Happy Holidays!&nbsp;

In the heart of winter&#39;s grand design, 
A tale unfolds with food and wine. 
Gathered &#39;round a festive table, we dine, 
To celebrate, to laugh, to intertwine.

Bottles uncorked in merriment so fine, 
Reds and whites from the vine divine. 
Each sip a story, each taste a line, 
In this holiday symphony by candle shine.

Roasted turkey golden brown aligns 
With stuffing spiced with sage and thyme. 
Cranberries gleam like rubies mined, 
Their tartness sweetened over time.

Potatoes mashed, their buttery incline 
Rises high as snowy Alpine. 
Green beans tossed in garlic brine, 
And pies for dessert - oh how they shine!

As laughter echoes through pine and twine, 
Our hearts are warmed by this sign: 
That food and wine can realign 
The ties that bind us &ndash; yours and mine.

We raise our glasses high above 
To toast to those we dearly love. 
For moments shared under stars above 
Are blessings sent from heavens dove.

So here&rsquo;s to us; let our lives intertwine 
Over plates filled high, over sips of wine. 
Let&#39;s cherish these moments so benign; 
This feast of love is our sacred shrine.

Around this table where candles glow bright, 
We find joy in each other&rsquo;s light. 
For it&rsquo;s not just about appetite; 
It&#39;s unity that makes everything right.

Through every clink of glass resounds 
A melody that truly astounds: 
Gratitude for all life compounds - 
Love within these walls surrounds.

So here&#39;s to holidays steeped in tradition fine; 
May your days be merry, may your nights shine! 
With gratitude deep as old grapevine - 
Raise your glass...it&#39;s time to dine!

We are so grateful to our CorkRules Community. We are sending our best wishes. Enjoy the holidays, drink what you love with friends/family and please be safe. See you next year!&nbsp;

Cheeers!&nbsp;

CorkRules

&nbsp;

Happy Holidays!

Omakase is experiencing a surge in popularity, let’s dig into what it is and of course what wines to drink.



 Omakase, a term that translates to "I'll leave it up to you" in Japanese, is rapidly gaining popularity in the culinary world. This dining experience places your meal entirely in the hands of the chef, who meticulously crafts each course based on seasonal ingredients and their personal creative flair. It's not just about seafood; while sushi often features prominently due to its status as a cornerstone of Japanese cuisine, an omakase menu can include anything from Wagyu beef to seasonal vegetables.

Omakase and Wine Pairing: A Booming Gastronomic Journey

California Chardonnay: it's a name synonymous with sunshine, buttery richness, and maybe even a splash of white wine envy (looking at you, Bridget Jones). But how did this grape, originally hailing from France, become a Californian icon? Buckle up, because we're diving into the world of CA Chard, from its unexpected origins to the reasons it continues to reign supreme on wine lists.

Buckle up, because we're diving into the world of CA Chard!

Forget everything you think you know about sweet, syrupy wines. Lambrusco is a sparkling red wine from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region that’s as light and bubbly as a summer day.

Lambrusco: The Party in a Bottle You Need to Try under $25

As the days grow longer and warmer, it's time to trade in your full-bodied reds and crisp whites for a glass of refreshing rosé. This versatile wine is not only perfect for spring but also pairs beautifully with a wide variety of foods all year round.



Rosé originates from France, specifically Provence - the world’s leading rosé region. It has been produced there since 600 BC when Greeks brought vines to southern France. Unlike its red and white counterparts, rosés are made using an array of grape varietals including Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault among others.

Spring into Rosé: The Perfect Wine for Warmer Weather

We are interested in understanding your dining and wine consumption habits to gain valuable insights into the wine and restaurant industry.

State of Wine and Restaurant Survey 2024

Aligoté: Burgundy's Unsung Hero Steps Out of the Shadows

For Chardonnay lovers seeking a refreshing, value-driven alternative, Aligoté, Burgundy's "other" white grape, beckons with its crisp acidity, subtle minerality, and undeniable charm. Often overshadowed by its more illustrious neighbor, Aligoté is finally gaining recognition for its unique qualities and exceptional quality-to-price ratio.

Aligoté: Burgundy's Unsung Hero Steps Out of the Shadows

A Hungarian Legacy: Imagine yourself in Tokaj, Hungary, a region steeped in winemaking tradition. For centuries, Furmint has thrived in its volcanic soil, basking in the warm sunshine. These grapes, loved for their thick skin and high acidity, became the cornerstone of Hungary's most famous wine: Tokaji. These sweet, honeyed treasures were once enjoyed by royalty and popes!

