The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards Executive Chef Matt Greco is no stranger to the beautiful terroir of Livermore Valley. The restaurant features ingredient-driven California wine country cuisine using sustainably and organically grown local ingredients. Matt works closely with Wente\u2019s master gardener to decide what produce to plant and source for the seasonally changing menu. The Texas native talks with us about bbq, music and his sweet tooth.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
1)\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>When did you first know you wanted to be a chef?<\/strong><\/p>\n My mom was a great home cook, my dad was great at grilling, and my grandmother was a baker. So, I grew up with cooking and always enjoyed it. In college I realized my band wasn\u2019t going to make a lot of money and college was too structured at the time.<\/p>\n 2)\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>What is terroir to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n Terroir is an area with its own characteristics. You take what nature gives to you and make the most of it. It\u2019s what makes the area unique. I like to compare it to music. For instance you have blues which has a totally different sound than rock. In the Livermore Valley we have the fog, land that is flat and land that is on a hill, its very unique.<\/p>\n