With the exception of sommeliers and vintners, for most of us who love wine, no matter how many bottles you drink in your lifetime, and no matter how delicious, you rarely think of the terroir, the grape, or the growing process as you drink it.

That&rsquo;s all about to change. Listening to Chris Phelps talk about his first foray into making wine makes you appreciate his deep knowledge and consideration for the grape and the land.

In Episode 283 of CorkRules, Robert Tas talks to Chris about his background in wine, how his son encouraged him to start making wine, and origin story of&nbsp; <a href="https://www.advivumcellars.com/">Ad Vivum,</a> but throughout this interesting conversation, one thing is clear: Chris has an immense passion for the land, the grape, and, of course, the alchemy that happens when you bring the grape through fruition, fermentation, and finally wine.

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Wine for Body, Mind and Soul

Like so many passionate vintner&rsquo;s Chris&rsquo; path into the vineyard was shaped by fate. Originally enrolled in pre-med at Davis University, he spent a summer firefighting where he encouraged a friend, a passionate wine geek, to join him at Davis where they ran a viticulture/enology program. The tables turned when the friend later encouraged Chris to jump from medicine to wine.

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Fast forward a few years of studying and working in France and at various vineyards, including a wine ch&acirc;teau within the village of Puisseguin-Saint-&Eacute;milion in Bordeaux, and Chris is now a consultant for wineries, including Inglenook in Napa Valley, and Grounded Wine Company.

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For Chris, the joy of selecting a varietal that produces exceptional and original fruit is just the beginning. He talks passionately about finding those unique grapes, picking them at the right time, not an hour later or earlier, and how the moment of tasting the raw, as yet unfermented fruit, a few days after cold soaking, reveals the aromatics and top notes.

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Today, Chris produces small productions of select wines, usually just several hundred cases each year. The wines are selectively and directly distributed locally at wine shops and restaurants. He is the winemaker, and his son runs the business side of sales and promotion. The father-son team also run Coil Wines where they produce a Mendocino County Pinot Noir and a rare old-vine Napa Valley Chenin Blanc.

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Chris believes the secret to good wine lies in the love of the land. He spends time in the vines, getting to know them, watching how they grow so he knows when they should be harvested. Timing is key when picking grapes, the sugar content and ripe factor play a major role in the final product. And of course, good vintners know that the vitality of the terroir is, well, vital for the health, growth, and taste of the grape. He pays attention to which grapes do well in which area of the land. He takes note of the sun, water, wind, and minerals in the soil all of which play a role in the magical science that turns vine into wine.

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However, Chris also believes that wine is about more than selective wine tasting and the snobbery that may be encountered within the industry. Wine is about life, and his philosophy rings true with many wine lovers across the globe for whom the love of the juice reaches far beyond tasting notes: it&rsquo;s about sharing and pairing; it&rsquo;s about long conversations and enjoying an evening of&nbsp; convivial company.

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As Chris so eloquently states, &ldquo;Ad Vivum was the first single-vineyard wine to emerge from a unique name: Ad infers movement toward a goal with intention. Vivum is the synthesis of two Latin words &mdash; vivere (to live) and vinum (wine). Ad Vivum, is, therefore, where wine and life meet.&rdquo;

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Cheers to that, Chris, and may your wine glass be always half full.

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With the exception of sommeliers and vintners, for most of us who love wine, no matter how many bottles you drink in your lifetime, and no matter how delicious, you rarely think of the terroir, the grape, or the growing process as you drink it.

Chris Phelps on Wine and Life

Certified sommelier and CorkRules’ resident Somm, Michaela Quinlan shares her expertise on the wine list of il Buco. il Buco’s wine cellar holds a selection of over 400 wines and includes an exciting range of lesser-known, artisan wines from Europe. This restaurant has been called "one of the best and most exciting in America" by Gourmet magazine and the wine list has won Wine Spectator’s "Award of Excellence" several times.

Artisan Wines at Il Buco

Orange wine is made from white grapes, but the skin stays in contact with the juice longer during the maceration period, which increases the tannins and turns the normally white wine a more golden hue. The longer the contact,  the darker the hue, which increases the tannins and a stronger intensity. Pinot gris and malvasia are two common grape varieties used to make orange wine, but if you dig a little deeper, explore a little further, you can find some delightful orange wines along the border between northeastern Italy and Slovenia where orange wines are madefrom indigenous grapes on the region, including sauvignon vert (friulano), ribolla gialla, and pinot grigio.

Pairing Orange Wines at Pasquale Jones

The Lobster Club in the Seagram Building, New York City is a Japanese Brasserie that is renowned for its unique interpretation of Japanese cooking and Sushi, and what’s even more exciting is that it has an extensive wine list.

Fine Wines at The Lobster Club

Unless you are born into a vineyard, grow up in wine country, a career in wine is not a go-to profession for most graduates. But for some people, their love of wine and career path are intertwined. This is how it was for Jane Lopes, sommelier, co-founder of Legend Imports, and author of Vignette: Stories of Life and Wine in 100 Bottles.

Stories of Wine & Life with Jane Lopes, Sommelier, Author and Co-Founder of Legend Imports

CorkRules has been presented with the BMMA ‘Best New Mobile App” Platinum award, the highest award achievement in category.

CorkRules Wins the 2023 BMMA Platinum Award for "Best New Mobile App"

Pairing wine with Asian food is a common dilemma. Just what should you order with the Spicy Yellowtail Yu Sheng or the Mongolian Lamb Chops? How do we make palatable choices that cross cultures and bring out the best in each location’s use of herbs and spices?

