The 2022 Chardonnay Classic is a weekend of indulgence curated by master sommeliers and acclaimed winemakers set in the beautiful Napa Valley. Lloyd Cellars will be pouring at the Grand Tasting on Saturday, May 21 from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm. The overall program features iconic wine country experiences, gourmet lunches, luxury dinners, and unique tastings.
In its second year, The Chardonnay Classic stands to be the preeminent Chardonnay-focused wine event of the year. Bringing together the world’s finest vintners in exclusive invite-only participation. We will showcase the immense variety and expression of a single varietal. From light & crisp to rich & oaky, still to sparkling – we gather together vintners, industry experts, and enthusiasts alike to celebrate the incredible range of Chardonnay!
The Chardonnay Classic gathers together winemakers, industry professionals, and enthusiasts alike to more fully learn and appreciate the vast intricacies and expressions of a simple and humble grape. With a focus on educational sessions, grand tastings, and expertly crafted experiential dinners; we create an environment that fosters both business relationships and deep friendships that promote lasting community amongst all involved in creating and enjoying every bottle of wine.
Set in the beautiful Napa Valley at sister properties Meritage Resort & Spa and Vista Collina Resort, guests will indulge in the art of crafted luxury – from exquisite meals to rare vintages; the Chardonnay Classic is an experience you will never forget!
Prescription Vineyards sponsored three major events at South Beach Wine & Food Festival to reach consumers and trade in February
Lloyd Cellars and Prescription Vineyards are honored to work with so many great partners across the United States, from our distributors to event producers and through traditional, digital, and social media channels. In 2021, we launched our first national ad campaigns with Wine Spectator, Hemispheres (United Airlines magazine), The Tasting Panel, The Somm Journal, Austin Monthly, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, iHeartRadio Central Florida, and San Antonio Current. 2022 will see our commitment to market support expand, with advertising and in-market visits that will include 30+ events in 17 cities.
National Advertising Campaigns
Our national ads are strategically placed to time with in-market events to drive awareness and visitation to our tasting positions. The February issue of Hemispheres focused on select Q1 and Q2 events.
Outreach to the On- & Off-Premise Trade
Combined with our traditional print campaign partners, we execute robust digital advertising and promotions with our media partners. To drive trade awareness, our partnerships with The Tasting Panel, The Somm Journal, and Wine Spectator, we utilize dedicated emails, newsletter features, and geo-targeting to create awareness and pull for our distributor partners.
The Drop on ApexDrop!
In addition to ApexDrop’s robust content generation and product sampling, each campaign with the 50 Instagram Influencers averages a following of more than 750,000 followers. Over our last nine campaigns, with more scheduled for 2022, our total reach has surpassed 6 million with our Engagements reaching more than 180,000. We invite you to visit our Instagram accounts with Tags to see the quality and diversity of our content and, of course, follow us!
Our Vivino end-of-February 2022 dashboard shows a 69% surge in scans following the South Beach Wine & Food Festival with the Geodata showing Miami as a center of the action.
Vivino allows millions of consumers to instantly search for ratings and reviews. Its scan technology pulls up any bottle in its app so buyers can receive all the wine facts. From the winery perspective, the platform enables us to market to people scanning bottles of wines in our category, track consumer opinion of our wines through scores and review, while also providing geographical intel. Matching geographical scan numbers to in-market events helps us measure effectiveness. Our average rating for both Lloyd Cellars and Prescription Vineyards is 4.28 out of 5.
Recent The Tasting Panel & The Somm Journal Scores for Our New Releases
Enhanced by notes of chervil, oregano, and chamomile, a luscious lemon meringue eeks out at mid-palate. Crushed stone, white pepper and vibrant minerality – plus that spark of acidity – is just the right Rx for its great food-pairing abilities. 92
>>> Publisher’s Picks
Lloyd Cellars 2020 Chardonnay, Carneros ($40)
Creamy notes of toasted vanilla, with a surge of cookie dough, ripe melon, kiwi, and peanut brittle. The wine caresses with a sumptuous touch. 94
>>> Down the Aisle
Prescription Cellars 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County ($30)
Grainy tannins fulfill a mission to coat the teeth with blueberry compote. The gushing, dynamo of a wine features plump plums, powdered cocoa, and blooming lavender. This Prescription is really an over-the-counter cure for disbelievers of Alexander Valley’s side effect of textural lushness. Winemaker Rob Lloyd over-delivers on some amazing medicine for the soul. 93
>>> Publisher’s Picks Section
Lloyd Cellars by Robert Lloyd 2019 Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County ($50)
Its carmine hue is deep and inviting, and scents of heather and a woodsy forest are sensual. Full and generous with a lather of huckleberry and dark chocolate coffee bean. Layers of tilled soil and dried flowers keep it exciting and complex. The brown-sugared cinnamon finish goes deep on the finish. 94
We Invite Our Partners to Follow the Action on Facebook & Instagram!
