New! 2004 Blanc de Blancs
Nov 21, 2007
Just in time to toast the New Year, Lieb Family Cellars has released its highly acclaimed Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine. Previous vintages received a double gold medal at the Los Angeles County Fair international wine competition and were included in the Wine Spectator’s list of top American sparkling wines. The latest 2004 Blanc de Blanc is Lieb Cellars’ fifth vintage of the méthode champenoise sparkling wine. Made entirely from Pinot Blanc grapes and harvested by hand, the wine was produced from vines originally from Alsace, France, planted in the Lieb vineyard in 1983. “It’s a dry wine that exhibits a fine mousse of tiny bubbles and a golden straw color followed by flavors of apple, honey and citrus,” according to Gary Madden, general manager of Lieb Cellars. Available online or in the Tasting room.
New! Bridge Lane Bubbly
Oct 14, 2007
Our newest addition to the Lieb portfolio is a second label Methode
Champenoise sparkling wine. A blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40%
Chardonnay, this wine ages 2 years on the lees producing a bouquet of
yeast, toast, and baked bread. The Pinot Noir adds an earthiness while
the Chardonnay brings about deeper flavors of baked apple and honey
that are wrapped within soft, creamy bubbles. The long finish provides
a perfect accompaniment to fois gras, Thai food, or any mushroom dish.
This wine is sold for $27.00 and is available only in the tasting room.
New Collection of Wine Giftware Now Available!
July 31, 2007
In addition to great wines, we now have a new collection of giftware for wine lovers, including logo t-shirts, corkscrews, and wine glasses. And, coming soon Lieb license plate frames
Order Online or Visit our Tasting Room for our New Collection of Lieb Merchandise
NEW! 2005 September’s Mission Merlot
July 21, 2007
Merlot with a Mission: Lieb Family Cellars Releases 3rd Vintage of Wine to Raise Funds for 9/11 Project.
Lieb Family Cellars, a winery on Long Island's North Fork, is contributing to efforts to honor the memory of those lost in the World Trade Center tragedy. The Mattituck winery will donate a percentage of the proceeds from a special commemorative wine to September's Mission Foundation, a nonprofit organization established to support the development of a memorial park on the former World Trade Center site.
This is the third year that Lieb Cellars has produced the September’s Mission Merlot. The past years, public response was tremendous, and the commemorative wine sold out. This year, in honor of the upcoming sixth anniversary of 9/11, Lieb Cellars has produced another 6,480 bottles of the special 2005 Merlot, which it will sell at the winery and offer for resale to restaurants and wine shops in New York State. Winery owners Mark and Kathy Lieb expect to raise about $6,000 for the nonprofit foundation. Like most Americans, they were deeply affected by the tragedy. They had both worked on Wall Street for many years prior to 9/11, and, sadly, lost friends and former colleagues in the WTC attacks. "We wanted to contribute in our own way to ensure that the tragic events of 9/11 are never forgotten," said Mr. Lieb. "The commemorative wine gives our winery, as well as restaurants and individuals, the opportunity to participate in the annual observance and to support September's Mission Foundation."
"Through the ages, wine has had religious and ceremonial significance, so it is fitting that it play a role in the annual remembrance of 9/11,” he said. “We hope wine shops, restaurants and consumers will join us, as so many did last year, in honoring the memory of those who lost their lives and help support September's Mission.”
Monica Iken, who founded September's Mission Foundation after losing her husband Michael in the 9/11 tragedy, said she deeply appreciates the donation. "Whoever purchases this special wine will not only be remembering the heroes and innocent victims of that terrible tragedy, but will be supporting our efforts to develop programs at the future memorial site, as well as the 9/11 'Living Memorial,' an internet-based web portal project that will be accessible to everyone."
The commemorative wine is a 2005 Merlot made of grapes grown on the North Fork, less than 100 miles east of NYC. This young, clean Merlot is the first red Lieb Cellars has released from the famed 2005 vintage, considered one of the best in the history of the North Fork Wine Region. Aged in French oak barrels,this Merlot has aromas of blackberry, plum and black currant. People can purchase the wine for $9.11 at the Lieb Cellars tasting room located at 35 Cox Neck Road in Mattituck, via the Internet (email: info@liebcellars.com), or by calling the winery (631-734-1100). Restaurants and wine shops throughout New York State can also purchase the wine
directly from Lieb Cellars.