Pairing Wine with Asian Food at Buddakan

Felice is an Italian restaurant located on Manhattan’s upper east side. Owner Jacopo Giustiniani opened this establishment in 2007 and it has been a popular spot where diners can experience authentic Tuscan cuisine while sampling Italian wine from the extensive Italian-focused wine list. Italy has 20 wine regions each with unique characteristics in climate and terroir, and this list is inspired by the spirit of the Italian countryside and the wines of Jacopo’s family’s vineyard.

Italian Wine Regions Explored at Felice

The San Francisco Giants have upped their wine game by offering a curated selection of wine for fans at games. In fact, serving wine at Giants’ games is so popular with fans that, in 2022 they hired their own Master Sommelier, Evan Goldstein. The goal is to enhance the gameday experience and we at CorkRules wholly agree.

San Francisco Giants' Master Sommelier, Evan Goldstein is Upping the Wine Game

Samantha Hohl, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas explore the wine list at Little Donkey, a global tapas restaurant by James Beard Award-Winning Chefs.

Wine List Review of Little Donkey, Massachusetts

Sam Hohl

Little Donkey

Little Donkey

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 Samantha Hohl, certified sommelier.

Hello Sam,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to be back together for another episode.

SH: Hi Robert!

RT: Before we jump in, let&rsquo;s talk about CorkRules.

We created CorkRules to demystify wine lists 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.

Cork Rules

Little Donkey

Overview

Little Donkey is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and they&rsquo;re offering up internationally inspired small plates and tapas. The owners are James Beard Award-winning chefs who provide a variety of unique flavor combinations- and of course there&rsquo;s great cocktails and wine to go along with them.

Sam, I can&rsquo;t wait to hear what you think of their wine list.

Where to start

Much like their food, their wine list is also globally inspired and unique! The list is straightforward to navigate, sectioned into types- like bubbles, white and red, but there are definitely some really cool finds on here that might not be familiar! To start, there were a few interesting blends that caught my eye and would be a fun way to kick off the evening.

The 2021 Summer Nat by Borachio would be a really lovely bottle to start with. Borachio is a natural winery in the Adelaide Hills of Australia. They produce mostly field blends, which are blends where the grapes have grown in the same vineyard, are picked together and then co-fermented, as opposed to wines that are blended after fermentation. Summer Nat is a Pet Nat (short for Pettilant Naturel, meaning naturally sparkling). It&rsquo;s a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc, which is unusual and results in this grapefruity fizz with notes of refreshing watermelon. This zippy pet nat would be so good alongside the salmon and tuna belly tartar!

If you&rsquo;re feeling something red and playful, try the 2020 &lsquo;Petal&rsquo; by Sonshine Vins. Not too clobbering and super drinkable, this would pair well with so many of the starters or small plates. Lisanne van Son is the winemaker behind Sonshine Vins. She is from the Netherlands and after years of working in restaurants as a&nbsp; sommelier she decided to follow her dream of making wine and moved to France&rsquo;s Loire Valley. She sources grapes from vineyards that practice organic or biodynamically which she explains can be difficult due to the effects of climate change on the vineyards. She then makes bottles that are vibrant and let the grapes truly shine. This bottle is mostly composed of Grolleau gris and Muscat Roug- another blend that&rsquo;s going to give you a unique glass. This bottle is a light red with delicate tannins, some beautiful floral notes and juicy red fruit. With its lighter body and tannins but fruity profile, it would be awesome with the pork sticky ribs.

Value Bottle

The 2021 Meinklang Burgenland White is a great value bottle on this list. Meinklang is a family-run farm that&rsquo;s located in the heart of a national park in Pamhagen, Austria. The three brothers who own it each focus on a specific part of the farm, the vines, the animals and plants, and the winemaking. They practice biodynamically and each part of their farm plays into how the other thrives. They pride themselves in taking equal care of their animals and land, as well as anything produced from it. Their wines are created with this integrity and straightforwardness that really does tell the story of their farm. This bottle is primarily Gruner Veltliner blended with some welschriesling and muskat. It&rsquo;s going to be super fresh and bright, great acidity, with notes of green apple and lime. This zingy white wine is going to help cut through things that are creamy or fried, so it would be a great start with the shrimp and pork wontons or the burrata with golden beats.

Celebratory

If you&rsquo;re up for something special, the 2016 COS &ldquo;Cerasuolo di Vittoria&quot; would definitely make your night. This Sicilian red blend of Nero d&rsquo; Avola and Frappato is balanced and structured, serious enough to celebrate with but rounded and juicy, making it a real joy to sip on. COS winery is owned by three friends who are committed to representing their familial lands through their wines. The blend of these two grapes make a great partnership- with the Nero d&rsquo;Avola offering dark fruit notes and the Frappato bringing those raspberry and red cherry tones. The Frappato is also aged in stainless steel tanks while the Nero d&rsquo;Avola is aged in oak so you have this added complexity of those vanilla notes from the oak and bright freshness maintained from tank aging. It would be wonderful with the Manti, which is Istanbul Meat Ravioli, with red pepper butter to compliment those bold fruit flavors and zingy acidity.

RT: Sam Thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Little Donkey&rsquo;s wine list. I can&rsquo;t wait to go try them myself.&nbsp;

To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.

If you would like Sam 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.&nbsp;

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

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End

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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.

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