In episode three of the CorkRules podcast, certified sommelier Grace Hood shares her expertise on how sommeliers create and organize a great wine list and provides a brief overview of how to pair wines. She also reviews the wine list of <a href="https://www.qualitymeatsnyc.com/">Quality Meat Steakhouse</a>, a restaurant renowned for serving the finest steaks and cuts of meat in NYC.

If you are looking for a robust cabernet sauvignon to pair well with the Bone-In Dry-Aged Prime Sirloin, consider the reasonably-priced Post &amp; Beam by Far Niente, 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley. It is the heavy presence of tannins in cabernet sauvignon that make it such an excellent match with a rare cut. The effect of tannins is in the texture, not the taste. Just as a strong cup of tea heavy with tannins makes the mouth feel dry, a heavy tannin wine is best to cut through fat.

At Quality Meat Steakhouse, the 15-page wine list provides a wide variety of types, styles, and vintages of wine with a vast array of tasting notes and subtle differences.

With so many choices, how do you make a wise, and informed choice of wine to pair with your food. It can take years to understand which wines pair well with what foods. Luckily, that&rsquo;s where a certified sommelier can help you. This is their area of expertise and experience, so why not take advantage of it and ask for their advice? For instance, if choosing the Fresh Cracked Lobster the Caposaldo, Pinot Grigio, Veneto, 2020 would be a wise choice. Dry white wines generally work better with shellfish because the shellfish is slightly sweet and mild, a crisp dry white helps accentuate the flavors without adding to the sweetness, much like a twist of lemon adds just a nice amount of acidity to help balance the fats and sugars.

If you don&rsquo;t have a sommelier by your side, these simple rules on pairing wine with food will help you decide what to choose.

<ul>
	<li>When it comes to acidity, the wine should be more acidic than the food.</li>
	<li>Likewise, the wine should be sweeter than the food.</li>
	<li>Choose wine and food that are comparable in flavor.</li>
	<li>Bold, tannin-heavy red wines pair best with heavier, red meats</li>
	<li>Crisp, dry white wines pair best with light-intensity meats</li>
	<li>Bitter wines, tannin-rich wines are best balanced with fat.</li>
	<li>When eating sauce-rich foods, pair the wine to the sauce, not the meat</li>
</ul>

If you want to hear more about the wine list at Quality Meat Steakhouse, check out the CorkRules <a href="https://corkrules.com/episodes">wine review podcast </a>where Grace identifies the notable wines from Bordeaux, points out the best-value wines on the list, and shares a little knowledge on the wine and moonshine history in the States.

Cheers.

In episode three of the CorkRules podcast, certified sommelier Grace Hood shares her expertise on how sommeliers create and organize a great wine list and provides a brief overview of how to pair wines.

Quick Tips on Pairing Wine at Quality Meat Steakhouse

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

Bin 26 Enoteca

Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas explore the wine list at Bin 26 Enoteca, a restaurant that proudly states they serve great food with their wine.

Wine List Review of Bin 26 Enoteca, Boston

Michaela Quinlan

Bin 26 Enoteca

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!

A podcast where we review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier.

Hello Michaela, great to have you back for another great wine list.

MQ: Hello Robert!

RT: 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 wine lists can be intimating, 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.

Bin 26 Enoteca is in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston and is versatile in the experiences they provide. They encourage you to come enjoy small dishes while savoring wine, or join them for a full food and wine pairing experience.

Bin 26 has an extensive by-the-glass list, along with over 200 bottles to choose from. Wine is definitely at the heart of the design here, so this list has some favorites along with some surprises too.

Standouts

Bin 26 has a pretty extensive riesling section, which at first might seem confusing with their Italian-inspired dishes. But if you haven&rsquo;t had riesling with Italian food, today is the day. Riesling actually compliments so many different cuisines and can go alongside foods with spice, acidity, and herbs. So don&rsquo;t be put off, it&rsquo;s actually super fun to play with! Now the options here really range, most notably in the sweet factor. Although, sometimes the designation of the type of riesling, like the Spatlese for instance, includes wines that can also be made in dry or sweet styles. Out of these many choices, the 2020 Neuenberg Riesling Grand Cru from Peter Lauer caught my eye. Weingut Peter Lauer is a well known German wine producer in Mosel who specialize in dry and off-dry rieslings. They take the tradition and history of the winemaking to heart, and really pride themselves on caring for their land. They farm organically and don&rsquo;t intervene on the winemaking process with unnecessary additives or manipulation of the wine. The grapes grew with sunny, cool mornings and warmer afternoons, and often with fog. This is a hugely mineral-driven wine with deep fruit flavors because of all that sunshine they get, but still a dry wine. Try this with the Pappardelle with Ground Sausage, Walnuts, and Truffle Cream.

