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Wine
Spectator Recognizes Luminaria as ‘One of the Best
Restaurant’s
for Wine Lovers’ in its 28th annual Dining Guide2009
Nearly 4,000 domestic and international
restaurants were recognized, 11 make the mark in Santa
Fe
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SANTA FE, N.M. –
Food and wine are intertwined more than ever,
with restaurants at the leading edge of fine
wine appreciation. Wine Spectator, a
long-standing industry authority, recognized
3,845 restaurants in its 28th annual Dining
Guide for the quality of the wines and the size
of the restaurant’s lists. A first year entrant,
Luminaria earned an ‘Award of Excellence’ for
its breadth, depth and appeal of wine
selections. Featuring more than 150 wines,
served by the glass, half bottle and large
format, Luminaria’s wine list boasts a medley of
regional, domestic and international varietals
and eco-friendly wines that compliment Executive
Chef Brian Cooper’s modern American cuisine with
a southwestern flair.
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The Award of Excellence
recognizes lists that present a solid collection of
quality wines. They generally offer at least 100
selections that pair well with the restaurant’s menu but
are also interesting to drink by themselves. This year,
2,957 restaurants earned this distinctive award with 453
participants recognized as first-time award winners. “A
good wine list offers complimentary selections that
enhance a dining experience without over-extending the
pocketbook,” said Dennis Marcinik, director of food and
beverage at the Inn and Spa at Loretto. “Our restaurant
manager and resident wine expert, Erika Cooper, spent
several months compiling our wine list to ensure value,
menu compatibility, selection and sustainable options
were equally represented. We are ecstatic to reap the
benefits of our due diligence and join Wine Spectator’s
distinguished ranks.”
Open since July 2008, Luminaria’s wine list features
varietals from vineyards throughout California, Oregon,
Washington, Spain, Italy, Chile, and New Mexico. From
rich, lavishly oaked Cabernet Sauvignons like the 2003
Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection
Napa Valley to the explosive aromas of dark berries in
the 2001 Penfolds Wines Grange South Australia to the
bracing aromas of lemon in the 2007 Cloudy Bay Vineyards
Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough, Luminaria offers varietals
for all palates.
Luminaria also features 40 eco-friendly wines from
vineyards such as Frog’s Leap, Firesteed, Robert Sinskey,
Macrostie, and Pine Ridge that use environmental
friendly processes to harvest and produce their wines.
On average, Erika Cooper and Marcinik add 2-3 new wines
a month to compliment new dishes, accentuate seasons and
highlight new wine releases or wines not commonly found
in neighboring restaurants. Each year, the restaurant
hosts an average of five, seasonal wine dinners that
pair Chef Cooper’s talents with industry personalities
such as Jeffrey Star, culinary director and executive
chef at Trinchero Estates; Ray Coursen, winemaker and
owner of Elyse Winery, John and Janet Trefethen, owners
of Trefethen Winery.
With glass in hand, Luminaria stands at the crossroads
where modern sophistication meets rustic Southwestern
charm. Serving modern American cuisine with Santa Fe
flair, Chef Cooper uses indigenous, seasonal ingredients
flavored with Southwestern spices to give quintessential
Santa Fe cuisine a flavorful new twist. Wine aficionados
can create their own wine and meal pairings or opt for
chef recommended duos such as scallops with Spanish
cured chorizo with Trefethen chardonnay, talus wind lamb
duo with Elyse zinfandel, mountain ruby trout with sage
black barley with Ponzi pinot blanc, and the local award
winning tortilla soup served tableside with the St.
Urbans-Hof riesling.
Offering an assortment of breakfast, lunch and dinner
selections, Luminaria and its more casual dining venue,
Living Room, offer patrons flexible dining options,
including Luminaria’s “Early Evening” menu offered each
evening from 5:00-6:00 p.m. and the Living Room’s “Happy
Hour and a Half” from 5:00-6:30 p.m. nightly and
“Reverse Food Happy Hour” from 10:00 p.m. until midnight
nightly.
For more information on Luminaria and its wine program
or to make a reservation, visit www.innatloretto.com or
call 800.727.5531.
Inn and Spa at Loretto
The 134-room Inn and Spa at Loretto is a boutique hotel
epitomizing classic Santa Fe architecture and style with
warm Southwest colors and tones. The prestigious Inn was
inspired by the famed Taos Pueblo (a national historic
landmark) and sits adjacent to the historic Loretto
Chapel, known for its miraculous spiral staircase. The
hotel, one of the most photographed buildings in town,
features the Southwestern inspired Spa at Loretto with
six treatment rooms, the popular Living Room Bar and
Luminaria Restaurant & Patio.
Destination Hotels & Resorts
Inn and Spa at Loretto is one of more than 30
independent, upscale hotels, resorts and conference
centers by Destination Hotels & Resorts, the fourth
largest independent hospitality management company in
the country. To protect and preserve the unique
communities in which the company operates, Destination
launched Destination Earth, an environmental
sustainability program in 2008. New for 2009 is the
582-room Terranea Resort situated on the Palos Verdes
Peninsula in southern California. The 102-acre ocean
front resort will feature a 25,000-square-foot
destination spa, three swimming pools, three restaurants
and a Todd Eckenrode-designed par three golf course. In
addition to Terranea in the greater Los Angeles area,
Destination operates properties in key metropolitan
areas and resort markets including Washington, D.C.,
Denver, San Diego, Santa Fe, Aspen, Palm Springs,
Houston and Lake Tahoe. Destination is a subsidiary of
Los Angeles-based investment, development and management
firm Lowe Enterprises.
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