Join Lloyd Cellars for a romantic evening of rare wine tasting that begins with a champagne reception under the stars at Santa Barbara’s charming old-world Carousel House. Extremely limited reserve level wines are matched with gourmet appetizers from top local chefs, artisan cheeses, fresh fruits, olive oils, and more while live music keeps things super cool.
Tired of eating Holiday Leftovers? We recommend Bob Blumer’s Lobster Tacos to reset fatigued palates
Please, no more turkey and gravy and tryptophan crashes. Give me some energizing south-of-the-boarder zing to brighten a winter day – and pair it with the hedonistic pleasure of eating lobster. Now that’s a reset! The other bonus is that tacos are finger food, so how nice is a meal that doesn’t create another pile of dishes in the sink.
This is the sixth installment of Blumer’s ‘Pescatarian Holiday’ 2021 recipes series with Lloyd Cellars. If you’d like to see all of his ‘Pescatarian Holiday’ recipes, we invite you to scroll through our Online Recipes section. Shop our Online Store or utilize our Store Locatorfor local shopping!
3ouncesbest-available butter(about 3/4 of a stick)
1clovegarlicminced
½cupcilantrominced, divided
½jalapeno chiliideally red for color, stemmed, seeded and minced
zest of 1 lemon + 3 tablespoons juicedivided
zest of 1 orange
4medium sizeroughly 6-inches flour or corn tortillas
2ripe avocados
2green onionssliced finely
Your favorite salsa or hot sauce
1limequartered for serving
Instructions
Use a heavy sharp knife to cut the lobster tails in half. (Place your knife on the end where the flesh is exposed and cut down through to the tail.)
Brush the exposed flesh with oil and season with salt and pepper. Reserve.
In a small pan, over medium heat, melt butter. When it starts to bubble, add garlic, half of the cilantro, jalapeno, citrus zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Stir for 1 minute, then remove from heat and reserve.
Half and pit avocados. In a medium bowl, mash avocado with 2 tablespoons lemon juice, the remaining cilantro and the green onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reserve.
Preheat grill to medium/medium-high direct heat, or heat a heavy skillet to medium-high.
Place lobster tails cut-side down on grill or pan and cook for 4 minutes. Flip, and baste generously with butter mixture. Cook for 2 more minutes, or until tails are cooked throughout.
As the tails are cooking, burnish the tortillas on the grill or stovetop until toasted.
Spread avocado mixture and salsa over each of the tortillas, then place lobster tails, in their shells, overtop. Instruct the diners to pull their own lobster meat.
Notes
Either or: Serve 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a main
Shopping tip: Frozen lobster tails are not as expensive as you might imagine, and are available in the fish section of many large grocery stores.
Blumer is an Ambassador to Second Harvest in Toronto and a supporter of Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry. He’s pictured here with Chef Mary Sue Milliken, Share Our Strength Emeritus Board Member
Lloyd Cellars is recommending that you embrace and fight being crabby this holiday season. First, by supporting Blumer’s efforts in fighting hunger through Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry. You’ll feel so good knowing you’re helping feed hungry children. Second, by embracing Blumer’s savory Crab (Cup)cakes recipe below to share with friends and family this holiday season. This magical recipe, which pairs beautifully with both our Carneros Chardonnay and Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir is guaranteed to lift the spirits of even the most committed Grinch in your social circle.
About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But 1 in 6 kids will face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger through effective programs that provide kids with the food they need. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization working to end hunger and poverty.
This December, Blumer launched his 12 Drops of Christmas campaign on Instagram @BobBlumer. Every day he is offering an item from his art archives or cookbooks. Where noted, 100% of the selling price will be in the form of a direct, tax-deductible donation to @NoKidHungry, as part of his fundraising for the upcoming 2-day, 200-mile Chefscycle.
