Josh Ardizzoni, certified sommelier and cellar consultant, reviews the wine list of <a href="https://thegrillnewyork.com/">The Grill</a>, &nbsp;a mid-century American Steakhouse inside the iconic Seagram Building in Midtown East. It&rsquo;s expensive, glitzy, and definitely smacks of mid-20th-century fat-cat dining, but it&rsquo;s well worth dining here. Whether you are in the mood for land, sky, or sea, the menu offers a delicious array of dishes, and the extensive wine list offers an impressive selection of champagnes, an impressive Premier Cru selection, and many exciting wines from Europe and beyond.

If celebration is on your mind, and you&rsquo;re in the mood for a little decadent indulgence, The Grill offers a classy, classic New York experience.

They offer several vintages of Louis Roederer, Cristal, ranging from 1997 to 2013, Moet Chandon, Dom Perignon, and more, and you can choose a three-litre bottle, six litres, or a magnum.

Champagne engages all the senses, from the first pop of the cork to the fizz when pouring, and the light pop of the bubbles in the glass. Then there is the delicate color, aroma, and texture on the tongue. It&rsquo;s light, delightful, and a downright joyous way to kick off an evening with friends.

Identifying the delicate tasting notes of champagne is no easy task, it takes dedication, focus, and the arduous task of drinking lots and lots of different types and styles of champagne.

The tasting notes in Champagne wines are subtle but every bottle has unique characteristics that have developed over time, and of course, are derived from the grape, age, producing and bottling. All elements converge and merge and mature into their own, unique bottle with notes that can range from fruity to floral, wood or spice.

At The Grill, consider kicking off the evening with a bottle of Dom P&eacute;rignon, Lady Gaga, 2010, the floral aromas, nuttiness, toast and a tight salinity, this wine is full-bodied and dry, and wonderfully fresh.

A champagne that offers value in addition to sparkle is the Mouss&eacute; L&#39;Or d&#39;Eugene, Perpetuelle, it&rsquo;s a blend of 80% pinot meunier and 20% pinot noir. This wine has a deep and complex bouquet of golden orchard fruit, honeycomb, and candied peel. It&#39;s medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, and would complement many of the appetizers on the menu.

To learn more about the wine list at The Grill, <a href="https://uat.corkrules.com/the-grill/episodes/7">check out the CorkRules podcast</a>&nbsp;with Josh Ardizonni.

Josh, a CorkRules&rsquo; sommelier, talks about where the exciting side of where champagne is going, and he identifies those exclusive and beautifully-aged bottles as well as the extraordinary value wines on the list such as Les Beaux Regards from B&eacute;reche &amp; Fils, the 2015 Volnay-Champans from Marquis d&rsquo;Angerville, and the 1986 Ch&acirc;teau Rauzan-S&eacute;gla from Margaux.

The tasting notes in Champagne wines are subtle but every bottle has unique characteristics that have developed over time, and of course, are derived from the grape, age, producing and bottling. All elements converge and merge and mature into their own, unique bottle with notes that can range from fruity to floral, wood or spice.

Tasting Notes in Champagne at The Grill

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

Samantha Hohl, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas visit Bin 26 Enoteca, an Italian restaurant where one can find simple foods to accompany the wines served there.

Wine Review of Bin 26 Enoteca, 

Sam Hohl

Bin 26

Bin 26

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 Samantha Hohl, wine educator and certified sommelier

Hello Sam, great to have you back for another great wine list.

SH: 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.

Cork Rules 

Bin 26 Enoteca

Overview

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.

Sam, 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.

Thank you.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

BRAT

Bocca di Lupe

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Alba Restaurant

Alba

10 Greek Street

L'Auberge Chez Francois

Andrew Edmunds

Salt Seafood and Oyster Bar

Matteos Ristorante Italiano

Matteo's

Sycamore Lane is a popular wine brand that offers a range of varietals, including Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and others. The wines are known for their consistent quality and affordability.

South Point steakhouse offering beef, fish, chicken & pork entrees in a refined but relaxed setting.

Steak Frites

Alexis Percival is a New York City based CMS certified sommelier, consultant and event planner who puts the art in party.

Certified sommelier Alexis Percival

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

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