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

Samantha Hohl, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas explore the wine list at Harvest in Cambridge,  Massachusetts. 

Wine List Review of Harvest in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Sam Hohl

Harvest

Harvest

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where, in each episode, we will 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,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to have you!

SH: Hi Robert! Great to be back.

&nbsp;

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. Today Sam and I are reviewing

Harvest

Overview

Harvest is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and has been serving their takes on American cuisine since 1975. They source their ingredients from local farms to create their seasonal New England inspired dishes.

Where to start

This wine list has easy to navigate sections by type of wine and region, so whether you&rsquo;re looking for a Bordeaux or a New World White, you&rsquo;ll be directed to the right place.

Alright, the bottle called &ldquo;Pizza Sauce&rdquo; grabbed my attention. This wine is under their &ldquo;Reds Less Traveled Section&rdquo; featuring reds that you may not have heard of. This is a non-vintage red blend from Fausse Piste winery in Portland, Oregon. The blend consists of Malbec, Syrah, Grenache, and Pinot Noir sourced from vineyards in Oregon from 3 different vintages. These small batches of juice from each vineyard are blended together to create this fruity, dry acidic wine that&rsquo;s ready to be enjoyed with a saucy dish- like the Eggplant Stuffed Ravioli. The blueberry, red cherry, and some earthy mineral components make this wine refreshing and fun.

Another great bottle, especially if you&rsquo;re looking for white, would be the 2019 Huet Le Haut-Lieu Vouvray Sec. This is a beautiful Chenin Blanc from Vouvray in the Loire, France. Domaine Huet was founded in 1928 and has gained global recognition for their Chenin Blanc. This bottle will be super dry, floral, and lemony crisp with some salinity. A dish like the Lobster and Shrimp fondue would be so fun with this, with the shellfish playing off the salty notes in the wine and the acid to cut through that rich cheese.

Value

For a bottle that&#39;s affordable, a little unusual but so tasty I&rsquo;d go for the 2018 Beurer Trollinger. Weingut Beurer is located in W&uuml;rttemberg, Germany and although Germany is well known for their white wines, the cooler climate produces some delicious lighter reds. We see a lot of Trollinger blends but this 100% Trollinger comes from 50-year-old vines and stands beautifully on its own. This bottle will be bright and crunchy with vibrant red cherry, cranberry and acidity that just sings so it&#39;s a welcome companion to food. The Duck Bacon Campanelli would be a great match with the acidity and fruity tones. If you&rsquo;re a Gamay lover give this bottle a try!

Celebratory 

The great thing about this list is definitely the range they have. There are options that are budget-friendly, there are those that will make your special evening even more memorable and then there&rsquo;s the bottles that are a celebration all on their own. For a bottle that&rsquo;s going to bring its own party, try the 2008 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1981, Philip Togni cultivated vineyards high up Spring Mountain in Napa Valley, originally starting with Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. They now grow Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, and Merlot as well and farm their vines organically. They proudly make their estate bottled wines using only their own grapes. This bottle is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, with a little bit of Merlot and just a touch of Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. It&rsquo;s going to have these really deep aromas of black fruits and plum and earthy wood notes. It&rsquo;ll also have notes of blackberry, warm spices, and subtle anise. It&rsquo;s rich with rounded tannins and a full body. Such an experience to sip on and let unfold. It would be amazing with their herb and butter-basted ribeye with marinated mushrooms. That combo would be one you won&#39;t forget!

RT: Sam, thank you so much for helping us navigate the wine list at Harvest.&nbsp;

To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.&nbsp; If you would like Sam to review one of your favorite restaurants, please send us email to: <a href="mailto:Info@corkrules.Com">Info@</a><a href="mailto:Info@corkrules.Com">CorkRules</a><a href="mailto:Info@corkrules.Com">.Com</a> or visit our web website where we have a request form.

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. Follow us on social media @CorkRules

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

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End

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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

J Vineyards is a renowned winery located in the heart of California's Russian River Valley. Founded in 1986 by Judy Jordan, the winery is known for its exceptional sparkling wines and Pinot Noirs, which are crafted using traditional methods and sustainable farming practices. With over 100 acres of vineyards and a state-of-the-art winery facility, J Vineyards is committed to producing wines of the highest quality that reflect the unique terroir of the Russian River Valley.

Mandolin Aegean Bistro

The Surf Club

Itamae

Itamae Miami

Veranda

Boia De

Huertas

Kesté Pizza & Vino

Keste Pizzeria

Taverna di Bacco

Tavern on the Green

Leyland Brooklyn

Junoon

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

eVintner

A to Z Wineworks

The Essence Of Oregon Pinot Noir NV

Pinot Noir

Oregon, USA

Argiano

NC (Non Confunditur) NV

Cabernet Sauvignon

Tuscany, Italy

Poesia

Mendoza NV

Red Bordeaux Blend

Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina

Rare, Champagne NV

Champagne, France

Miraval

Cotes de Provence Rose NV

Grenache

Provence, France

Kris Rose NV

Italy

The Prisoner

Blindfold Blanc de Noir White Pinot Noir NV

Blend

California, USA

Domaines Ott

Clos Mireille Rose (Coeur de Grain) NV

Blend

Provence, France

W17

Sauvignon Blanc NV

Sauvignon Blanc

Axr

Proprietary Red NV

Blend

Napa Valley, USA

Silver Gate

Pinot Noir NV

Pinot Noir

California, USA

J Vineyards

Pinot Noir (Monterey/Sonoma/Santa Barbara) NV

Pinot Noir

California, USA

Hardys

Nottage Hill Chardonnay NV

Chardonnay

South Eastern Australia, Australia

Opolo

Sparkling NV

Colombard

Paso Robles, USA

MWC

Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Cabernet Sauvignon

Australia