Wente Vineyards Event Center

Attended a baby shower in their caves and it was absolutely beautiful. I would’ve never expected a winery for a baby shower but Wente did such an amazing job. Unfortunately I did not partake in their bottomless offering of wine and bubbly. In addition to the bar, they featured a fruit and cheese station, self-​serve coffee and tea plus, a dessert table. The sit-​down 3-​course lunch was also delicious and they had a kid-​friendly meal (pizza) for our daughter. I will definitely consider having a private gathering at this event space, finances permitting. Highly recommend.
My only complaint is the restroom situation. There were fancy portables just outside the caves or, you could walk to the restaurant which we did. This can be an inconvenience for longer events/​parties.

Went to a valentine brunch at the restaurant, at wente vineyards, and it was awesome. Great food, prepared just right, beautiful presentation, and wonderful service from our server, CHRIS. I ordered a dozen red roses, and they were on the table when we were seated. perfect. It was a bit pricey, but well worth it. We’ll be going back soon. Thanks to everyone at the wente restaurant for a great day.

Fabulous venue. We saw Lyle Lovette and it was was our fourth time seeing him. So much fun! I am looking forward to going back for the entertainment. The buffet looks like the best value and wonderful food. We ate in the restaurant and not treated very well and uppity. I’ll go with niceness every time.

We got married at Wente in September and we would happily choose them all over again. Over the course of the year from first touring the venue to the event, our coordinator happily met with us, probably more than was typical and at our request, without complaint. She was always available via phone and email for questions and went above and beyond in doing things such as bringing in sample linens and having the events team set up table so we could preview them in person. In short, the planning process was great. The event itself was EXACTLY what we hoped it would be. Of course, that is due in large part to our other vendors as well, but Wente does such a wonderful job orchestrating it all. The day of coordinator, Jean, was so lovely, calming and helpful. She did a wonderful job being tactful and unobtrusive, even grabbing me briefly at one time during the reception to ask about some unfamiliar «guests» who turned out to be wedding crashers (who were quietly asked to leave and not seen again). In short, I had no worry that anything would be missed or mishandled — she put my mind at ease. The food was phenomenal (we’ve also been to the restaurant a number of times for dinner) and timely, the wines are delicious and to my excitement, we were able to serve sparkling wine all evening. And the cake — the BEST CAKE OF MY LIFE. I wish their bakery were open to the public, because I would absolutely make them my go-​to bakery for any excuse I can come up with for a cake.
Opportunities for improvement: 1) we worked w/​one person on all the planning, but had a different day-​of coordinator, which is fine, except for the fact that we weren’t able to meet her until the day before our wedding. That may not bother some, but I am huge type-​A planner so it was a little unnecessarily stressful for me as I wondered about the unknown. 2) our planning coordinator didn’t always have sample pictures available for setups outside the typical. We didn’t do round tables so we had a little more work to do in exploring those options and our florist (Jinger @ The Flower House) was actually very helpful in that regard, advising us to *rent* inexpensive king tables rather than use some of Wente’s tables pushed together. It was only a few hundred more, but made the linens look much better as they and the tables were matched in size.
Bottom line: WE’D DO IT HERE ALL OVER AGAIN! We were originally looking in Napa/​Sonoma, but Wente has a leg up on those wineries for a number of reasons in addition to all the praises I’ve already sung. There is ample parking for guests, ample nearby hotels at a great price (Courtyard Marriott will shuttle guests for only a few hundred when you have a room block!), the ability to have amplified music (DJ Twin Spin is amazing!) outdoors until midnight (vs. 10pm up north), lots of costs included in the venue price, which means not only better pricing, but less vendors to select and juggle. Yes, they are a bit of a «wedding factory», but that ultimately means THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND THEY DO IT WELL.

My friend got married here exactly a month ago and I am still raving to everyone about how great their wedding was! The food was especially delicious! I loved that they did family style, the appetizers were amazing, and for dessert the cake and hot chocolate bar with HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOWS AND WHIP CREAM were so GOOD. (I’m not a big dessert person so that says a lot about that!) They also had a late night snack taco bar! It was heaven!
The venue was gorgeous and has so many options for the ceremony/​reception. It was a beautiful winter wedding so everything was held indoors! I am close to the bride and groom so arrived at the venue early. the day of wedding planner was so NICE! She packed the bride and groom to-​go bags!

