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

Aretsky’s Patroon

Grace Hood, certified sommelier and wine educator, and Robert Tas visit the American-fusion restaurant Patroon, New York City

Wine List Review of Patroon, New York City

Grace Hood

Patroon

Patroon

Robert Tas&nbsp;

Hello, and welcome to CorkRules podcast where we will review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I&#39;m your host, Robert Tas, along with Grace hood, wine educator, and certified sommelier. Hello, Grace. It&#39;s great to have you back for another great wine list.

Grace Hood&nbsp;

Hey, Robert, happy to be here.

Robert Tas&nbsp;&nbsp;

So before we jump in, let&#39;s talk CorkRules. We created CorkRules to demystify wine lists, because we know from experience that sometimes when we get that list handed to us, well, it can be intimidating 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 to take your dining experience over the top. So sit back and listen as we review your favorite wine list. So great. Today, we&#39;re chatting about Patroon This is a classic New York establishment. Super excited to hear what your initial thoughts are about their list. Yeah, so

Grace Hood Tthey have a nice list. It&#39;s a good international mix. Definitely, a lot of French which you know, I never hate.

Robert Tas:&nbsp;Yeah, you and your French wine obsession. I love it. So, Grace, where are you going to kick us off?

Grace Hood&nbsp;&nbsp;

Well, you know, you can&#39;t go wrong with sparkling. And a really interesting one I saw on the list is a California sparkling from Cruz, which is a small producer from Petaluma. This is what we would qualify as a natural wine, in that the fermentation process occurs from the wild yeast, which just refers to the natural spores that are already on the grapes and the leaves in the vineyard as opposed to using a man-made yeast or a chemically produced yeast. This is the most old-school way of mind making the winemaker would take a few great clippings about a week before they&#39;re going to harvest the acreage. And in the lab, they&#39;ll mash up the grapes and leave them in an air-locked container to start growing healthy bacteria from the natural yeasts. And that will be added to the fermentation tank when they harvest and start processing the rest of the grapes is basically the same thing you would do if you were making a sourdough bread or a kombucha.

&nbsp;

Robert Tas&nbsp; 01:59

Wow, that&#39;s awesome. Wine science lessons with Grace here. I love it. Now, I gotta believe they have some great whites. What caught your eye there?

Grace Hood&nbsp;&nbsp;

Yeah, so since the cuisine Patroon is kind of American fine dining fusion. We have a lot we can play with when it comes to flavors. If we wanted to go with a lighter style white, I would actually recommend an Australian riesling from the Vinta Looper vineyard in the Clare Valley. Australia is such an underrated country for wines. Sometimes the southern hemisphere gets forgotten because it&#39;s so far away from us here in America. But don&#39;t sleep on the southern hemisphere. Australia has a lovely temperate climate and makes it has very talented winemakers

Robert Tas&nbsp;&nbsp;

I can&#39;t believe you think Australia wines are underrated, but you&#39;re probably right. We all need to do some more Australian wine exploration including myself.

Grace Hood&nbsp;&nbsp;

Yeah, well, you know, I&#39;m here to help anytime, Robert,

Robert Tas&nbsp;&nbsp;

I do I know you&#39;re going to take good care of me.

Grace Hood&nbsp;&nbsp;

And speaking of taking good care if we&#39;re looking for a richer, deeper white, I&#39;m going to recommend the Coupe Busan from the central coast of California. I absolutely love this vineyard and have been drinking their juice for almost my entire wine career. Ruth odd is a traditional white Rhone varietals and really enjoys the heat and arid climates. That&#39;s why it&#39;s grows so well in the rocky soils and sunshine near Santa Barbara.

Robert Tas&nbsp;&nbsp;

That sounds nice. So, what are you thinking of for our red friends?

Grace Hood&nbsp;&nbsp;

Yeah, if we&#39;re thinking of a lighter style red, I would go with the gamay noir who are from Barsotti vineyard in the Sierra foothills of California. This one really caught my eye because you don&#39;t often see gamma noir in the American wine market. So, if a place like Patroon is putting it on their menu, then you know it must be something special. And then if you want it to go with a little bit of a heavier read, we&#39;re going to head north to Washington and I would grab the 2013 Hedges family red blend, I actually worked the 2021 wine harvest in Washington, and I have a really, really soft spot for their luscious delicious reds.

Robert Tas&nbsp; 04:05

Yum. I bet those are drinking fabulously right now. So, what about some unique wines that might be off the beaten path and maybe something special.

Grace Hood&nbsp;&nbsp;

Yeah, so if we&#39;re thinking about some more wallet-friendly wines for a white, I&#39;m going to go with the Italian white from La minana. It&#39;s from Alto Aldige and then for a more high value and kind of a special white I would choose the 2016 Domaine Leflaive Premier Cru Puligny Montrachet and then on the red side, if you&#39;re feeling budget-friendly, I would go with the 2017 Lemelson Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley or if you&#39;re looking to go big or go home on a special occasion red the 2000 Chateau Petrus is arguably one of the most sought after vintages for that producer. So go for it.

Robert Tas&nbsp;

Oh my goodness, you certainly didn&#39;t hold anything back with that. That&#39;s fantastic. Amazing. Exactly, man. Miz right. All right, Grace, thank you so much for helping us navigate Patroon&#39;s fabulous wine list To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules. If you would like Grace to review one of your favorite restaurants, please send us an email to info at CorkRules.com or visit our website where we have a request form available. We&#39;re looking forward to being with you on another CorkRules episode soon. In the meantime, please check out our website for all our latest episodes of your favorite restaurant wine lists.

And please follow us on social media at CorkRules and at wines with grace. And finally drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly. And we look forward to being with you on another CorkRules episode soon.

Cheers.

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

Stags' Leap Winery is a historic estate located in the prestigious Stags Leap District of Napa Valley. The winery has a legacy of producing some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon in the region, with a focus on terroir-driven wines that are both powerful and elegant. The estate is known for its stunning Victorian-style winery, which has been beautifully restored to its original grandeur.

Long-standing Italian chain restaurant serving thin-crust pizza & classic fare. Delivery available.

28-50 Wine Workshop & Kitchen

28-50

Bleu Provence

KOCHINYC

Kochi

Wally's

Hav & Mar

Bern's Steakhouse

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

Campisi's - Lovers Lane

La Chiusa

Catarratto Terresiciliane NV

Catarratto Bianco

Sicily, Italy

Terre

Stemmari Moscato, Siciliane IGT, Sicily NV

Sicily, Italy

Septima

Bodega, Malbec NV

Mendoza, Argentina

NV Stemmari Pinot Noir Sicilia, Italy, Sicily, Sicilia NV

Pinot Noir

Sicily, Italy

Castello di Monsanto Chianti DOCG NV

Tuscany, Italy

Frei Brothers

Merlot NV

Merlot

California, USA

Cass

Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Cabernet Sauvignon

Paso Robles, USA

Castello di Querceto

Chianti Classico Riserva NV

Sangiovese

Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

Wente Vineyards

Riva Ranch Chardonnay NV

Chardonnay

Arroyo Seco, USA

Whitehaven

Sauvignon Blanc NV

Sauvignon Blanc

Marlborough, New Zealand

Banshee Wines

Pinot Noir NV

Pinot Noir

California, USA

Louis M. Martini

North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Cabernet Sauvignon

North Coast, USA

Castello di Bolgheri

Varvara Bolgheri NV

Blend

Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy

Orin Swift

Palermo Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Cabernet Sauvignon

Napa Valley, USA

Danzante

Pinot Grigio NV

Pinot Grigio

Delle Venezie, Italy