Recently a wine and food pairing was held in the prestigious Harmonie Club on 60th street in New York City. It was an event which celebrated the passion of some prominent people: Ambassador John L. Loeb, owner of the Sonoma Loeb Family of Wines; Chef Marc Poidevin, recently Executive Chef at Le Cirque in Las Vegas; along with two notable authors of Jewish American history. For Sonoma Loeb Wines this was an opportunity to showcase various vintages of wines.

The wine was displayed at two stations: one station for the present vintage 07’ Sonoma-Loeb Reserve Chardonnay and the soon to be released new vintage, 08’ Sonoma-Loeb Reserve Chardonnay. The second station had the current 04 vintage of Sonoma-Loeb Reserve Cabernet and the new vintage 05’ Sonoma-Loeb Reserve Cabernet, which was just released. (Both Cabernet vintages and the 07’ Sonoma-Loeb Reserve Chardonnay have since sold out).

Chef Marc Poidevin designed the food presentations to marry the unique flavors of each one of these Sonoma-Loeb vintages. The goal was to show how well food and wines blend to enhance the dining experience. Listed below are the Chef’s selections and the wines paired with each:

HARMONIE CLUB

Approx. 100 Guests (check the reservations)

Two Stations
Station I
08’ Sonoma-Loeb Reserve Chardonnay
07’ Sonoma-Loeb Reserve Chardonnay

Cheeses to Include:
Brie, Bel Paese, Port Salut, Gorgonzola, Sharp Cheddar, Reblochon, Chevre
Bunches of Red and Green Grapes
Basket of Dried Fruits and Nuts
Bowls of Cornichons and Olives

Smoked Norwegian & Pepper Smoked Salmon, Fresh Rye Bread & Complete Garniture
Sautéed Shrimp with Tomato and Fennel
Baskets of Flat Bread

Station II
04’Sonoma-Loeb Reserve Cabernet
05’Sonoma-Loeb Reserve Cabernet

Carving

Roast Sirloin of Beef
Mustards, Horseradish
Split Olive Rolls

Tomato Basil and Artichoke Bruschetta

Pasta

Radiattore Pasta Primavera, Gnocchi Alfredo, Focaccia Squares

Ice Cream & Sorbet

Brownies, Lemon Squares
Cookies & Coffee
Following Presentations

After the wine and food pairing a discussion of Ambassador Loeb and Eli Evens recently published books on Jewish History in America was held. It was lively and interesting discussion that was be both entertaining and informative. It was a terrific evening that highlighted the passions of Ambassador Loeb and Eli Evens who are both authors of books on Jewish History.

Click here to view the Flyer!

We at Sonoma-Loeb Wines are excited about our new Pinot Noir, set to be released this fall.  It is the first time we are presenting this varietal.  Our winemaker, Philip Titus, has found the perfect place to harvest Sonoma Loeb Pinot Noir.  This new red wine comes at the perfect time – as our inventory of Sonoma Loeb Reserve Cabernet is depleted, and won’t be replenished until we are ready to release our 2008 Cabernet early in 2011.

Pinot Noir is a difficult grape to make into a fine wine, because the grape has a red skin and white juice.  Almost all other red wines have red skins and red juice.  So in the case of Pinot Noir, the only way to get the wine to be red is to leave it with the skins. The longer the juice stays with the skins the more tannin the wine picks up.  More tannin gives the wine more of a tart taste sometimes too tart to marry foods well. The trick is to carefully watch for just the right color.  When the color is right, somewhere between a light to medium burgundy color, then remove the skins from the juice and crush the pulp into the red tinted juice.  Some vintners add a small amount of Syrah to the blend, to get a deeper color but we at Sonoma-Loeb feel this changes the character of the wine, so we do not. Hopefully, we can all enjoy a glass soon! We expect to release the new Sonoma-Loeb Reserve Pinot Noir in September of 2010.

Sonoma-Loeb Wines, Simply the best!

A Loeb Family Selection!

Soon the Sonoma-Loeb Reserve Chardonnay will be released.  This will be a “big” wine, full of flavors like Pears, Pineapple and Ripe Citrus.  The big difference in the 2008 Chardonnay is that the grapes will all come from Carneros.  Carneros is the southernmost region of Northern California, where Napa and Sonoma counties meet.  It is noted for its cooler climate which produces smaller grapes.  Smaller grapes yield a more concentrated flavor.  It also allows for more skin contact with the juice, which adds to the full bodied mouth feel and roundness of the flavors.  While we are anxious for this wine’s release, our winemaker, Philip Titus, feels it needs a few more weeks.  Stay tuned and we will keep you posted.

