig and prosciutto flatbread, and risotto di mare with shrimp and lobster
With an expansive patio overlooking the 18th hole, The Grill has always had a relaxed vibe. The limited seating inside next to the Golf Shop also offers windows overlooking The Course.
The Grill Executive Sous Chef Sergio Orozco has worked at Wente for 17 years and is now a Levy team member. Orozco oversees the kitchen’s expanded menu which changes seasonally.
I selected the new pimento smashburger made with Black Angus beef, pimento cheese, house made pickles, applewood bacon, and savory red onion marmalade. The generous portion of seasonal esquites (Mexican corn salad) with feta was fresh and savory. My companion Cher was pleased to order a black bean burger. “Most restaurants menu meat alternatives like Impossible patties. Since I dislike the flavor of meat, I prefer this vegetarian version.”
The batter for the fish and chips included local Maui Waui beer from Livermore’s Altamont Beer Works; the three pieces of cod were thick and moist.
Though I had not been to The Grill in a while, I remembered the Livermore chicken salad sandwich which the server noted was still popular. I have my eye on the shrimp poor boy for another visit. The fall menu will feature dishes such as chicken pot pie and homemade meatloaf.
This summer, the three-part Sunset Dinner Series launched on the patio. I attended the second dinner themed Flame and Flavor which emulated a steakhouse meal with a wedge salad and dry- aged ribeye or grilled halibut. Given the warm weather, several tables watched golfers wrap up a round and longed for the cooling sunset.
We met Jen and Juan at the dinner who remarked that the first dinner, themed Havanna Nights, took place on a cooler evening. Though the jerk chicken and rice were seasoned well, said Juan, “The highlight was the side of fried sliced maduros (ripe plantains).”
Another dining option at The Grill is the summertime Swing and Sip Barbecue meal series. The last wine barbecue is September 18th. I may may sign up for the option priced without golf to taste the smoked brisket nachos, barbecue chicken, cornbread with jalapeño butter, and Texas style sheet cake with fudgy icing.
During September in honor of California Wine Month, the fee at the Wente Vineyards Tasting Lounge on the patio or indoors on Monday through Wednesday includes a complimentary cheese plate plus a 30 percent discount on bottles of Small Lot and nth Degree wines. It is noteworthy that the two regular à la carte, in-house food options, cheese or charcuterie plates, are offered only on Saturday and Sunday and discounts are rare on the top tier wines.
To top off the changes, the inaugural Wente Family Vineyards Food & Wine Festival is scheduled for September 21st. With the backdrop of the Arroyo Road grounds and live music, the full line up of Wente wines including the new Roaming Legend label, nth Degree, Murrieta’s Well, Angels Ink and more are featured. Gourmet food stations will serve Dungeness crab cakes, wagyu sliders, blackberry-glazed meatballs, and seafood paella. Typical of festivals, there is a VIP option with access to oysters and caviar at a Sparkling Bar.
Will The Restaurant ever return? We don’t know. Yet the festival and select food and wine pairing options may provide a taste of culinary surprises at Wente Family Vineyards.
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