Value

Now let&rsquo;s say you&rsquo;re looking for a wine to have with a few dishes that is going to be a little more affordable, and not very common. I&rsquo;d love to start with the 2020 Weingut Beurer Schwabischer LandweinTrocken. This is a German Rose that&rsquo;s made by a former BMX champion now promoting natural wine and a hardcore advocate for his land and beyond. Beurer&rsquo;s wines come from Swabia, a region in southern Germany that isn&rsquo;t part of the old-school winemaking crew. Beurer is committed to making natural and biodynamic wines, honoring the land and the final product. He prides himself on these natural wines and encourages you to taste the &ldquo;anti-authoritarian viticulture.&rdquo; This Rose is bursting with jammy notes of raspberry, tart cranberry and subtle orange zest. It&rsquo;s going to be delicious to sip on, maybe have it with the Saffron and fontina Arancini to start the night off right.

Another great option if you&rsquo;re looking for something red would be the 2020 Bernard Baudry Les Granges. This is a Cabernet Franc from Chinon in the Loire region of France. This is going to be a lighter bodied, super easy drinking wine that still plays nice with food. It&rsquo;s going to be zippy with red fruit flavors and juicy berry tones. The tannins are going to be nice and soft so it&rsquo;s not going to clobber your palate. Those of you who maybe don&rsquo;t usually love a Cab Franc&rsquo;s distinctive earthy or peppery tones might be intrigued by this particular bottle. Try it with the Chicken Saltimbocca made with Goat Cheese and Prosciutto.

Celebratory 

Now, if you need a bottle that&rsquo;s going to join you in your celebration, try the 2003 Chateau Montrose, St. Estephe. Chateau Montrose is a highly regarded wine estate in Bordeaux&rsquo;s northern Medoc region. Chateau Montrose is classified as Second Growth on the 1855 Classification of Bordeaux wines, which is a classification of the 60 highest rated Bordeaux wines. They are known to be one of the best estates at the Second Growth level.&nbsp; This Bordeaux is going to be luscious and ripe. It&rsquo;s got a medium body with lots of blackberry and blueberry. It also has these big tannins that have been rounded out by the aging. It&rsquo;s also got these earthy, woody, tobacco notes to it as well. There&rsquo;s a lot to unpack and experience as this wine unfolds. It would be wonderful with the herb marinated hanger steak or enjoy it alongside a meat and cheese plate to start or end the evening.

Michaela, thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Bin 26&rsquo;s wine list. I can&rsquo;t wait to go try your great suggestions.&nbsp; &nbsp;

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.

&nbsp;

Thank you.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

BRAT

Bocca di Lupe

Gap Weekend: A Film Shoot in Wine Country

Alba Restaurant

Alba

10 Greek Street

L'Auberge Chez Francois

Andrew Edmunds

Salt Seafood and Oyster Bar

Matteos Ristorante Italiano

Matteo's

MWC is a family-owned winery located in the heart of Australia's wine country. We are dedicated to producing exceptional wines that reflect the unique terroir of our vineyards.

Festive eatery offering American cooking including seafood, salads & fried fare.

Cafe Champagne

The Metropolitan Grill

Ray’s Boathouse

Ray's Boathouse

Purple Café and Wine Bar

Purple Cafe & Wine Bar

Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar

Seastar

The Butcher's Table

Sofreh

Have & Meyer

Don Angie

Ruffian

homepage

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

Art's Table

Benvolio

Pinot Grigio 2018

Pinot Gris

Friuli Grave, Italy

Vini La Quercia

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2018

Montepulciano

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Italy

Cantine di Castignano

Montemisio Offida Pecorino 2018

Pecorino

Italy

Opolo

Viognier 2018

Viognier

Central Coast, California, USA

Field Recordings

Freddo 2018

Sangiovese

Paso Robles, USA

Black Cabra

Malbec 2017

Malbec

Mendoza, Argentina

Field Recordings

Morro View Albarino 2018

Albarino

Central Coast, USA

Tercero

White Hawk Vineyard Syrah 2012

Shiraz/Syrah

Santa Barbara County, USA

Cliff Lede

Sauvignon Blanc 2018

Sauvignon Blanc

California, USA

Pull

Red Blend NV

Paso Robles, USA

Pahlmeyer

Napa Valley Chardonnay 2017

Chardonnay

California, USA

Marqués de Cáceres

Rioja Gran Reserva 2014

Tempranillo

Rioja, Spain

David

Hill Pinot Noir, USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley 2014

Pinot Noir

Oregon, USA

Domaine Fournier Père et Fils

Sancerre Blanc 'Les Belles Vignes' 2016 2016

Sauvignon Blanc

Sancerre, France