Have you ever wondered why Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards Reserve Chardonnay tastes so rich and creamy? In large part it’s due to a process called Malolactic Fermentation. Malolactic Fermentation is the fermentation of malic acid to lactic acid. It usually happens shortly after the sugar to alcohol fermentation is complete. Malo acid has a tart taste similar to green apples. Lactic acid is smoother and leaves the wine fuller in body and buttery on the pallet. Phillip Titus, the Winemaker for Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards firmly believes this secondary fermentation is a must for our Chardonnay. This second fermentation can happen naturally but sometimes needs coaxing to start the process. Pictured below is Phillip Titus, our esteemed winemaker manipulating the fermentation process on some stubborn barrels of Chardonnay! Here are Phillip’s comments:

“The barrels under the tarp are Russian River Chard destined for either the Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards Reserve Chardonnay or Envoy. They are under the tarp with small electric heaters and a fan to keep them warm (60*F) during the cold winter months so that they will go through Malolactic fermentation (ML). The bacteria are sensitive and don’t like cold, SO2, high alcohol or low nutrient levels in the wine. We added some nutrients for the bacteria and warmed them up and the ML has now almost finished. It took about 2 months to get it to go through. Our goal for the Envoy is to get the wine through ML so that it would be stabile enough to be bottled unfiltered without making a mess in the bottle. The quality of the lot is very high and showing the potential to become Envoy Chardonnay which is the designation we give to only very special lots.
Hope this tells the Story.”
Phillip Titus, Winemaker for Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards

The Ambassador Loeb Family Selections Wine Collection, Simply the best

Ever wonder how a great Chardonnay like Sonoma-Loeb Reserve Chardonnay gets made? Well it starts with a great vineyard and in our case two great vineyards. Within each vineyard there are differences in how Mother Nature touches the grapes. Phillip Titus the winemaker at Sonoma-Loeb has worked with Ambassador Loeb since the first crush. Phillip Titus has had a lot of experience with knowing what to expect from the different parcels. This experience give him the knowledge and the ability to treat various sections of the vineyard differently to extract the best flavors of each parcel. He actually has set up vineyards with in vineyards. To capture and separate the various tastes that the climate and soil have on the grapes Phillip treats each parcel differently. Once the grapes have been crushed and fermented and then come to a rest after all the fermentation is complete the blending begins.

Pictured below was our recent blend program help at the winery last week.

Phillip Titus wine maker Sonoma-Loeb wines and Dennis Murphy, General Manager of Sonoma-Loeb vineyards

The process is fairly simple the 10 glasses represent a sample of the various parcels Phillip feels are unique. They are blind, simply labeled A thru J. We both had to taste each wine and make some notes about each. Of the 10 wines we each had to have a top 5 picks and a bottom 5 picks. Once we had tasted all the wines and recorded our picks we discussed the one we agreed were or least favorite. Then we discussed the ones we agreed were our favorites and finally we discussed the ones we disagreed on. Once we discussed all the wines Phillip decided what wines will be blended into the final blend. This usually comes down to 3 or 4 and out of those one usually stands out as perfect.

There are lots of new things in the works for Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards in the New Year!

First, we are close to the end of our 2007’ Sonoma-Loeb Reserve Chardonnay - get it while the supply lasts. Secondly, we will soon be ready to introduce our 2008’ Sonoma-Loeb Reserve Chardonnay, which will be a BIG White!  Full bodied with lots of oak and well rounded with layers of fruit flavors. Perhaps the biggest change with the 2008’ Sonoma-Loeb Reserve Chardonnay is the addition of Carneros grapes to our Sonoma Appellation.  The Carneros region of Northern California is noted for producing very small berries which yield a very intense concentration of flavors. This new 2008’ Sonoma-Loeb Reserve Carneros Chardonnay promises to be a winner. Because it is a “reserve” not many cases are being produced, so put it on your list today. An e-mail automatically goes out to our friends when it’s released. Why not get on our email list now!