Other items—which will be noted—are conventional sales. His first drop was a signed, limited-edition lithograph he illustrated for his book Surreal Gourmet Entertains. It is 22” x 32” on fine art paper. The price is a $200usd, tax-deductible donation to NoKidHungry. He’s covering the postage and is happy to personalize it. There are a few available. DM him on Instagram @BobBlumer to order and arrange for the direct donation.
cupcake liners; muffin tin (not uncommon, but crucial); piping bag with a startip (ideal, but not necessary)
Ingredients
Crab Cupcake
1small beet
2medium russet potatoespeeled and quartered
2tablespoonsheavy creamat room temperature
2tablespoonsbutterat room temperature
Salt and pepper
1egg
1green onionfinely sliced
2tablespoonsred bell pepperfinely chopped
2tablespoonsbread crumbs or panko
1tablespoonsour cream
zest of 1 lemon + 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2tablespoonsfinely chopped Italian parsley leaves
1garlic clovefinely chopped
¼jalapeño pepperseeds discarded, minced
8ouncesfreshfrozen or tinned crab meat (your choices will vary depending on your shopping options. But fear not, all versions will be tasty in this recipe)
Instructions
To Finish & Serve
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Spray interior of muffin tin with spray oil. Line the tin with 4 paper liners. Generously spray interior of liners. Spoon crab mixture into liners. Gently press crab mixture down and flatten level with the top of the tin.
Just before putting cupcakes in the oven, reheat potatoes by covering the bowl with aluminum foil and placing it over a pot of boiling water for 5 – 10 minutes. When potatoes are steaming hot, finely grate approximately 1 tablespoon of beet and add it to potatoes. Blend thoroughly with a fork. Add more beet for a deeper color if desired.
Bake cupcakes for 8 minutes, or until cakes are fully set, yet still moist. Remove cakes from tin immediately so that they do not continue to cook.
Use a piping bag with a star tip, or a table knife to ice the cupcakes.
Notes
Level of difficulty: About the same as making cupcakes from scratchAdvance work: The crab mixture can be prepared earlier in the day, to the point that the cakes are ready to be baked. Bake and ice just before serving; Mashed potatoes can be made earlier in the day then reheated over a double boiler just before serving (add grated beet after reheating)
Keyword Bob Blumer, Crab Appetizer, Lloyd Cellars, Recipe
Our Inaugural ‘Ferments & Fashion’ Mixer Brings Style and Smiles to Chicago’s Bustling South Loop!
Special thanks to Sweeney Taud StudioZ & Social Club for hosting us, to DJ Simmy for stepping in on the turntables, and of course vintage clothing stylist Derricka Cole for her paring vintage collection with our vintages. Check her out at @old_new_thrifted2. The following is a gallery that was captured by our friend and photographer Gina Gabero!
Bob Blumer comes clean on making the Thanksgiving kitchen way more interesting!
To celebrate the 2021 Holiday Season, Lloyd Cellars and Celebrity Chef and Cookbook Author Bob Blumer will share seven fish recipes beginning the week of Thanksgiving.
Inspired by Winemaker Rob Lloyd’s pescatarian predilections and the annual Feast of the Seven Fishes, Chef Blumer brings his creative and playful twist to each recipe.
We all know that smiles over delicious food are one of the world’s greatest gifts, especially these days!
Additionally, the Thanksgiving turkey can be a challenge at times to deliver a juicy bird to the table – and it takes hours. Blumer’s surreal ‘Dishwasher Salmon with Honey-Ginger Sauce’ is, believe it or not, one of the most consistent, quick and entertaining ways to deliver perfectly poached filets to your guests.
Bob Blumer, host of Food Network's The Surreal Gourmet, has been doing it for years, claiming to have cooked salmon in dishwashers around the world. All you have to do is wrap the salmon tightly in foil, stick the packet in the top rack, and run it on a regular cycle. ~ Food Network
Place 1 fillet in the center of each square and fold up the outer edges.
Cut 4 14-inch(ish) square sheets of aluminum foil.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon lemon juice over each fillet. Season with salt and pepper.
