In this episode, Robert Tas, CorkRules founder, and Maria Valetta, certified sommelier, review the wine list wines of the <a href="https://www.oysterbarny.com/">Grand Central Oyster Bar</a>, a historic restaurant that originally opened in 1913 in NY&rsquo;s Grand Central Station. &nbsp;They identify the perfect oyster wine, whites from the Loire Valley, and wines from the list that will take your dining experience to the next level here.

To understand what to pair with oysters or any other meal for that matter, it&rsquo;s good to understand the basic tasting notes and how they work with certain foods. So here&rsquo;s a quick review of the most popular varietals&rsquo; tasting notes and the foods that pair well.

Chardonnay has notes of yellow citrus, pear, green apple and maybe a touch of vanilla. It&rsquo;s a medium to full-bodied white and pairs well with rich seafood, cream sauces, and soft cheeses.

Sauvignon blanc is a little more bitter and tart than chardonnay. The notes include grapefruit pith sweeter notes of honeydew melon, passion fruit, and kiwi with a little herbaceous quality. It is a light- to medium-bodied wine that pairs well with fish, chicken, pork, Mexican, Vietnamese, and goat&#39;s cheese.

Pinot gris is light-bodied with delicate citrus and white floral notes. Light and easy to drink, these wines pair well with light fare such as salad, delicate fish dishes, and light, mild cheeses.

Riesling has notes of citrus and stone fruit these wines are usually floral with sweet herbal elements. They are high in acid when dry but they can also be sweet. These wines work well with Indian, Thai, Moroccan, and German fare.

Cabernet sauvignon is a full-bodied red with bold tannins, a long finish, and also generally has a higher alcohol content. The tasting notes are black cherry, black currant, and cedar. This varietal pairs well with heavier, fattier meats such as lamb and beef, and hard cheeses like Pecorino.

Syrah is also a full-bodied red but these wines are fruitier with medium-weight tannins. Syrah is often used ot create the Rhone blend. It also pairs well with strong meat flavors of lamb or smoked meats and hard cheeses. The tasting notes are blueberry, plum, black pepper, so this wine is a little spicier and lighter than the cabernet, while still holding the weight.

Zinfandel is on the lighter side. It&rsquo;s a medium-bodied wine that&rsquo;s fruity and spicy. It pairs well with lighter meats like chicken and pork but also works well with full-flavor cheeses such as Manchego, or Tommes de Sauvignon.

The Grand Central Oyster Bar lives up to its name, but for more information on their wine list, and other tips for wine and seafood pairings check out the CorkRules <a href="https://uat.corkrules.com/oyster-bar/episodes/11">wine review podcast.</a>&nbsp;

Cheers!

&nbsp;

About the CorkRules Podcast:&nbsp;Each week we pour a glass and share top restaurant wine list picks, providing you with the knowledge to confidently navigate the wine list through sommelier recommendations, suggested food pairings and expert insights

About CorkRules:&nbsp;CorkRules, the first digital wine app experience makes it easier for you to navigate the restaurant wine list, and provides you with personalized wine recommendations from your favorite restaurants. &nbsp;CorkRules helps you find the perfect wine for every occasion based on your preferences. Connect with friends and wine experts to discover new wines to try and learn about wine. CorkRules makes it easier to discover and drink what you love. &nbsp;

To understand what to pair with oysters or any other meal for that matter, it’s good to understand the basic tasting notes and how they work with certain foods. So here’s a quick review of the most popular varietals’ tasting notes and the foods that pair well.

Pairing Wine with Oysters at the Grand Central Oyster Bar

Wines from grapes grown in higher altitude areas with cooler climate has become quite the trend recently. This specific growing environment gives intense flavor but elegance and freshness to the final wines. To highlight and champion these conditions more and more winemakers are starting to use alto as a marketing and labelling term to show their grapes were grown in high altitude vineyards.

Decoding the wine label: Alto

Brut is a word often seen on labels for different kinds of sparkling wine. As you may have discovered when drinking these wines, it indicates that the wine is dry, meaning there is no perceived sweetness in the wine. But how about Extra Brut or Dry, what do they mean and are they the same as Brut?

Decoding the wine label: Brut

Semi-sweet Riesling, a type of wine falling out of style. It’s a shame, since these wines are perfect to pair with flavorful cuisines like Asian or Mexican, or simply drink as they come under the summer sun. The higher level of sugar left in the wine also means that the alcoholic fermentation was stopped before finishing, providing a wine with lower alcohol level and therefor easier grabbing a second glass of.

Decoding the wine label: Spätlese

Have you ever heard the word Xinomavro? Most have not. It is however a word on many sommeliers’ lips today, as it happens to be considered the grape variety with the highest quality in Greece, and one that is trending at the moment. The fact that Greece have been making wine for a long time comes as no surprise, but they have never exported an amount to make sure wine lovers around the globe tried it. With the growing wine tourism many have discovered these wines and are serving them in wine bars and restaurants in many countries today.

Decoding the wine label: Xinomavro

Chianti Classico, Valpolicella Classico, Soave Classico… Why do all these Italian wine regions have the Classico addendum and what does it mean? What is the difference for wines labeled as Classico?

Classico is a wine term in Italy seen on a few wine labels and it indicates that the wine’s from the historic center of the region, the heart. Using Chianti and Chianti Classico and their Sangiovese-based red wines as an example, Chianti is a rather large wine district within the Tuscany region. Chianti Classico is located withing Chianti as the central part and the one that originally existed. Back then this smaller region was actually called Chianti, but as the region grew the quality of the wine plummeted and the well-known characteristics of these red wines were watered down. The reputation took a hit and sales diminished. Eventually this led to the creation of Chianti Classico, which would be drawn from the original Chianti borders to recover the typicity of these wines. Today the quality of both Chianti and Chianti Classico have risen a lot due to modern techniques and knowledge about pruning, planting and temperature control in the winery.

