Management Team

ERIC BERG
Executive Chef, The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards
Executive Chef Eric Berg joined the Wente Vineyards Culinary Team in 2005 and has held the position of Executive Sous-Chef for the last three years.  During his tenure, Chef Berg has been instrumental in guiding kitchen operations and brings a solid blend of culinary talent and management experience, combined with an ardent commitment to the sourcing and utilization of local sustainable ingredients.  Chef Berg is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy and has worked at the Blackhawk Grille in Danville and Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa’s Duck Club.
A longtime Livermore resident, Chef Berg believes in food creatively prepared with local ingredients.  He sources seasonal produce from The Restaurant’s own on-site organic herb and vegetable garden as well as regional purveyors.  His approach to food is straightforward, honest, ingredient-focused, with subtle international influences while his menu will reflect technique driven, natural, unforced plating with an emphasis on wild caught and free-range, sustainable proteins and organic produce and dairy. 
With inviting open architecture, Executive Chef Eric Berg’s daily changing menu, and Wente Vineyards signature hospitality, guests will continue to enjoy a mix of understated elegance and warm familiarity.

NICOLAS FRANCOIS
Manager, The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards
As General Manager for The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards, Nicolas François directs all front-of-the-house operations. François joined The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards team in March 2009.

After finishing school at the Lausanne International Hospitality Management School in Switzerland, François relocated to the Bay Area and has worked at establishments such as The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco, The Lark Creek Inn in Larkspur, and most recently was the Dining Room and Special Events Manager at Jeanty at Jack’s in San Francisco.

François emphasizes the importance of matching The Restaurant’s fresh, seasonal cuisine with warm hospitality and exceptional service and ambience. He shares the high standards of the Wente family as well as their passion for creating memorable dining experiences for their guests.

Growing up in Loire Valley in France, François spent his childhood summer vacation in Sancerre, where he “was exposed to the magic of nature: the grapes that men pick grow on the same soil as the grass that the goats eat. Man makes wine and goat cheese. The two find each other again on a plate for a dining experience that is simple and wonderful at the same time. It just makes sense.”

Nicolas recently achieved his Advanced Sommelier Certificate for the United States Sommelier Association.

JORGE TINOCO
Sommelier, The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards
As Sommelier for The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards, Jorge Tinoco combines his passion for wine with his dedication to educating guests and staff alike on the myriad possibilities for pairing fine wine with gourmet cuisine. Tinoco works closely with the inspirations provided by Chef Berg to create a wine list that complements the daily changing menu.

The result of this creative partnership is The Restaurant’s frequently updated list of more than 750 fine West Coast wines, featuring selections from all California appellations and some Northwest wine regions. The wine list has won the prestigious Restaurant Hospitality Award in 2005 and 2006, and the Wine Spectator Best Award of Excellence “For an Outstanding Wine List” every year since The Restaurant’s opening in 1986 and is known as one of the most extensive wine menus Northern California.

Tinoco oversees the extensive training and education of The Restaurant’s servers, imparting his passion and knowledge for wine selection and service. Wine training and education for the staff includes sessions on wine service etiquette, wine history and sensory evaluation.

Jorge also selects The Restaurants micro-brews, spirits, fresh signature cocktails, mineral-waters and cigars.

Tinoco joined The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards as a bartender in 1996. He graduated from the San Francisco School of Bartending in 2005 and has also studied winemaking at Napa Valley College. Currently, Tinoco is enrolled at the Court of Master Sommeliers to further expand his wine knowledge, tasting and service, and is pursuing his Masters in Wine, a title that only a small percentage of professional sommeliers achieve. He has been featured in the Sommeliers’ Guide to Restaurants in America, most recently in its 5th edition and has recently recieved his Advanced Sommelier Certificate” for the United States Sommelier Association.  In his free time, Jorge is a home winemaker.