Fold the last ¼-inch of each seam over itself 2 or 3 times and pinch the aluminum foil extra tightly to create an airtight and watertight seal around each packet (see photo). To test if the packets are airtight, press down gently on each one with your hand. If any air escapes, rewrap. (SEE PHOTOS BELOW)
Place foil packets on the top rack of the dishwasher. Run dishwasher for the entire “normal” cycle.
While salmon is “cooking”, prepare the honey-ginger sauce.
When cycle is complete, take out salmon, discard foil, place one fillet on each plate. (Note: Don’t be concerned about the opaque white beads that appear on the fillets. They are simply a redistribution of the salmon’s natural fats.)
HONEY-GINGER INSTRUCTIONS
To a small saucepan add honey, soy, sesame oil, ginger, orange zest and black pepper.
Simmer over medium-low heat for about 3 – 5 minutes, or until sauce begins to thicken. Add hot sauce to taste, if desired. Reserve. Reheat over a low heat just before serving.
To Serve Spoon honey ginger sauce overtop each fillet and finish with sesame seeds and green onion.
Notes
Do not attempt to cook a whole fish (don’t think it hasn’t been tried).
Always place fish packets on the top rack.
Make sure other items in the dishwasher, such as silverware, are securely stowed so that they do not fly around and pierce the foil packets.
Set the dishwasher to the “normal” cycle. Some modern dishwashers have “economy” and “cool dry” settings, which are undesirable because they conserve heat. On the other end of the spectrum, the “pots and pans” setting can overcook the fish.
Run salmon through the entire wash-and-dry cycle.
Only attempt to cook salmon while doing the dishes after you have mastered the art of creating air-tight packages.
Level of difficulty: As easy as loading the dishwasherShortcuts: Skip the sauceAdvance work: Salmon packets can be prepared earlier in the dayOven method: Don’t have a dishwasher? Bake foil-wrapped packets in a preheated 400°F oven for 12 minutes (imagine that!).
Rob Lloyd Joined Five Winemakers from Burgundy to California for this Educational Webinar
While Chardonnay can provoke strong opinions amongst wine lovers, the grape itself is inherently neutral. The many flavors and nuances commonly associated with it are derived from terroir, winemaking, and aging. Relatively easy to cultivate in a wide range of micro-climates, it is chameleon-like and malleable to both vineyard conditions and winery regimen.
In this “Balancing Act” webinar hosted by Lars Leicht of The SOMM Journal and Andrea Robinson, MS, a diverse group of winemakers educates viewers about the unique terroirs and winemaking techniques that help bring out the best in their Chardonnays. Following introductions, Rob is the first winemaker interviewed.
Winemaker Rob Lloyd went live from the vineyards for the webinar
VIVINO Scan data illustrates 71% growth since the launch of our 2021 marketing and communications campaigns. Prescription Vineyardsin-market programming continues with its exclusive ‘Friday-Eve Live’ wine and music showcases through the end of 2021 – both virtual and live.
In our Lloyd Cellars Market Update, we always share recent scores and links to promotional assets such as Shelf-Talkers, Line Cards, Data Sheets, and Bottle Shots.
~ Please read on for more marketing activities and links to our recent blog features! ~
Joel Quigley, Director of Marketing Communications | Joel@LloydCellars.com | (707) 495-0831
The Somm Journal & Nat Geo Webinars
The launch of the highly anticipatedNew Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia by National Geographic Books is the catalyst for the innovative approach and synergies among industry leaders in their categories. The SOMM Journal — in association with National Geographicand SommCon — invites you to participate in these complimentary, one-of-a-kind wine-tasting webinar series entitled Geographical Digest.
July 29th 2021 @ 11am PT Buyer’s Forum: In association with the Somm Foundation, Prescription Vineyards tastes along with 40 qualified wine buyers featuring the upcoming release of our 2019 Clarksburg Chardonnay Winemaker Rob Lloyd & Director of Sales Greg Moore Lead Our Discussion
September 14th 2021 @ 9:00am PT National Geographic “Balancing Act: Chardonnay at its Best’ Webinar in association with the Somm Foundation Winemaker Rob Lloyd to Speak to Carneros Chardonnay
Note: These webinars are part of a year-long marketing campaign that includes advertising, editorial, and social media
The Somm Journal and Nat Geo’s Post-Coverage of the Pinot Noir Webinar Featuring Rob Lloyd with Six Int’l Winemakers
‘Friday-Eve Live’ Goes Virtual for Our ‘Wine & Music to Rock Your World’ August Promotion
‘Friday-Eve Live’ is a production of Lloyd Cellars and Prescription Vineyards, in partnership with A&R Worldwide and Passport Approved Radio and our family of musical artists.