I worked at events here. This is a great place to come and watch your favorite Artists perform under the stars while you enjoy some of their fine selections of wines. Beatiful setting.

I have now attended 3 weddings at Wente, and I have had similar experiences there all three times.
First off, let me say the the food and wine was wonderful! No complaints at all there… My issue is that all three times they had two weddings going on simultaneously outside and because there is a lot of echoing in the area, one wedding has always caused challenges for the other.
Most recently, I was attending a wedding on the main Terrace Lawn. (While there was another wedding going on the Vineyard Lawn.) Dinner time on the Terrace Lawn was an interesting experience as you could hear the DJ on the Vineyard Lawn talking loudly on the mic coaxing everyone to join on the dance floor. Then when the bride’s father started to speak, «Pony» by Ginuwine was blasting in the background. (Such a weird song to play at a wedding, but none-​the-​less that was our background music during the toast.) The bride and groom were horrified, but really what can you do at that point.
The only reason I wanted to post something is because it happened at the two other weddings I attended there. Please, when scheduling your wedding, make sure that this does not affect your event. With all of the planning and stress that goes into your wedding, this should not be a worry… Especially with all of the experience that Wente has in throwing weddings.

Better than Napa! Our favorite Wines, love the Touriga and White Meritage at Murietta’s Well!

We went to one of their summer concerts!
When I think of wine country, I instantly think of Napa or Sonoma. I should think of Livermore more often. We had a chance to experience one of their outdoor summer concerts and it was great.
We saw Smokey Robinson last night and the food, venue, and concert was great! It does get a little chilly once the sun sets, so definitely bring a jacket, shawl or sweater.
The food was buffet and it was really good. We got to the table and there was a selection of 2 whites and 1 red. I opted for their Cabernet Sauvignon which was rich and bold and had a fairly smooth finish. I had never been to Wente before so I really didn’t know what to expect with the wine.
It was a very pleasant experience and I would definitely go back to either the restaurant onsite or just for a wine tasting/​wine tour.

We had our wedding here and absolutely loved the experience. From our wonderful on-​site wedding planner to the food, we were consistently pleasantly surprised with the service & attention to detail. Thank you for such a great experience!

Concert venue is great but seriously would you please move the outhouses down wind!!!

This review has been long overdue. Came here awhile back to see Diana Krall, man was this the perfect setting. Had dinner, bottle of wine with the Mrs, while listening to the sultry sounds of Diana Krall. The weather, setting and mood was perfect. One of the most memorable experiences the Wife and I had. Must recommend to anyone who wants to experience a romantic night with great food, wine and entertainment.

Just got married at Wente, and I’m so glad we did. The facility is gorgeous, they have multiple options available for the ceremony on premises, they do the food, they do the drink, and have done this MANY times so everything goes smooth. I think one of the things I loved most was how my wedding sales coordinator didn’t push me to do anything we couldn’t afford, she actually recommended ways to still have a gorgeous wedding, but not spend too much.
I think the only knock on the whole place is that they promise a few things, and don’t necessarily deliver. I would knock off half a star if I could for the poor customer service on the golf side (groom is supposed to golf free the day of, didn’t happen – it was slightly ridiculous).
Other than that though, Kate really was great to work with, and Kristen made sure the day went so smooth. Definitely recommend Wente!

We just had our wedding reception here last Friday, May 8, 2015. Everything turned out way better than I expected. The weather was perfect for an outdoor reception. Our coordinator Georgine who helped us planned for our perfect event for more than a year did an exceptional job. Our day of the wedding coordinator Jean also did a great job on the execution of putting all things together. My guests raved about the food, somebody even commented that he felt like he was Andrew Zimmerman tasting all those cheese. Our cake was very moist and they even packed our left over for us to take home.
We reserved Cresta Blanca and the outdoor lawn but we chose to stay outside to get a better view and feel of a having our reception done at a vineyard.
All in all we had a great time and experience with Wente and I would definitely recommend them to any brides out there looking for an outdoor wedding reception.

