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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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

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

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

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

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

Giada - The Cromwell Las Vegas

Maria Valetta, certified sommelier and wine educator, and Robert Tas visit Giada’s Restaurant.

Wine List Review of Giada's Restaurant, Las Vegas

Maria Valetta

Giada’s Restaurant

Giada Las Vegas&nbsp;

<a href="http://marketeammenucromwellgiada.com/Giada_Beverage.pdf">http://marketeammenucromwellgiada.com/Giada_Beverage.pdf</a>

<a href="http://marketeammenucromwellgiada.com/Giada_Dinner.pdf">http://marketeammenucromwellgiada.com/Giada_Dinner.pdf</a>

<a href="http://marketeammenucromwellgiada.com/Giada_Brunch.pdf">http://marketeammenucromwellgiada.com/Giada_Brunch.pdf</a>

<a href="http://marketeammenucromwellgiada.com/Giada_Tasting.pdf">http://marketeammenucromwellgiada.com/Giada_Tasting.pdf</a>

Robert Tas (RT): Hello and welcome back to CorkRules! The wine podcast that&rsquo;s here to help YOU navigate all your favorite restaurant wine lists so you can learn to order wine with confidence.

I&rsquo;m Robert Tas, along with Maria Valetta, certified sommelier and wine educator, also known as Maria The Wine Blonde. Welcome back Maria

MV: Hello Robert we are talking about a famous food network star&rsquo;s restaurant in Las Vegas

RT: That&rsquo;s right Maria, and it&rsquo;s not Gordon Ramsey. oh no, SHE is much easier on the eyes, we are talking about Giada DeLaurentis and her namesake Restaurant in The Cromwell Hotel in Las Vegas Nevada.

This is Giada&rsquo;s first foray into the restaurant Biz, and she could not have picked a better city for her experiential concept. You know you have made it BIG-TIME when you have your very own restaurant IN Sin City. But the only things sinful here are the insanely delicious dishes from this award-winning celebrity chef.&nbsp; You can expect all her Italian favorites elevated with fresh California flavors served in an upscale setting. The bright and airy semi-circle dining room has some of the best views of the Las Vegas Strip. Add to that, a wine list that has garnered the Wine Spectator&rsquo;s&rdquo; 2019 Best of, Award of Excellence, and you have a real winning combination.

RT: Maria, I know you have dined here, so does the wine list complement the food?

MV: Robert it sure does, I love how the wines by the glass are separated into flavor profile categories, with descriptors such as sweet wines, medium to bold reds, and fruit-forward reds, helping the customer choose more easily. I also love that by the bottle list uses a leafy symbol to denote organic wines which truly is the most sustainable way forward in our wine industry. Plus, it is a well-balanced list covering most of the major wine-producing countries, which is great to see because when I dined here, I thought it was only going to have Italian wines on the list! SO this was a fantastic surprise and maybe even the way to go here given the California influence.

Robert: I&rsquo;m so jealous you have dined at Giada&rsquo;s restaurant, my wife and I adore her, and love watching her on TV, so which wine did you start with?

MV: I started with a glass of the Sparkling Schramsberg Vineyards, Blanc de Blancs , Sonoma, California 2018&nbsp; The term Blanc de blanc on a sparkling wine or champagne literally translates to &ldquo;white of whites&rdquo; and this means that the wine is made with 100% chardonnay grapes (all white grapes)

RT: That&rsquo;s a great tip, Maria because I have quite a few friends that say they don&rsquo;t like chardonnay, but they love champagne, so I found it surprising to know that most champagne and a lot of champagne-method sparkling wine is made with 1/3 chardonnay or in this case all chardonnay grapes.

MV: even the &ldquo;anything but chardonnay&rdquo; lovers will love the green apple freshness mixed with roasted pineapple and toasted almonds that you get with this champagne style beauty from Schramsberg- I&rsquo;ve been a big fan of theirs for years - pair it with fresh raw seafood such as the oyster crudo or shellfish tower!

RT: Any Other wine BTG you recommend?

MV:&nbsp; I ordered my husband the Super Tuscan Dainero, Castiglion del Bosco 2013 b/c like you he, loves his reds. We visited this winery in Montalcino and this Tuscan blend is one of the more reasonable offerings from the estate formerly owned by the Ferragamo family. 50% merlot 50% Sangiovese -nice round richness full of fruit and spice- the Orecchiette Bolognese is the best pairing.

RT: Lovely, can you find us some quality wines that are reasonably priced? I know Vegas wine lists can be quite expensive so this is important for a lot of our listeners

MV: Honestly Robert, I am pleasantly surprised here with this list- I found the pricing to be far better than most Italian restaurants on the Vegas Strip a reason to visit alone. And, there are some really great finds that are worth a whirl.. or should I say worth a swirl!