Lloyd Cellars & Prescription announce sponsorship of Hispanic Heritage Month, partnership with two-time Grammy Award-winning Latin artist, Marlow Rosado!
In support of Hispanic Heritage Month, Prescription is underwriting Marlow’s Colorful Sounds concert at Ramkat in Winston-Salem on September 30th in partnership with the Hispanic League. The North Carolina market visit also includes in-store consumer tasting in Winston-Salem and Charlotte.
Texas November In-Market Visit Fouces on Austin Food & Wine, with Promotional Partnerships and Events with Austin Monthly and San Antonio Current
Our November Texas in-market campaign, combining events, print and digital promotions, media lunches and dinners, and ApexDrop Instagram Influencer Holiday Campaign, is expected to generate several million impressions.
One-on-one consumer tastings at exclusive venues in Austin and San Antonio will create demand for our wines at retailers and restaurants throughout the Lone Star state!
The Drop on ApexDrop!
In addition to ApexDrop’s robust content generation and product sampling, each campaign with the 50 Instagram Influencers has had a total following of more than 750,000 followers. Over our last three campaigns, our total reach has surpassed 1.5 million with our Engagements reaching more than 60,000. We invite you to visit our Instagram accounts with Tags to see the quality and diversity of our content and, of course, follow us!
The making of Chef Rob Bleifer’s Triple-Mushroom Risotto can help reset life’s priorities
As an everyday staple dish in Northern Italy, we ask ourselves how risotto came to be considered the realm of trained chefs, or at the very least, accomplished home cooks in America. Making risotto does take attention, like systematically stirring in whatever stock a recipe calls for – here Chef Rob Bleifer’s dish is made from chicken and mushroom stock.
Perhaps it’s because instant gratification and a lack of patience are a hallmark of American culture, especially today when answers to anything are a quick Siri question away and overnight shipping has become a standard. As a society, we all need to slow down a bit and taste the beauty of life, and the meditative process of making a delicious risotto is something to embrace, not fear.
Chef Bleifer recommends that you pour yourself a glass of Lloyd Cellars Carneros Chardonnay, take a deep breath, and gently stir his Triple-Mushroom Risotto into existence for the good of humankind…
Follow the former Food Network Executive Chef’s adventures on Instagram: @chef_robear
Chef Bleifer Triple-Mushroom Risotto
Chef Robert Bleifer
Chef Robert Bleifer delivers the rich earthiness to the bowl with his Triple-Mushroom Risotto to pair with our Lloyd Cellars Carneros Chardonnay!
Remove the stems from cremini mushrooms and chop the caps.
Trim the stems from wild mushrooms and slice mushrooms.
Place mushroom stems into a small saucepan with the stock and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 1 hour. Strain and discard mushroom stems.
In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat. Add chopped creminis and saute for 3 minutes. Season with salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper, reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until the mushrooms have released and then reabsorbed their liquid. Add the onions to the cooked creminis, lower the heat to medium-low and cook for about 7 minutes, or until the onions are wilted, but not browned. Add the garlic and rice and saute for 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant and the rice is completely coated in oil.
Add the white wine and stirring often, let reduce completely.
Add 2 ladles of hot chicken/mushroom stock to the rice and stir often, until almost the stock is completely absorbed. Repeat with remaining stock until the rice is tender, but not mushy. If all of the stock has been used and the rice is still undercooked, add water 1 ladle at a time, until the rice is tender.
Remove the pan from the heat, stir in grated and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil and saute the mushrooms until browned and just cooked through. Season with salt & pepper, deglaze with the remaining 1/4 cup of wine and let the wine reduce completely.
If the risotto has thickened too much, add a touch more of the hot stock or water, until the proper consistency. (Perfect risotto is neither pasty nor soupy.)
Transfer the risotto to a serving dish and top with the sauteed mushrooms.
Top with chopped parsley, if desired.
Serve, as in Italy, as its own course, or serve it as a side dish to virtually any fish, chicken, pork, or beef dish.
Keyword Chardonnay, Chef Robert Bleifer, Lloyd Cellars, Mushrooms, Risotta