A GREAT place to enjoy a concert. Wente offers a summer concert series and it’s the perfect setting for one. The area is beautiful and you have a fantastic view from any seat in the place. Even though it must seat around 2k, it does not feel that large. The sightlines from the terrace seats in the back are fantastic. If you want a real treat… buy the buffet or dinner ticket. The buffet is delicious and offers a variety of items, only made more enjoyable with a glass of Wente merlot.
Some of my favorite concerts I have enjoyed here include: Ringo Starr and his All-​Starr Band, Diana Ross, Frankie Valli, Johnny Lang, Three Dog Night, Blondie with Pat Benatar and Liza Manelli. The staff is always courteous and friendly. There’s plenty of nearby free parking and even a shuttle from the parking lot. It’s a wonderful way to spend an evening.

My husband I recently had our wedding at the Vineyard Lawn and the reception at the Cresta Blanca Event Center. We couldn’t have asked for more! It was gorgeous! The food and wine were stellar and we can’t say enough amazing things about our coordinator Heather Druba. From start to finish she was always warm, friendly and helpful. She did everything she could to make sure our wedding was the special event we wanted! Michele Silva our day of coordinator was also very professional and friendly.
The Wente is WONDERFUL and we’re so happy that we had our wedding there. Our friends and family were so impressed by the venue. Such a beautiful time. A day we’ll never forget for years to come!

This is a nice vineyard for being out in the East Bay. Big place but what a drive to get to. Wine selection is great and priced decent. Good place to go for new options.

Nice relaxing place for a concert or business meeting.
The staff are professional and nice. The place is clean and facilities had everything we needed for our meeting.
The food they served was a little above average. Nothing too notable. Beautiful grounds.

I held my wedding in March on the Wente lawn and the reception was hosted in the Event Center. Georgie was our sales gal and she was such a great help the whole way! The Wente team really knows how to put on a smooth, classy affair. They are very helpful and take care of every detail. Our rental tables, chairs, etc. showed up unassembled and by the time I arrived on site, all assembly was complete, free of charge. The day of coordinator, that comes with the package, allowed me to really focus on my guests and husband. The ambiance was romantic and the venue was intimate, even for our guest list of 120. Two months later, our guests are still raving about how fantastic the food was (choose the short ribs!). I highly recommend you consider them to host your event, they really know what they are doing.

So just to be upfront, I used to work here on their Pastry Team, making wedding cakes… but I have not been there for years.
I just attended a wedding here last weekend, and it was held at the newer wedding venue right off of their grill for the golf course. I thought that the setting was beautiful. It was a bit hidden, either behind hedges or a hill, and I thought it was nice a private. Lights strung across the top where the reception was held and it was very pretty. The transition from ceremony to drinks to dinner seemed to go very smoothly.
The food was pretty good — we had their famous smoked pork chop, salmon, mashed potatoes and vegetables. It was served family style, which was a great compromise between everyone getting served individual plates of food and serving yourself with the buffet style line. Although the pork chop was good, there was hardly any — it was very thinly sliced and there was probably one slice per adult at the table. The salmon was standard, nothing fabulous. The mashed potatoes and the veggies were very good.
The one confusing aspect of the food was we were told by the bride that the kids would be served pizza. Then there was an email about the chef questioning the quality of the pizza, so instead we had a choice of chicken strips or mac and cheese. We choose mac and cheese — but then an over-​cooked pizza was served instead. It makes it tough on parents, since we «sell» them an idea of what they’ll get to eat, but then we end up being liars because something else comes. And that something else was not very good as well — a hard crust that is difficult for kids to eat, with cheese that was VERY browned from being over cooked. So thumbs down for the kids meal and the whole situation.
The wedding cake was a flavor that they did not have when I worked there. It was a white cake with pralines and raspberry filling, iced in white buttercream. The combination of the pralines and raspberry was interesting, and definitely not my favorite. But the white cake was moist and tasted good. The cake was iced and decorated nicely.
Overall it was a very nice venue for a wedding and I enjoyed it very much.