May 30, 2007
Lieb Cellars Brings Award-Winning Wines from the North Fork To Chicago
Lieb Family Cellars, a winery on the North Fork of Long Island, has joined with Imports Inc./Chicago to distribute a complete line of award winning wines. Estate-bottled Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Meritage, Merlot, Pinot Blanc, Rosé, and Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine showcase unique North Fork style and terroir, and are now available in Chicago, demonstrating the true potential of Long Island wines. Chicago restaurants such as Blackbird, Everest, NoMi, the Peninsula Hotel Chicago, and Tru Restaurant have all begun to feature and pour Lieb wines.
Most recently, Lieb Cellars was selected to participate in the Old World Meets New World Wine Dinner @ Tru Restaurant in Chicago. Sommeliers Scott Tyree, Alpana Singh, Robert Bath and guest winemaker Susana Balbo of the Susana Balbo Winery in Argentina will present wine tastings of Old World classics next to their New World counterparts in a special five-course dinner. In addition to the exquisite wines of Ms. Balbo, featured wines will include bottlings from Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin, Domaine Dujac, Chateau Rayas, Chateau d’Issan, Alois Lageder, Grover Vineyards of India, Greenhough Vineyards of New Zealand and Lieb Cellars of Long Island. Both Lieb’s Reserve Pinot Blanc (which recently scored 89 points by Chicago’s own Beverage Testing Institute) and Blanc de Blanc Sparkling wines will be featured and paired with fine cuisine. The wine dinner caps off an exciting wine weekend including an auction of fine and rare wines at Tru by Hart Davis Hart Wine Co. on June 2.
Lieb Cellars Wins at 2008 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition
April 17, 2008
Lieb Cellars Picks up Medals for Bridge Lane Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc
Lieb Family Cellars, a winery on the North Fork of Long Island, has won medals for all three wines entered in the 2008 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. SIlver Medals were awarded to the 2006 Bridge Lane Chardonnay and the 2004 Bridge Lane Merlot. The NV Bridge Lane Cabernet Franc took Bronze. The Finger Lakes International WIne Competition is open to commercial wineries from the United States, Canada, and all wine producing countries. This year 45 of the world’s most elite international wine judges tirelessly judged over 2350 wines from nearly 500 wineries spanning 39 states and 14 different countries.
Lieb Cellars Wins Gold at 2008 Grand Harvest Awards
March 12, 2008
Lieb Cellars Picks up Medals for Reserve Pinot Blanc and Reserve Cabernet Franc
Lieb Family Cellars, a winery on the North Fork of Long Island, has been awarded two medals at the 2008 Grand Harvest Awards. The 2006 Reserve Pinot Blanc picked up its first Gold medal of the year, while the Reserve Cabernet Franc followed close behind with a bronze.
The Grand Harvest Awards is truly a one of a kind competition. It is the only wine-judging event in North America that is based on terroir - a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation, and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions, grapes and wine making savoir-faire, which contribute to give its specific personality to the wine. In other competitions, this factor is ignored. At the Grand Harvest, judges taste wines with other wines of the same appellation. All wines are judged in the context of their viticultural region in order to accomplish two things: greater sensitivity to the complexities and nuances of regional wines and also to measure the influence of regional soil and weather characteristics on the taste and quality of individual wines.
Lieb Cellars is among only three Long Island wineries to medal in this competition, and is the only one to receive gold. In fact, only two other wineries in the state of NY share that honor.
Lieb Cellars is Reviewed by Howard Goldberg of The New York Times
November 18, 2007
'These Pour Well With Turkey' - By HOWARD G. GOLDBERG
"Lieb Family Cellars is a producer whose name is apt for Thanksgiving. When Long Island families sit down to turkey on Thursday, Lieb’s newest whites and reds could easily accompany a broad spectrum of first and second courses. Mark and Kathy Lieb’s wines are produced at the Premium Wine Group, a for-hire winery in Mattituck that Mr. Lieb partly owns. Restaurant placements come first, Mr. Lieb said, although the wines are sold in Premium’s tasting room and some wine stores, and there is ample Lieb for Long Islanders to carry home.