Furmint: Hungary's Hidden Gem for Wine Lovers

Check out these four whites wines under $24, from some great producers across various terroirs – France, Italy, Spain. Spring is in the air.

Four must try white wines for under $24 from France, Spain, and Italy

Eric Asimov's recent article isn't just about the "luxury" of sommeliers vanishing from restaurants. It's a stark warning about the potential collapse of a vibrant corner of our social and cultural ecosystem: the world of wine.

Why the Decline of Sommeliers Is a Crisis for All of Us

Hanna Lauerman,  General Manager of Haley.Henry Wine Bar and Robert Tas review the wine list and talk about Pet Nat wines. 

Wine List Review of Haley.Henry Wine Bar in Boston

Robert Tas

Haley.Henry

CorkRules Script

Haley Henry

&nbsp;

RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules!

I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Hanna Lauerman General Manager of Haley Henry Wine Bar in Downtown Boston.

&nbsp;

Hi Haley, thanks for being here on CorkRules, - a podcast where we help simplify and demystify the wine lists at some of our favorite restaurants and wine bars. We talk with certified sommeliers, wine/food professionals who point out interesting bottles, classic food and wine pairings, hidden gems, value wines, or splurge wines that will take your our experience over the top.

&nbsp;

HL: Thank you so excited to be here.

&nbsp;

RT: Before we get started, please tell us a little about you?

 
HL: I&rsquo;ve worked in restaurants for about ten years. I actually used to come to Haley Henry as a guest while I was working at Yvonne&rsquo;s around the corner, and I was so impressed with how they presented these really unique natural wines and told the winemaker&rsquo;s stories in such an engaging way. Haley told me she was opening another restaurant in the Fenway and I asked if I could join the team. Four years later here I am back at HH.

&nbsp;

RT:&nbsp; Haley Henry Wine Bar has been requested by one of our listeners. Thank you, Allison. As I was checking you guys out, I loved your description:

it is a magical place, where laughs are had, plans are made, and neighbors come together to toast one another&#39;s health. It is meant to educate, to inspire &amp; to introduce new wines and experiences to whomever walks through the door.

&nbsp;

Not to mention you all curate responsibly sourced/natural/small production wine producers.

&nbsp;

So, Hanna, tell us a little about Haley Henry Wine bar.

&nbsp;

HL: So, we are super small, twenty-two seats, which makes the bar really intimate. One thing I love about Haley Henry is we have so many regulars, sometimes it starts to feel like a dinner party. We might be playing Biggie or Cardi B depending on the day. Our goal is to find the balance between bringing knowledge and expertise to every table without it feeling stuffy or boring. When you told me about the idea behind your podcast, I thought we had a lot in common!

&nbsp;

RT: Sounds fantastic, my kind of place. Let&rsquo;s pivot to your every changing wine list. As I looked at your list you have some very cool stuff. Tell us about it.

&nbsp;

HL: So, with the list we always want to have a balance of really interesting nerdy stuff and things that are approachable for folks who might be new to the world of natural wine. I think it&rsquo;s important to show that natural wine can also present in a really classic and elegant way. Someone might come in looking for a Sauvignon Blanc because that&rsquo;s what they&rsquo;re used to ordering and they see we don&rsquo;t have one. Well maybe they try the Bodegas Albamar Albarino, and they realize they also love Albarino. Or alternately maybe they decide to try something they&rsquo;ve never had before, like the Koukos Sidiritis. That&rsquo;s an orange wine from Greece, so for many people who come in it&rsquo;s a whole bunch of things they&rsquo;ve never had before, but it&rsquo;s light and floral and really approachable, so then they get to leave thinking, Wow, I like orange wine and I like Greek wine and I learned something new about myself today.

&nbsp;

RT: Very cool. I look getting exposed to new, smaller producers. Anything on your list that&rsquo;s a must try?

&nbsp;

HL: One thing I really love right now is the Forlorn Hope Abandoned Bicycle. This is from Matthew Rorick in California, Calaveras County. It&rsquo;s 100% Muscat, hand-picked and foot stomped and aged on neutral oak for a year. Then the winemaker cellared it for five years, from 2017 to 2022. He compares it to an abandoned bicycle chained to a fence that someone already stole the wheels and seat off of. It&rsquo;s less floral and aromatic than typical Muscat and more acid- and mineral-driven. They only made 47 cases so it does feel kind of extra-special to me, and I love the Forlorn Hope story.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

pause

I also have to mention the Ellison Estate Vin de Table. This is from Stowe, Vermont, and I always want to talk up these East Coast wineries that are making cool and notable stuff. This bottle is a blend of wines hybridized for Vermont, which is why they&rsquo;re calling it a table wine, but it&rsquo;s so much more than that. The winemakers, Kendra and Rob Kapnik, were mentored by Deirdre Heekin of La Garagista, which is like THE success story of natural wine in Vermont. Ellison Estate was founded in 2018 when the two of them bought an abandoned vineyard in Grand Island. Previous to winemaking, Kendra was a veterinary oncologist and Rob was a particle physicist. This wine is earthy and moody with herbal forest floor notes alongside ripe cherry. More East Coast wine!&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

RT: Awesome. How about something off the beaten path. Help push me palate?

