Certified sommelier Maria Valetta explores the <a href="https://uat.corkrules.com/smith-&amp;-wollensky/episodes/6">wine list of Smith and Wollensky</a>&nbsp;on the upper east side of New York City. Top wine varietals under the spotlight include a 2020 Louis Jadot Macon Village, the PAX 2019 Gamay, the 2018 Aperture Cabernet from Sonoma showcased on their Captain&rsquo;s Pocket List Page or the 2018 Hourglass Blueline Estate Cabernet from Napa.

When it comes to defining wine, you can categorize them by region, varietal, or style, but to really get to grips with understanding the world of wine, it makes sense to go to the source. The grape.

The type of grape is known as the varietal, and whereas once upon a time the varietals were specific to a region, in contemporary vineyards, varietals are planted, crossbred, and potentially, genetically modified. Additionally, the flavors, skins, and chemical compounds of each varietal will change depending on the terroir, temperature, and weather.

There are over a thousand different varietals of wine grapes but the following eight are the most commonly known grape household names. chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, &nbsp;pinot gris, and riesling, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, zinfandel, and pinot noir.

However, beyond these eight common varietals there exists a large and adventurous world of wine varietals to explore, each with its own unique characteristics based on environment, age, and production method.

At <a href="https://www.smithandwollenskynyc.com/">Smith &amp; Wollensky</a>, prime, dry-aged steaks are the cornerstone of their menu, but if fish, lobster or oysters are on your mind, you won&rsquo;t be disappointed with the Cold Water Lobster Tails or the Scottish Salmon Waldorf. Pair the salmon with the Benton Lane Pinot Noir from the

Willamette Valley to experience how a light tannin red works well with the meaty fish. Pinot noir is a lighter-bodied wine with notes of cherry, cranberry, and rose. It&rsquo;s drier and has a higher acidity with smooth tannins. The higher acidity and tannins pairs well with oily, meaty fish dishes. The tannins help bring out flavor that is carried in the fat, and in symbiosis, the fat tempers the tannins&rsquo; astringency, which allows the other characteristics in the wine to rise on the palate.

And with the Lobster, &nbsp;try a bottle of the Louis Jadot, Macon-Villages Chardonnay

Burgundy, and see how the chardonnay&rsquo;s notes of yellow citrus, pear, green apple pairs well with the rich seafood. Chardonnay is a full-bodied white that won&rsquo;t be overpowered by the richness of the lobster. When pairing wine with food, just like every good match, it&rsquo;s all about bringing out the best in each other.

On CorkRules podcast episode five, Maria identifies a few value wines on the list that should not be missed, she points out a few outliers that are well worth trying, and she shines a light on the meaning of verticals to help demystify the world of wine.

Cheers.

At Smith & Wollensky, prime, dry-aged steaks are the cornerstone of their menu, but if fish, lobster or oysters are on your mind, you won’t be disappointed with the Cold Water Lobster Tails or the Scottish Salmon Waldorf. Pair the salmon with the Benton Lane Pinot Noir from the

Top Wine Varietals at Smith & Wollensky

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

In this special episode of CorkRules, Robert Tas interviews Allison Luvera and Lauren De Niro Pipher, the co-founders and CEOs of Juliet.

Review of Juliet, a sustainable wine company

Robert Tas

Juliet

Juliet Wine:

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where&nbsp;we typically will review a wine list from your favorite restaurants but today we are talking about an innovative new wine - Juliet Wine. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with my special guests&nbsp; co-ceo&rsquo;s Allison Luvera and Lauren De Niro Pipher.

Hello Ladies,&nbsp;I&rsquo;m so excited to have you join our CorkRules podcast.

J: Hi Robert, it&#39;s great to be here.

RT: Let&rsquo;s start by giving our listeners and quick introduction to Juliet Wine. How did you get into the wine business?

J: Give some background, share the story.

RT: Why boxed wine? It&rsquo;s got a stigma?

J: &hellip;

RT: I love the design. How / who did that come about?

J:&hellip;

RT: As I&rsquo;ve gotten into wine, I&rsquo;ve been learning about sustainability.&nbsp; I did an episode with wine critic Jane Anson about it. Let&rsquo;s talk more about that.

J: &hellip;

RT: Alright let&rsquo;s pivot to wine, can you talk about the wine itself, grapes, where do you source?

J: &hellip;

RT: I attended your pop-up the other night and I can vouch for it and say it was terrific. How are sales going? You launched a year ago?

J: &hellip;

RT: Where can people get it? What&rsquo;s your plan?

I&rsquo;m going to ask again where we can find-

J: web, discount code for listeners.

RT: Ladies, thank you so much for joining here on CorkRules and we love what you&rsquo;re doing and wish you great success.

Again listeners can find Juliet wine at their website &ndash; <a href="http://drinkjuliet.com">drinkjuliet.com</a>..

To our audience, Thank you all for Joining us here on CorkRules.

We are looking forward to being with you on another CorkRules episode soon. In the meantime, please check out our website for all our latest episodes and to download the CorkRules app for apple ios. It provides personalized wine recommendations at over 40K restaurants, allows you to order wine with confidence with price transparency, and of course, connect with your friends.

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you. We look forward to being with you on another CorkRules episode soon.

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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

Château Haut-Surget is a family-owned winery in the Lalande-de-Pomerol appellation of Bordeaux. The winery has been producing high-quality wines using traditional and sustainable winemaking practices since 1784.

Classic longtime steakhouse with a Canadian art collection & a wine cellar offering 30,000 bottles.

Eddy V's Prime Seafood Restaurant

The View

Il Capriccio

Clarity

Bellissimo Restaurant

Bellissimo

Sandbar

Mirabelle Restaurant & Tavern

Mirabelle at Three Village Inn

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

Barberian's Steak House

Joseph Phelps

Insignia 2003

Cabernet Sauvignon

California, USA

Russi

Gaja, Costa 2007

Piedmont, Italy

Marchand

Tawse Bourgogne Rouge 2016

Burgundy, France

Silver Oak

Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Cabernet Sauvignon

California, USA

Feudi di San Gregorio

Serpico 2001

Aglianico

Campania, Italy

Penley Estate

Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

Cabernet Sauvignon

Coonawarra, South Australia, Australia

Norman Hardie, Riesling, Ontario 2016

Ontario, Canada

Domaine Gardies Mas Las Cabes Blanc, IGP Cotes Catalanes 2014

Côtes Catalanes, France

Baco

Henry of Pelham, Speck Family Reserve, Noir, Ontario 2020

Ontario, Canada

Giovanni Rosso

Langhe Nebbiolo 2019

Nebbiolo

Langhe, Piedmont, Italy

Penfolds, Grange Hermitage Bin 95, South Australia 1965

South Australia, Australia

Chateau des Jacques

Clos de Loyse, Beaujolais 2017

Beaujolais, France

Rosehall Run

Chardonnay Musque 2009

Chardonnay Musque

Ontario, Canada

Los Frailes

Bilogia Monastrell - Syrah 2017

Blend

Valencia, Spain

Southbrook

Triomphe Riesling 2015

Riesling

Niagara Peninsula, Canada