CorkRules - Episodes | Cracked by Chef Adrianne Chef Adrianne's

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About this Episode

Tina Johansson, WSET Diploma Graduate and Michelin restaurant sommelier, and Robert Tas review the wine list at Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard restaurant, a fine-dining steakhouse in Miami inspired by the wine country of Napa Valley. They offer an extensive, and international menu of wines including Japan, Italy, and Peru to name a few. Tina points out a few lovely bottles on the list and offers pairing suggestions and a little background information on the vineyards, the varietals, and vintages to help you make an informed decision.

Wines reviewed include:

Stags Leap Wine Cellars Artemis
Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc
Kistler Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Transcript: Chef Adrianne's

Cork Rules Script

Chef Adrianne’s

RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules!

I’m your host Robert Tas along with Tina Johansson, WSET Diploma Graduate and Michelin restaurant sommelier.

Hi Tina, thanks for being back with us on another episode of CorkRules, - a podcast where we help simplify and demystify the wine lists at some of your favorite restaurants. We talk with certified sommeliers and wine professionals who point out interesting bottles, classic food and wine pairings, hidden gems, value wines, or splurge wines that will take your dining experience over the top.

TJ: Thank you Robert, happy to be back for another episode and with a new wine list to dig into.

RT: Glad to hear. Today we’re talking about Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard restaurant, a modern, fine-dining steakhouse in Miami inspired by the wine country of Napa Valley. Chef Adrianne Calvo opened the restaurant 15 years ago when she was only 22 years old, and today she’s one of the most successful chefs in Florida. The menu is focused mainly on the steaks, but with big variation and influences from around the world. You can find flavors from Japan, Italy and Peru to mention a few so the menu holds something for everyone.

TJ: And talking about the wine list it’s sorted by grape variety and not by origin which is rather uncommon, but I quite like it since it’s an easy way to make guests more comfortable with the wine list in front of them. I think we all know wine lists can be quite intimidating from time to time. Since all wine is from the American west coast (with just a few exceptions like Champagne from France) it keeps the list very easy to navigate. It’s a very short list but with a fair pricing in general and that always makes me happy to see.

RT: Yes, I’m eager to see what highlights you’ll pick out from the wine list this time. Let’s start with something fun. What do you suggest as the perfect bottle in Chef Adrianne’s for a celebration? What wine of theirs will make a special night here even more memorable?

TJ: Let’s celebrate with a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – the restaurant is inspired by Napa after all. They hold Stags Leap Wine Cellars Artemis, a full-bodied and oaky style of Cabernet that would be a match for many of the great steaks here. This is also the winery that in a way put Napa Valley on the World map since their Cabernet Sauvignon won in a blind tasting over some of the best French Cabernets in the infamous Judgment of Paris in 1976. That kind of says a lot!

RT: It really does, it’s a winery all wine lovers should try at some point. To continue, if I’m in the mood for a bottle of white, what am I drinking then? Their starters hold a lot of fish like ceviche with yellow chili and chargrilled octopus with chorizo. What are you pairing with this?

TJ: I would suggest something more aromatic to balance the spicy and flavorful elements, but still with a fresh acidity to not overpower the courses. Let’s stay in Napa Valley for the white as well and drink Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc. It’s your classic Sauvignon Blanc with green, herbal notes and ripe melon aromas, but a bit rounder due to spending a few months in oak barrels.

RT: Great! Always fun when the Napa whites are highlighted a bit as well, it’s hard for them to shine in the shadow of the region's famous reds.

TJ: I agree, there’s a lot of good white wines here as well!

RT: So besides Chef Adrianne’s great Napa Valley wines, do you have any more gems from the list? One last great bottle?

TJ: Yes of course. Let’s go back to red and finish with a lighter style but with great fruit concentration that could handle the milk-fed veal chop or even the Black Angus on the menu if you’re in the mood for that. They hold Kistler Russian River Valley Pinot Noir which is just a beautiful and elegant style of red, and really showing a more contemporary style of American winemaking.

RT: Not a bad bottle to end on, thank you, Tina. To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.

If you would like us to review one of your favorite restaurants, please send us email to:

Info@CorkRules.Com or visit our web website where we have a request form available and we will do our best to get it in the queue as quickly as possible.

We are looking forward to being with you on another CorkRules episode soon. In the meantime, please check out our website for other episodes of your favorite restaurant wine lists wherever you get your podcasts.

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

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