&nbsp;

HL: Oh, for winter I am so excited to be serving the PANK pet-nat. I know it&rsquo;s not exactly pet nat season but that winemaker is all about doing things his own way. They have these very cool graphic labels that invoke a punk rock aesthetic, and the winemaker Atilla Palffy cites that as part of his inspiration. So, this is an unfined, unfiltered pet nat from Hungary, 100% pinot noir. It&rsquo;s super cloudy in the bottle and you can expect your last glass to be a totally different color from your first. Despite its appearance it&rsquo;s super crushable, strawberry, cranberry, and a softer bubble. If you order a sparkling Pinot Noir expecting Blanc de Noir Champagne, this is really going to be a surprise at the table.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

RT: Fabulous. How about if I&rsquo;m celebrating something special?

&nbsp;

HL: For winter and for the holidays I guess I have to talk about some reds! We just received a case of the L&rsquo;Incaunais from Claude and Etienne Courtois. It is 100% Gascon from the Loire Valley. Gascon is actually another name for Mondeuse and at Haley Henry we have a saying, &ldquo;Bye Mondeuse,&rdquo; as in something so delicious it&rsquo;s going to walk itself out the door. This is definitely a baller wine; the production is super limited and we were only able to get one case. Claude is the father and has never used any type of chemical pesticide, fertilizer, or herbicide in his vineyard. His son is taking over now as he is getting older. The Gascon is light-bodied but very complex with a higher acid and lots of strawberry, cranberry, slightly tart notes. I&rsquo;d recommend this to anyone who likes Pinot Noir but wants to explore something new.

&nbsp;

RT: Those are fabulous suggestions. Hanna, it has been a pleasure to talk with you about Haley Henry&rsquo;s wine bar and its fabulous wine list. I will be definitely stopping by on my next visit to Boston.

&nbsp;

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:

Info@CorkRules.com or visit our web website where we have a request form available.

&nbsp;

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 or wherever you get your podcasts.

&nbsp;

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

&nbsp;

Cheers

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&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

Drumheller is a boutique winery located in the heart of Washington's Columbia Valley. Their winemaking team is passionate about crafting wines that reflect the unique character of the region's diverse terroir.

Beloved corner eatery returns with a bar on the ground floor & New American dining upstairs.

The American Express Centurion Global Lounge Network

sommeliers

Join us each week as we pour a glass and share top restaurant ‘wine list’ picks, providing you with the knowledge to confidently navigate the ‘wine list’ through somm recommendations, suggested food pairings and masterclass insights.

Friday Saturday Sunday

Edmunds St. John

Bone-Jolly Gamay Noir 2021

Gamay

USA

Claude Branger

Le Fils des Gras Moutons Muscadet-Sevre et Maine 2019

Melon de Bourgogne

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, France

Craven

Pinot Gris 2021

Pinot Gris

Coastal Region, South Africa

Vigliano

Paolo e Lorenzo Marchionni a, Sangiovese RossoVigliano 2018

Sangiovese

Tuscany, Italy

Windsor

Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Cabernet Sauvignon

Alexander Valley, USA

Ramey

Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2021

Chardonnay

California, USA

Vocal Vineyards

Enz Vineyard 'Sabroso', Lime Kiln Valley 2019

Lime Kiln Valley, USA

Barone Pizzini

Animante Franciacorta Extra Brut NV

Miscela

Franciacorta, Italy

Gosset

Grande Reserve Brut Champagne NV

Blend

Champagne, France

Farina

Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2018

Corvina

Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Italy

Giacomo Fenocchio

Barolo 2018

Nebbiolo

Barolo, Piedmont, Italy

Giacomo Fenocchio

Barolo Castellero 2018

Nebbiolo

Barolo, Piedmont, Italy

Bruno Michel

Assemblee Brut Champagne NV

Blend

Champagne, France

Laurent-Perrier

La Cuvee Brut Champagne 1812 NV

Chardonnay

Champagne, France

Brunello Di Montalcino By Le Ragnaie Italy Tuscany 2017

Tuscany, Italy