Unless you are born into a vineyard, grow up in wine country,&nbsp;a career in wine is not&nbsp;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 <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-lopes-b67743a8/">Jane Lopes</a>, sommelier, co-founder of Legend Imports, and author of&nbsp; <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Vignette-Stories-Life-Wine-Bottles/dp/1743795327">Vignette: Stories of Life and Wine in 100 Bottles. </a>

Jane graduated from the University of Chicago with a B.A. in English Language and Literature/Letters. Post-graduation, she worked in the hospitality industry, as so many students do before they find their path in life. It was as a server/bartender that Jane&rsquo;s formal education in the wine industry began. &nbsp;She worked at renowned restaurants including Eleven Madison Park in New York, The Violet Hour in Chicago, and The Catbird Seat in Nashville; her education at these establishments was intensive and hands-on, and by immersing herself in the world of wine, she fast-tracked her way towards accreditation as one of the world&rsquo;s few Master Sommeliers.

&nbsp;

In 2018, Jane was a candidate for the Master Sommelier, the most prestigious of accreditations in wine. To give you an idea of how difficult it is to achieve this standard, there are only 262 Master Sommeliers in the world, and candidates must pass four exams offered through the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMSA).

&nbsp;

Although Jane passed the exam, one of only 34 women to pass it; unfortunately, for all candidates sitting the 2018 exam, their results were nullified due to a previous candidate sharing information about the wines selected for the tasting exam. It seems rather unfair; however, it didn&rsquo;t stop Jane from pursuing her career in wine and proving her vast knowledge on the subject by publishing her book.

Vignette is a book for people who love wine without the pretension that often surrounds the wine industry. It is thoughtfully arranged and offers clarity on varietals, tasting notes, and a list of 100 bottles that represent wine regions from around the globe, and most importantly for the majority of wine lovers, Jane has added an appendix of affordable wines for the wine lover who wants a delicious bottle that meets the budget.

Jane&rsquo;s book is both informative and highly entertaining read as it documents her life&rsquo;s journey in wine, beginning with the earliest introduction to wine: a cheap, Californian chardonnay her parent&rsquo;s drank.

&nbsp;

Jane has recently completed a second book, How to Drink Australian, which will be published in September 2023. This book is inspired by the company she runs with her husband, <a href="https://legendaustralia.com/jane-jon/">Legend Australian Wine Imports</a>, a socially-focused wine importer. Jane and her husband founded this company with the goal of bringing the best of Australian wines to the U.S.

&nbsp;

Listen to Jane&rsquo;s story on <a href="https://corkrules.com/vignette:-stories-of-life-and-wine-in-100-bottles/episodes/384">Episode 268 of CorkRules</a> where she offers suggestions on wine and shares a little of her life&rsquo;s journey in the industry.

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

Love me some Paso! Located in the heart of California's Central Coast wine region, Paso Robles is a hidden gem for wine enthusiasts and food lovers alike. With its diverse array of wineries and charming tasting rooms, this scenic destination offers an unforgettable experience for visitors.

Come discover Paso Robles hidden gems for Wine and Food Enthusiasts

A lot of things go into the price tag of a wine and not all of them relate to quality.

Shopping for Value and How to Find It

The most important things to consider while aging wine is temperature and angle. So, please, no storing wine vertically on top of the fridge in the hot sun!

How to Age Wine

Grant Wood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas visit the famed Miller & Lux modern American steakhouse. in San Francisco

Wine List Review of Miller & Lux in San Francisco

Grant Wood

Muller & Lux

Miller and Lux

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 Grant Wood, wine educator &amp; certified sommelier.

Hello Grant,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to be back together for another episode.

GW: 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.

&nbsp;

Miller &amp; Lux SF

A new Tyler Florence modern American steakhouse at the Chase Center, home to the Golden State Warriors aims to be a refined and comfortable restaurant with a nod to two immigrants, Henry Miller and Charles Lux who started a butcher shop in the 1850s.

Here we have a great list of cocktails and wine to go with a mouthwatering menu of classics that are sure to impress. I would start with their featured cocktails named after the Miller &amp; Lux. The Miller&rsquo;s Manhattan features Michter&rsquo;s US*1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon which is a favorite of mine, or you could go with the Lux Martini which I would get with Farmer&rsquo;s Botanical Organic gin.

They have a great BTG selection as well so let&rsquo;s start our wine journey there. For bubbles, I would order the Raventos I Blanc &lsquo;De Nit&rsquo; from Conca del rio Anoia in Catalunia which is a favorite Spaninsh bubbly that I get all the time. A great white to go with their raw bar is the 2020 Pazo Se&ntilde;orans Albarino from Rias Baixas which is fresh, briny, and has great orchard citrus. A red that hits home close to me is the 2021 Bedrock Wine Co. Bedrock Vineyard Heritage from Sonoma coming from 1888 planted Zinfandel interplanted with 27 other varieties that was originally founded by General Joseph Hooker in the 1850s around the same time Muller &amp; Lux started their butcher.

Now on to the bottle list, let&rsquo;s start with bubbles. If you&rsquo;re celebrating or just wanting a great bottle of bubbles then I would go for the Marc Hebrart &lsquo;Noces de Craie&rsquo; BdN A&yuml; grand cru which is rich, toasty, and tick all the right boxes. Otherwise, Delamotte brut rose is another great wine from Champagne that will hit just as good for a bit less.&nbsp;

Going to whites, I love the SB from Crocker &amp; Starr in Napa Valley. I think it is one of the better SB&rsquo;s from Napa and is really well balanced and priced well for their list. Another fun white from France is the 2018 Ch. Soucherie &lsquo;Clos de Perrierres from Savennieres which is beautiful Chenin Blanc with great roundness and tension. But, if you just want a nice Chardonnay then I&rsquo;d try the 2019 Peter Michael &lsquo;La Carriere&rsquo; from Knights Valley which is classic, round, and rich.

Moving on to reds, for something domestic and sought after, I would try the 2018 Cirq PN from the Russian River. I&rsquo;ve met their winemaker who is super talented and down to earth, and his wines are fantastic. Otherwise, something a little lighter on the budget but always super food friendly is the 2019 Brovia Barbera d&rsquo;Alba &lsquo;Ciabot del Fi&rsquo; from Piedmont. I love Barbera when it&rsquo;s young because it&rsquo;s just so effortless and great with food.

Since we&rsquo;re talking steakhouse here, and Robert, I know you like the bog reds. Let&rsquo;s talk about a cab to go with your slab. I would suggest for you the 2013 Larkmead Napa Valley Cabernet which is a perfect steakhouse Cabernet with a little bit of age but plenty of power and body to stand up to those fatty cuts of meat. For $100 less, the 2018 Paradigm Oakville Cabernet would also do the job just as well. If you really want to ball out and impress friends or a client then go for the 2019 Continuum Cabernet from the Sage Mtn Vineyard which is a beautiful expression of Tim Mondavi&rsquo;s efforts to be an American First Growth.

That&rsquo;s going to do it for me today, so I hope you&rsquo;re ready for a Cab and a slab!

Cheers!

&nbsp;

RT: Grant Thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Miller &amp; Lux&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 Grant 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 all our episodes of your favorite restaurant wine lists and of course please download the CorkRules app to help you navigate all your favorite restaurants.

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

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End

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