Decoding the wine label: Classico

In the rarefied world of fine wine, where bottles can command prices equivalent to luxury cars, authenticity is everything. Laurent Ponsot's gripping memoir "FBI: Fake Bottle Investigation" reads more like a high-stakes thriller than a traditional wine book, chronicling his relentless pursuit of one of the wine world's most infamous counterfeiters, Rudy Kurniawan.

From Burgundy's Vineyards to the FBI's Most Wanted: A Winemaker's Quest for Justice

Chablis – one of the more popular styles of wine today and a region known by many. Most are familiar with the word Chablis and the light, fresh white wine with a touch of minerality it brings. Even though it’s a renowned wine, few knows what it really is.

Decoding the wine label: Chablis

Many grape varieties around the world of wine have names local to the region or country they’re grown in, even though they’re exactly the same. The most famous example would be Syrah in France where the same grape is named Shiraz in Australia. Another variety with two names is Pinot Grigio, or Pinot Gris.

Decoding the wine label: Pinot Grigio

Have you ever seen the term sur lie on a wine label? It’s not a grape and not a wine region, but a winemaking method used to give certain styles of white wine a rounder texture and a more complex flavor profile.

Decoding the wine label: Sur lie

Royal 35 Steakhouse

Grace Hood

Royal 35 Steakhouse

RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where, in each episode,&nbsp;we will review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier. Hello Grace,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to have you!

GH: Hey Robert! Happy to be here as always

RT: Right on Grace! Before we jump in, let&rsquo;s talk about CorkRules.

We created CorkRules to demystify wine list&rsquo;s because we know from experience, that sometimes when we get that list handed to us, well&hellip; 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:&nbsp;So, sit back and listen as we review your favorite wine list. Alright, Grace today we will be talking the New York City steakhouse Royal 35. What are your initial thoughts, Grace?

GH: Well, we&rsquo;re talking steak, so we&rsquo;re definitely talking big tannic red wines, and there is no shortage of them on the Royal 35 list!

RT: Big flavors equals big wines! So, what would you kick us off with?

GH: Since Royal 35 has a nice raw bar selection, I would start either with a vintage champagne - my pick would be the 2007 Belle Epoque from Perrier-Jouet. And when you move into the salad and soup course, you could do 2012 Chassagne-Montrachet from Joseph Drouhin, who is a legendary Burgundy producer that is now also making wine in the Willamette Valley with their Domaine Drouhin Oregon project. I drink literally anything the Drouhin family makes. Absolutely delish.

RT: Yummm I love it. What are your picks for reds since we are at a steak house?

GH: So one wine that caught my eye was the 2011 Crocus Grand Vin Malbec By Paul Hobbs from Cahors which is a wine region in France about 100 miles southwest of Bordeaux, famous for its Malbec production. When people think of Malbec, they usually go straight to Argentina to the Mendoza region which arguably produces the most famous Malbecs in the world. However, just like all those other European varietals that are now produced in the Americas, Malbec is a French varietal with a rich history in the country. And the reason I chose this Malbec specifically is b/c it&rsquo;s made by legendary American winemaker Paul Hobbs who got his start in the Napa but now consults for vineyards all over the world.

RT: Amazing - I love how international a community wine can be.

MV: Totally - another wine that caught my eye was the 2012 Heitz, Trailside Vineyard, Napa cabernet. Heitz is a legendary producer in Napa and since this 2012 has a good 10 years of age on it, its softer tannins would be an amazing complement to the steaks on the menu.

RT: Well-aged wine for well-aged steak - makes total sense! Now Grace what is your pick for a value wine and then a special occasion wine?

MV: For value for steak, I&rsquo;m going with the 2014 J. Mcclelland Cellars, Petit Verdot from Napa. Petite Verdot is one of those smaller production varietals that you usually see in blended reds. However, on its own, it is a great alternative to the cabernet if you&rsquo;re looking for a structured bold red. And for a high ticket wine - gotta for with a classic California Cab - 2014 opus one.

RT: Amazing! Thank you so much Grace for helping us navigate the Royal 35 wine list. To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.&nbsp; If you would like us to review one of your favorite restaurants, please send us email to: <a href="mailto:Info@corkrules.com">Info@corkrules.com</a> 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. Follow us on social media @corkrules and @wineswithgrace

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

&nbsp;

Thank you.

&nbsp;

End

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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CorkRules application allows you to discover wines at your favorite restaurants, learn with friends and be confident with price transparency. Order wine with confidence at restaurants and retailers. Get personalized recommendations. #DrinkWhatYouLove

Dawson's

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Catie's Corner Vineyard Benandants Malvasia 2018

Malvasia Bianca Lunga

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Swanson

Pinot Grigio 2019

Pinot Gris

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Pahlmeyer

Red, Napa Valley 2018

California, USA

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Cabernet Sauvignon NV

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Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

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ARCADIA Chardonnay NV

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Château d'Esclans

Whispering Angel Rose NV

Grenache

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Duckhorn

Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc NV

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Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon NV

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Duckhorn

North Coast Sauvignon Blanc 2021

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Ca' Momi, Chardonnay, Napa Valley NV

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Melville, Vernas Syrah, Santa Barbara County 2018

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Chardonnay Hillview Vineyard 2020

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