Chef Oscar Bendeck

­­A food and wine enthusiast, Oscar is the Chef Owner of The Wine Country Collective, a group of talented culinarians and sommeliers showcasing the wines and bounty of Napa, Sonoma, and California.

Hailing from South Central Los Angeles, Oscar graduated from Le Cordon Bleu, and has worked in many iconic venues in California and The D.M.V., including The Chevy Chase Club, AOL World Headquarters, The STAPLES Center, The Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Hollywood Bowl, Levi’s Stadium, and The Sonoma Raceway. Oscar had the pleasure of working at some of the most viewed sport and entertainment events throughout the country, such as The US Open, Pacific Life Open, The GRAMMYs, Emmy’s, NASCAR, NHRA, IndyCar races, and the NBA/NHL/NFL playoffs and championships.

Most recently, Oscar’s cuisine was ranked among the 10 Best Restaurants in Sonoma by Sonoma Magazine. He has a feature in Man vs. Master: Chef Battle (season 1 episode 4). Oscar loves to use local and sustainable ingredients and was inspired by California Walnuts to create this recipe for his White Walnut Gazpacho that is featured in Sonoma Magazine Harvest Issue (Page 78/79). You can follow his latest culinary creations on Instagram @saltguey.

When not curating Wine Country experiences, Chef Oscar teaches food enthusiast classes at the CIA Copia and the rest of his free time is spent traveling to culinary and wine destinations around the world, and working on his garden of local plants, herbs, and produce.