What Goes in to an Award-Winning Wine Program?

Nov 13, 2017

Wine Selection

We have been the recipient of the Wine Spectator Award for 4 years now and we are very proud of that fact.  We also feel a great responsibility being the recipient of that award in that we need to deliver an award-winning experience to our guests.  So, what does go into creating and maintaining our wine program?  Here’s a look inside:

  1. Selection – we strive to offer wine that is not readily available in grocery stores or other restaurants you may frequent, so you have something exciting to look forward to each and every visit to Ladera.  We offer wines from many regions, and at all price levels from our “House Wine” at $6/glass to our Coravin Selections as high as $60/glass.  We also change the selection up from time to time.  This is a little controversial because occasionally we will remove someone’s favorite wine but ultimately, we end up helping them to discover a new favorite.
  2. Value – We serve a 6 ounce pour. Standard restaurant by-the-glass pours vary from 4 – 6 ounces.
  3. Glassware – we use quality glassware that showcases and complements the wine in your glass.
  4. Dedicated Team – At Ladera we have a Wine Director who is also a Certified Sommelier. She has custom designed our Wine Program and works tirelessly to continuously enhance the program.  In addition, we have 4 Managers who are Certified Level One through the Court of Master Sommeliers.  As a team, these people work to educate our staff and strive to offer the best wine experience to our guests.
  5. Wine Dinners – we have a series of Wine Dinners annually, each focusing on one specific winery. Executive Chef Tony Garcia designs a menu along with our Sommelier pairing 4 wines with 4 unique dishes to present to our guests.  2018 marks our 6th year of these sold out events.

All of this to say that we are very proud of our Wine Program at Ladera Grill.  While it does not come cheap, we are happy to invest what it takes to give our guests the ultimate food and wine experience because after all, an Award of Excellence from the Wine Spectator means nothing to us if we cannot deliver an award-winning experience to each and every one of our guests.