Prairie Whale

Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas review the wine list at Sandbar. A winner of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, this list features a beautiful selection of Old World and New World favorites. Michaela identifies the tasting notes of full-bodied reds, fresh bright Italian whites, Grand Crus and value wines, and offers pairing suggestions with a wide range of dishes on the menu. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2020 Corey Creek Vineyard Cabernet Franc Blanc, Long Island

• 2020 Villa Pozzi Grillo, Sicily

• 2018 Heritiers de Comte, Lafon, Burgundy

Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas talk tasting notes and wine pairings with a stellar selection of wines from Mirabelle at Three Village Inn. This restaurant has won the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and offers a truly cosmopolitan wine list, featuring wine by region and varietal. Michaela identifies the tasting notes on wines that must not be missed for the discerning oenophile and discovers a few gems for the adventurous wine lover, including a dessert wine from Greece and a beautiful white Bordeaux.

Wines reviewed include:

• 2017 Corte Pagliare Verdieri, Lambrusco Rosato “Ven Crud”,  Emilia Romagna, Italy

• 2018 Domaine du Coulet-Matthieu Barret “Et La Banniere”, Crozes-Hermitage, France

• 2017 Charles Smith “Kung Fu Girl” Riesling, Washington

Certified sommelier Michaela Quinlan, and Robert Tas review the wine list at The Red Fox, a restaurant renowned for locally sourced, four-course dining with local wine pairings. They also offer Pub fare and an exceptional wine list. Michaela reviews the best wines on the list, including a Viognier that is a perfect companion to herb-roasted chicken and salmon, a Cabernet Franc that is an excellent pairing with herbed and savory dishes, and a remarkable blend of zinfandel, petit syrah, and Carignane.

Wines reviewed include:

• 2020 Pollak Vineyards Viognier, Greenwood, VA

• 2021 Argiolas, Costamolino Vermentino, Southern Italy

• 2017 Gimenez Mendez, Alta Reserva Tennat, Uruguay

Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas review the wine list at The Edge in Jackson, New Jersey, offering a New American menu with subtle Latin and Asian influences. If you are uncertain of which wine pairs well with the subtle combination of spices and herbs, don’t worry, from seafood and sushi to pastas and proteins, Michaela identifies the wines that pair well with the dishes on the menu, and she points out a few unique bottles that will add to the table conversation.

Wines reviewed include:

• 2016 La Colombera, “Derthona” Timorasso, Piedmont

• 2017 Donnafugatta “Tancredi”, Sicily

• 2017 Bernhard Ott, Gemischter Satz, Austria

Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas visit the 500-acre farm-to-table restaurant Gibbet Hill Grill in Massachusetts. Set in an idyllic pastoral location, this is the place to come if you want to get away from the bustle of the city and relax. The menu is inspired by local, seasonal produce, and the wine list offers a fine selection of Old and New World wines.   From rich full-bodied reds to creamy whites with notes of ripe pear, peach, and lemon zest, Michaela shares the tasting notes and pairing suggestions that will help you make an informed, and impressive, choice of wine for your guests. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2016 Kooyang Estate Chardonnay Victoria, Australia

• 2018 Familia Torres “Gran Coronos” Reserva, Spain

• 2019 Forlorn Hope Picpoul, Napa Valley

Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas navigate the wine list at Strega in Boston’s historic North End. Strega’s wine list offers renowned wines in half-bottle formats from both Old and New World, and, as classic Italian restaurant they offer a standout Italian selection, too. In addition to a few Super Tuscans and superior chardonnays, Michaela chooses wines that showcase ripe pear, cantaloupe, and lime zest, wines that feature bright acidity, ripe cranberries, raspberries, red cherries, cedar, clove, and cocoa, and wines that sing with notes of honeysuckle, white flowers, ripe peach, green apple, and grapefruit. If these wines don’t tickle your palate and take your dining experience to a new level, call the doctor. It’s time for a checkup.  

 Wines reviewed include:

• 2020 Feudi di San Grigorio, Greco di Tufo, Italy

• 2019 Terrabianca Campaccio, Italy

• 2020 Colosi Nero d’Avola, Italy

Certified sommelier Michaela Quinlan and Robert Tas review the wine list at 1770 House in East Hampton. They have received the annual Wine Spectator Award of Excellence consecutively since 2007, and they offer high-end half bottles and magnums in addition to an extensive list of wines from around the world. As she reviews the list, Michaela identifies wines with bright acidity, lime zest, tropical fruit, minerality, with notes of saline on the almond finish; dried apricot, candied fruit, honey, and caramel, or how about a wine that features notes of plumb, fig, and ripe blackberries with notes of licorice and cola on the finish? To help you choose from this range of delicious choices, Michaela offers pairing suggestions that will help ensure the meal you choose pairs beautifully with the wine. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2020 Domaine La Sufferene Rose, France

• 2013 Felsina Vin Santo, Tuscany

• 2018 Oremus “Mandolas” Dry Furmint, Hungary

Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas take a trip to Boston’s North End to review the wine list at Bricco where guests enjoy Italian cuisine and a unique wine experience from the enoteca (wine bar) with an exceptional selection of all-Italian wines. Bricco is renowned for their great wine collection and signature cocktails all to be enjoyed in an intimate and cozy atmosphere.

Wines reviewed include:

• 2019 Super Tuscan Brancaia “Tre”, Tuscany

• 2020 Vesevo Falanghina, Campania

• 2019 Pojer y Sandri Muller Thurgau, Alto Adige

Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas review the wine list at Tresca in Boston’s North End. This restaurant wins yearly recognition from Trip Advisor’s Travelers’ Choice and Open Table’s Diners’ Choice. Their  Italian dominant wine list also features crowd-pleasing New World favorites and Michaela takes us on a tour of Italy’s wine regions as she points out stellar wines from various vineyards. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2020 Surrau Limizzani Vermentino, Sardinia

• 2019 Tenuta di Ghizzano, Tuscany

• 2016 Tenuta Sant’Antonio Amarone della Valpoicella, Veneto

Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier and Robert Tas explore the wine list at Tuscarora Mill, affectionately known as Tuskies. While the cuisine here is classic American fare, the wine list offers an extensive choice of Old World and New World favorites, organic and biodynamic selections, and several, carefully selected local wines. Michaela kicks off the review in Italy, moves over to Spain, and continues the exploration of wines from France, Portugal, and Argentina; she also identifies a few exceptional local wines from Virginia. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2020 Borgo Paglianetto Verdicchio, Marche of Italy

• 2019 Bodegas Epifanio Erial from Ribera del Duero, Spain

• 2019 Domaine Equis, Domaine des Lises from the Crozes-Hermitage