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About this Episode

Certified sommelier and wine educator Grant Wood and host Robert Tas navigate the wine list of Lupa, a Roman trattoria south of New York's Washington Square Park. Lupa has restaurants all over the world and with a global mindset, they pride themselves on their commitment to both people and the planet, and that includes curating a wine list that features biodynamic and organic wines. Grant identifies the best value wines, recommends bottles for those special occasions dinners, and provides expert tips on pairings.

Wines reviewed include:

2011 Brut Ferrando ‘La Torrazza’ from the DOCG of Erbaluce di Caluso
2010 Paolo Bea ‘Arboreus’ which is Trebbiano from Umbria
2011 Girolamo Russo ‘Feudo’ from Etna Rosso

Transcript: Lupa

Lupa

RT: Hello and welcome back to another episode with CorkRules!

A podcast where we review a Wine List from your favorite restaurants. I’m your host Robert Tas along with Grant Wood, Wine Educator and Certified Sommelier. Hello Grant, it’s great to have you join our CorkRules family!

GW: Hey Robert, I’m so happy to be here with you.

RT: Before we jump in, let’s talk about CorkRules.

We created CorkRules to demystify wine list’s because we know from experience, that sometimes when we get that list handed to us, well… it can be intimidating, and even a little daunting.

Our aim is to help prepare you to navigate that list, find those hidden gems, or value wines or that special bottle that will take your dining experience over the top.

RT: So, sit back and listen as we review your favorite wine list.

Lupa is a casual osteria located between Soho and Noho focusing on the classics of a Roman Trattoria with an Italian-focused wine list to match. This is truly a place to let your inner Italiano thrive and shout “In vino veritas!”.

Let’s dive into their wines.

There is quite the selection to choose from with bubbles from Prosecco to Lambrusco but let me start by highlighting the 2011 Brut Ferrando “La Torrazza” from the DOCG of Erbaluce di Caluso in the Italian region of Piemonte. This is wine made in to Metodo Classico method with will offer toasty and fresh characteristic flavors and be a fresh and inviting way to start your evening. The list of Prosecco and Franciacorta looked great, though, as well so don’t limit yourself by any means.

Moving on to whites, I think a great value on this list in the 2015 Ronchi di Cialla’s Ribolla Gialla from the northeastern region of Colli Orientali del Friuli which will provide a lot of tension and herbal, preserved citrus rinds. Otherwise, the 2015 Vermentino “Il Maggiore” from Lambruschi in the DOC of Colli di Luna would a fun splurge that would be a great match with anything on the menu. Another one that caught my eye is the 2010 Paolo Bea 'Arboreus' which is Trebbiano from Umbria. It’s more of a funky, textural, savory wine with a lot of florals and dried fruit but not for the faint of heart!

On to the reds, there’s a lot to choose here with an extensive list of Barolo and Barbaresco with classics like Giacomo Conterno and even a 1965 Angelo Gaja for $400 which would be a special splurge for sure. A great value wine coming from Tuscany would be the 2016 Rosso di Montalcino by Gianni Brunelli. Rosso di Montalcino are always great value wines from great producers that release these wines younger and with less oak than their more coveted Brunello’s so don’t pass up these wines if you want your dollar to go a bit further. Another fun find is the 2011 Girolamo Russo “Feudo” from Etna Rosso which is from the red Narello Mascalese which has lots of structure leading into coffee, amaro, and black fruit characteristics.

To wrap up here, I think this is a well thought of list that really spans the beautiful country of Italy so come curious and don’t be afraid to branch out and try something new.

Grant, great job today! Thank you for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Lupa’s wine list. I can’t wait to go and try your suggestions myself.

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.

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

Thank you.

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