The commercial orientation was evident in the immediate drinkability of eight wines sampled this month; restaurateurs like wines that can be drunk today, not cellared and tying up capital for years. Longtime fans of Lieb’s stylish still and sparkling wines made solely from pinot blanc grapes should find the latest releases rewarding, especially because pinot blanc is rarely the sole grape of sparkling wine. Most bubbly relies on chardonnay, pinot meunier and pinot noir. Lieb’s 13 acres of pinot blanc vines, from Alsace, were planted in 1983 in Cutchogue by Mudd Vineyards of Southold. These old vines yield fruit that can generate complex wines. The pale 2004 blanc de blancs sparkling wine ($34.99), as serious as many pricier Champagnes and jumping with tiny bubbles, is bracingly refreshing. The regular 2006 pinot blanc ($19.99) is light and tangy. Lieb’s 2005 chardonnay ($19.99), buttery and rich, is understated. The basic 2005 Bridge Lane chardonnay ($13.99), for everyday use, will sharpen appetites. The 2003 merlot — sultry, earthy, full of character — is a good buy at $19.99. The light 2004 Bridge Lane merlot ($15.99) is vividly flavorful. It’s hard to be content with just one glass of the ingratiating 2004 cabernet franc ($23.99). The nonvintage Bridge Lane cabernet franc ($15.99) is a red that a Loire grower would sip with ham on a baguette.
Back to the holiday, any of the whites would go nicely with white-meat turkey; the reds with dark."
Lieb Cellars Captures Gold in the International Eastern Wine Competition
April 26, 2007
2004 Reserve Chardonnay Wins Gold
Lieb Family Cellars, a winery on the North Fork of Long Island, has won a Gold Medal for the 2004 Vintage of the Reserve Chardonnay in the 2007 International Eastern Wine Competition. One of the oldest and largest competitions in the United States, the International Eastern Wine Competition (IEWC) is held each May in the Finger Lakes region of New York, topping over 2,100 entries in recent years with wines from 16 countries and 34 states.
The IEWC has earned a well-justified reputation for the quality of its organization, judgments and awards. Wines in any given flight may be entered from around the world. Judges are wine-knowledgeable professionals, media specialists, and winemakers who represent major east coast markets from Miami to Toronto. Bronze medals require a unanimous panel vote for bronze, so any winning medals in the IEWC are worthy of merit.
While this is the first gold for Lieb Cellars 2004 Reserve Chardonnay, this wine has previously won a Silver medal in the 2007 San Francisco International Wine Competition and a Bronze medal in the 2007 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition.
USDA Grant For Sustainable Agricultural Practices
August 19, 2005
Lieb Family Cellars Receives Federal Grant for Meeting High Standards of Conservation and Protecting the Environment
Lieb Family Cellars, a winery on Long Island’s North Fork, has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Security Program. The winery will receive $23,185 over a 10-year period to continue good practices that protect the soil and water. “Since this is our home, and not just a commercial vineyard, we’ve been extremely protective of the environment since my wife, Kathy and I started the vineyard in 1992,” said Mark Lieb, owner of Lieb Family Cellars. “Lieb vineyards have always been herbicide-free. The soil has top cover to eliminate erosion, and organic fertilizer is used because excess nitrogen is bad for water quality and aquatic life. We make sure nitrogen additions are minimal and there is no runoff.” Mr. Lieb says his operation will continue to employ good practices to preserve the environment.
“This grant means as much to us as any medal we have received for our wines,” says Gary Madden, general manager of Lieb Cellars. “It’s very rewarding to see that our work to maintain environmentally balanced and sustainable agriculture has been recognized.”
The Conservation Security Program (CSP) is a voluntary conservation program that supports ongoing stewardship of private agricultural lands by providing payments for maintaining and enhancing natural resources. “CSP identifies and rewards growers who are meeting high standards of conservation and environmental management in their operations,” according to Allan Connell, a district conservationist with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service based in Riverhead. “Lieb Cellars and other grant recipients are employing conservation practices and activities that protect water quality, minimize erosion and provide other benefits to the environment.” The grant will not be available for another eight years, according to Mr. Connell.