RT: HAHA tell me about them:

To pair with that California influence in her dishes I ordered these 2 Cali wines:

Three Sticks, The James, Santa Rita Hills 2013 Pinot Noir 

Three sticks is a Sonoma based small family-owned winery committed to crafting artisanal wines and they produce wines from very notable vineyards, If you love well-made Pinot Noir, you&rsquo;ll love the Three Sticks wine - I am in love with all of their vineyard wines. This one is dusty cocoa, smashed berry pie, with a soft delicateness given it is 2013.

Now if you like a bolder wine, you will prefer the Herman Story, Nuts and Bolts, Paso Robles 2017 <s>$115 (</s>further S in Cali whete is get quite a bit warmer overall)

100 % Syrah -&nbsp; inky, fabulously fruit-forward with a hint of sweet-spiced, beef jerky on the nose This calls for meat &ndash; The petite filet with the blackberry-port reduction is going to be so perfect with the Herman Story!

MV: For under $125 these wines are both great finds.

RT: That&rsquo;s great, Maria, super helpful.&nbsp; Do you have something special you could recommend for us? A red and a white?

<s>MV:&nbsp;</s>I do, The Chateau Rauzan Segla 🌿 2005 a Great Bordeaux Blend, great vintage, 2005 was awesome, from Margaux so you get all the plumy red and black fruit but lots of floral notes, it&rsquo;s a lovely feminine Bordeaux if that makes sense. Right now, the complexity is really showing well and this wine is organic! Yay

If you want a special white to pair with Giada&rsquo;s favorite dish which is the Lemon Spaghetti with Shrimp and mascarpone cheese, the&nbsp; GAJA, Vistamare, Toscana 2020&nbsp; is going to be so a memorable pairing&hellip; Vermentino/Viognier you have to be careful with seafood - too much oak and your shellfish will taste fishy, but here it is so well integrated because it&rsquo;s only partially oaked. This is from one of the great producers of Italy, <s>this </s>Very small production, a full-bodied white with lots of floral notes and a touch of refreshing salinity on the finish.

RT: Anything California worth dropping the dime on?

MV: You read my mind, Robert, I was just going to mention that they have 2 wines from Lokoya that are killer &ndash; Lokoya repeatedly receives 100-point reviews from various publications. I&#39;ve met their winemaker Chris Carpenter and he is wickedly smart but also an all-around great guy

Lokoya, Diamond Mountain , Napa Valley 2014 795 Blackberries and dark Red Bing cherries, a layer of rich dark chocolate weaved into the fine-grained silky tannins 
Lokoya, Mount Veeder, Napa Valley 2011 Powerful, blackberries and wild blueberries, intense tannin structure even with the age on it, and don&rsquo;t hesitate about this vintage while 2011 was difficult for some, Lokoya knocked it out of the park with this baby. We have vintages going back over 10 years of Lokoya in our cellar &ndash; it is a great investment if you are collecting wine.

RT: Maria, thank you for all your helpful wine tips and food pairing selections on today&rsquo;s episode on Giada&rsquo;s Restaurant in Las Vegas. Be sure to follow Maria on Instagram @Mariathewineblonde. Thank you everyone for joining us here on CorkRules. Remember the only rule in wine is &ldquo;drink what you LOVE&rdquo;.

MV: Have a favorite wine list? Let us review it here. Send us your requests at <a href="mailto:info@corkrules.com">info@CorkRules.com</a> You can find previous episodes on your favorite podcast platform and on CorkRules.com be sure to subscribe and like. And check out @CorkRules on Instagram for episode updates and upcoming giveaways. Must be 21 and older, please drink responsibly.

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Hy's Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar

Hy's Steakhouse

Frasca Food and Wine

Blu Ristorante

Alcove

Tatiana's

Urban Farmer Portland

Urban Farmer

Mariel

Chiado

Jory at the Allison

The American Express Centurion Global Lounge Network

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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.

Crust and Craft

Available Wines
Total Wines - 8

Domini Veneti

Appassimento Rosso NV

Veneto, Italy

Weingut Nik Weis - St. Urbans-Hof

Urban Riesling Sekt Brut NV

Mosel, Germany

Wente Vineyards

Sandstone Merlot NV

California, USA

Blicks Lane

Sauvignon Blanc NV

Marlborough, New Zealand

Marenco

Strev Moscato d'Asti NV

Moscato d'Asti, Italy

Murphy-Goode

Pinot Noir NV

California, USA

Murphy-Goode

Pinot Noir 2019

California, USA

Cortefresca

NV, Prosecco, Italy, Veneto / Friuli-Venezia Giulia NV

Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy