Sonoma Fine

Photo by Jennifer Dow

A native of Tel Aviv, Oded is passionate about the craft he has refined over several decades after studying winemaking at the University of California in Davis. Longboard was established in 1998, with a handsomely furnished tasting room opening in 2005 at the vineyard’s headquarters in Healdsburg, California. Oded is all about creating superior wine, but he puts the winemaking industry into rare perspective for his guests.

“Relax, and enjoy these wines,” he says. “Enjoy the wines with food you like, and trust nothing but your own palate.” The winemaker explains that his mission is to discover wines with unique, distinctive characteristics, working with Russian River Valley farmers who care about the depth and individuality of their wines, allowing for the production of vineyard-specific vintages.

The first course of the evening paired a beautifully balanced Longboard Vineyards 2011 Sauvignon Blanc from 100-percent Russian River Valley grapes with a tasty mélange of fresh seafood, including oysters Rockefeller, grilled calamari, clams casino, and shrimp wrapped with Fontina cheese and prosciutto. Served with the friendly attention and elegant yet relaxed style that has won Albertos’s numerous fine dining awards over the years, the second course featured light yet tasty Beef and Mushroom Ravioli, stuffed with portabella mushrooms and Asiago cheese in a cognac demi-glaze.