Sparkling Wine News
February
2008
Lieb Cellars 2004 Blanc de Blanc takes a Bronze Medal in the 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
August 2007
Lieb Cellars 2003 Blanc de Blanc takes Gold in the 2007 New York Wine and Food Classic
May 2006
Lieb Takes Double Gold, Best In Class at L.A. County Fair and International Wine Competition
The 2002 Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine from Lieb Family Cellars was recently awarded a DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL and BEST IN CLASS at the 2006 LA County Fair and International Wine Competition. This is a repeat GOLD for the Lieb Blanc de Blanc: the 2001 vintage also recieved the gold at the 2005 competition. Nearly 4,000 wines were judged from 982 wineries and 18 countries.
December 11, 2004
Lieb “Bubbly” Makes List of “Best American Sparkling Wines” in Wine Spectator magazine
Lieb’s 2001 Blanc de Blanc was recently named in an article titled “Best American Sparkling Wines” in the Wine Spectator (December 31 issue). Lieb Family Cellars was the only New York winery to make the list. The magazine, considered by wine cognoscenti as the final word on quality wines, recommended just 21 American sparkling wines and described Lieb’s Blanc de Blanc as “a dry vibrant, sparkling wine, elegant and evoking apple, honey and citrus aromas and flavors,” with a score of 86. In October, New York Times wine critic Howard G. Goldberg also had high praise for the Lieb bubbly, noting, “it is easy to become addicted to this star-bright, refreshing, feather-light dry white, especially because of the tiny, palate-cleansing small bubbles. The wine is virtually weightless.”
2006 RESERVE PINOT BLANC
Gold Medal - 2008 Grand Harvest Awards Wine Competition - 92.5 points
Silver Medal - 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Bronze Medal - 2008 Florida State Fair and International Wine Competition
Bronze Medal - 2008 Pacific Rim International Wine Competition
2005 RESERVE PINOT BLANC
Silver Medal - 2007 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Silver Medal - 2007 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition
Silver Medal - 2007 San Diego International Wine Competition
Dans Papers "Best of the Best" 2006
- Official Dan's Papers Readers Choice - Best White Wine
2005 RESERVE CHARDONNAY
Silver Medal - 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Bronze Medal - 2008 Pacific Rim International Wine Competition
2004 RESERVE CHARDONNAY
Gold Medal - 2007 International Eastern Wine Competition
Silver Medal - 2007 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Silver Medal - 2007 New York Wine and Food Classic
Bronze Medal - 2007 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition
Bronze Medal - 2007 LA County Fair Wine Competition.
2004 RESERVE CABERNET FRANC
Bronze Medal - 2008 Grand Harvest Awards Wine Competition
Bronze Medal - 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Dans Papers "Best of the Best" 2007
- Official Dan's Papers Readers Choice - Best Cabernet
2003 RESERVE MERLOT
Silver Medal - 2007 New York Wine and Food Classic
Bronze Medal - 2007 Finger Lakes International Competition
2004 BLANC DE BLANC
Bronze Medal - 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
2003 BLANC DE BLANC
Gold Medal - 2007 New York Wine and Food Classic
Silver Medal - 2007 LA County Fair Wine Competition
Double Gold/Best in Class - 2006 LA County Fair Wine Competition (2002 Vintage)
Named in ‘Best American Sparkling Wines’ by Wine Spectator (2001 Vintage)
Gold Medal - 2005 LA County Fair Wine Competition (2001 Vintage)
2002 MERITAGE
Bronze Medal - 2007 New York Wine and Food Classic
2006 BRIDGE LANE CHARDONNAY
Silver Medal - 2008 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition
2005 BRIDGE LANE CHARDONNAY
85 Points - Wine Spectator
NV BRIDGE LANE CABERNET FRANC
Gold Medal - 2008 Pacific Rim International Wine Competition
Bronze Medal - 2008 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition
2004 BRIDGE LANE MERLOT
Silver Medal - 2008 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition
Bronze Medal - 2008 Florida State Fair and International Wine Competition