CorkRules - Episodes | Pammy’s Pammy's

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About this Episode

Samatha Hohl, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas take a trip to Massachusetts to explore the wine list at Pammy’s. Pammy’s is an American trattoria with a wine list that focuses on natural wines from American and Italian producers, including New and Old World wines from small vineyards in both countries. Sam provides a little background info on the wines, vines, tasting notes and pairings.

Wines reviewed include:

2019 Lapetus Substratta
2018 ODB Trousseau Noir from Forlorn Hope
2019 Cardedu Bucce from Sardinia

Transcript: Pammy's

Pammy’s

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!

A podcast where we review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I’m your host Robert Tas along with Samatha Hohl, wine educator and certified sommelier

Hello Sam, great to have you back for another great wine list.

SH: Hello Robert!

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

We created CorkRules to demystify wine lists because we know from experience, that sometimes wine lists can be intimidating, and even a little daunting.

Our aim is to help prepare you to navigate that list, find those hidden gems, 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.

RT: Overview

Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts Pammy’s is an inviting spot offering their unique spins on Italian-American food.

RT: Where to start

I’m so excited to delve into this list focusing on natural wines from American and Italian producers. Natural wine can cause some confusion, since many people think it’s a cloudy kombucha-like product. But natural wines mean wines that are produced with the integrity of the land and the purity of the wine in mind. On this curated list we’ll see grapes that maybe you’ve never heard of before, and there’s plenty of opportunity to fall in love with something new.

RT: Set up

The way the wine list is arranged in a way that makes navigating some of these new options easier. It’s set up by type of wine, like white and red, but then categorizes their offerings by adjectives, which is such a fun way to explore a new wine! For example, under their white section, they have a section called “Textured and Mineral,” and a section under their red selections called “Earth and Fruit.” These sections can help identify what you like about a wine that isn’t necessarily a grape.

RT: Set up

A white wine that caught my eye was the 2019 Lapetus Substratta. This wine is made primarily from the Louise Swenson grape which was created by Elmer Swenson. He was a grape breeder in the midwest who focused on creating varietals that would succeed in cold climates. Lapetus wine in Vermont utilizes this cold climate grape, and the environment, land and the winemaking are all viewed as essential parts of the end result. This bottle is going to have notes of melon, pineapple and lemon. It’s smooth on the palate with a bright finish. The baby beets with greek yogurt would provide a lovely earthiness and creaminess next to this wine.

RT: Red

If you’re looking for a unique red, try the 2018 ODB Trousseau Noir from Forlorn Hope. Forlorn Hope creates wines that honor the characteristics of their estate, and take great pride in organically farming their vineyards and crafting their wines without the use of chemical additives. Their Trousseau vines also have an interesting story - the vines had been absent from the Foothills for nearly a century after prohibition. After some vines were found at an abandoned research station run by UC Davis the vines were brought back to the university and among them was Trousseau. Forlorn Hope brought the vines back to their vinyard after this long absence and are creating the ODB Trousseau. This red is super fun to drink. Even with its light body, it has some excellent grippiness, along with notes of strawberry, cranberry and dried herbs. This light red would be great paired with the lamb chop with buttered apple couscous.

RT: Value Bottle

If you’re searching for a delicious value bottle then consider trying the 2019 Cardedu Bucce from Sardinia. The Cardedu vineyards are located on the Southeast part of the island near the coast. “Bucce” means skins, a nod to the fact that it’s technically an orange wine. The white grape blend sees a few days of fermentation time with their skins, giving this wine its golden-hued color. It has delicate floral notes, and a delicious citrus tang. It also has some nice salinity from that coastal influence. It would be easily enjoyed alongside the Rhode Island squid.

RT Celebratory

A bottle that’s going to bring the celebration would be the 2005 Barbaresco Riserva Montefico. You may already be a lover of the Nebbiolo grape, but this bottle here will be a real treat. By law in Italy, Barbaresco Riserva must be aged for fifty months, and nine of those months must be in oak. This aging reveals so many complex aromas and flavors, layers of richness and structured tannins. It’s lush and dense, boasting blackfruit and raspberry, along with notes of tobacco and leather. 2005 was a wonderful year for Barbaresco wines and this bottle wants you to know it. Enjoy with Pammy’s Lumache pasta with bolognese sauce.

Sam, Thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Pammy’s wine list. I can’t wait to go try your great suggestions.

To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.

If you would like Sam 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.