ALSO ~ NEW FOR 2010

Ambassador John L. Loeb Jr. is happy to announce the introduction of Sonoma-Loeb Reserve Pinot Noir from the Dutton Ranch. Dennis P. Murphy, General Manager of Sonoma-Loeb Wines, was thrilled to announce that “an agreement has been reached to partner with the Dutton Family Ranch, who already has a reputation for producing a world renowned Pinot Noir. The combination of grapes, coupled with Phillip Titus’ fine handcrafting wine making ability will produce a world class Pinot Noir”.  This will be the first of what we hope to be many additions to the John L. Loeb family of fine wines, and should be available later this year. Why not sign up now and make sure you get all the release information? There will not be a lot of Sonoma-Loeb Reserve Pinot Noir so buy early.

GOING! GOING! GOING! SOON TO BE GONE!

The Ambassador Loeb Family Selections Wine Collection, Simply the best

onoma-Loeb Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards Reserve Chardonnay was the hit of the show recently at a tasting in Pier Liquors. With a great selection of meats and cheeses available that paired with The Ambassador Loeb Family Selections Wine Collection. Customers were delighted with the flavor combinations. Many remarked that the wine seemed to change in the glass as different foods were tasted; it is the sign of a quality wine when it enhances food and visa versa. Toby Roberts, Wine Manage of Pier Liquors compared the Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards Reserve Chardonnay to a French Montrachet… At a fraction of the cost! Not the first time Dennis P. Murphy, General Manager of Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards has heard that comparison made.

It has always been Ambassador John L Loeb Jr. goal to produce wines that are the best wines money can buy. Judging from all the positive comments Ambassador Loeb should be pleased his goals have been meet.

The Ambassador Loeb Family Selections Wine Collection, Simply the best

Pictured below is Dennis P. Murphy, General Manager of Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards and Robert Melfi General Manager of WJZS-FM one of the stations used in the Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards Holiday Radio campaign. The airwaves were flooded with invitation to come to various venues and taste and meet the folks from Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards. Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards Reserve Chardonnay were on hand for our guests to sample and enjoy. At each tasting a food and wine pairing was conducted much to the delight of our guests. The radio station was also in attendance offering drawing for free dinners at area restaurants.

Ambassador John L Loeb Jr. was pleased to see at the outcome of this campaign, He was glad to see how well the fine wines of The Ambassador Loeb Family Selections Wine Collection were received by our guests. Showing how well Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards Reserve Chardonnay add to the flavor of foods is one of Ambassador John L Loeb Jr. passions. Many guests remarked that the Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards Reserve Chardonnay was the perfect choice to go with the Holiday meal.
Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards is always looking for opportunities to showcases their wines with food, and educating and exciting the consumer in the process. Maybe we will see you in a venue soon! Until then why not click on the Order tab and buy a bottle to try for yourself!
The Ambassador Loeb Family Selections Wine Collection, Simply the best

Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards was happy to supply Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards Reserve Chardonnay to this year’s Designer Christmas Tree Showcase at the prestigious Carnegie Abbey Club. Delighted guests sipped the wines from The Ambassador Loeb Family Selections Wine Collection, as they viewed Christmas trees decorated by local designers. Food was provided by the chef of the Carnegie Abbey Club and it paired beautifully with the great wines from Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards. Over 200 guests marveled at the trees on display and truly enjoyed the evening of food and wine. The event culminated with singing Christmas carols in the lobby before the first lighting of the holiday tree.

The Ambassador Loeb Family Selections Wine Collection, simply the best.

Singing carol's around the tree at Carnegie Abby Club

Dennis P. Murphy General Manager of Sonoma-Loeb Winery, Sally Hamilton, Marketing Consultant

Dennis P. Murphy, General Manager of Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards was on hand to lend support to the YMCA’S Strong Kids fundraiser. Several area chefs prepared signature dishes for the guests to enjoy along with Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards Reserve Chardonnay, to raise money for this worthy cause. The YMCA has been serving the youth of America for decades and we at Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards were proud to participate in this worthwhile venture. Several hundred guests sampled The Ambassador Loeb Family Selections Wine Collection, with some of the best dishes in the Northeast. Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards Reserve Chardonnay was featured in a silent auction. All enjoyed the evening and were truly wined and dined, while raising money for a very worthy cause.

The Ambassador Loeb Family Selections Wine Collection, simply the best.

John K Callaghan, Bellevue Wines and Spirits and Dennis P. Murphy, General Manager Sonoma-Loeb Vineyards.