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

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

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

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

Michael's

Grant Wood

Sparks Steakhouse

Sparks

RT: Hello and welcome back to another episode with CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where&nbsp;we review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Grant Wood, wine educator and certified sommelier. Hello Grant,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to have you join our CorkRules family!

GW: Hey Robert, I&rsquo;m so happy to be here with you.

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 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.

Sparks is a classic NY steak house with a ton of history serving up succulent cuts on top tier meats. They were even mentioned in one of my favorite books on hospitality from one of my idols, Danny Meyer so I&rsquo;m looking forward to diving into this list with you.

Let&rsquo;s great straight into it because this is a steak house with a long list of classic Cabernet, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and more.

For whites, you&rsquo;re pretty well covered if you&rsquo;re a fan of Cali Chardonnay. My eyes immediately were drawn to the 2013 Hanzell Chardonnay from Sonoma&rsquo;s Moon Mountain. I&rsquo;ve been to the vineyard and not only do they have great history in Sonoma, they&rsquo;re by far some of the best farmers in the state and leading the way in regenerative farming practices. This wine with a little age is just perfect to me and tasting amazing right now. Another great Cali classic is Ojei&rsquo;s Bien Necido 2005 Chardonnay from Santa Maria. I too have been to this vineyard just earlier this year and it&rsquo;s truly a special place. You can&rsquo;t go wrong with the 2008 Williams-Selyem Allen Vineyard Char either. 

Now it&rsquo;s time for a cab and a slab! Me being the Napa Valley-based resident Somm here, please let me tell you which wines you should reach for on this list. Skip past Silver Oak, Jordan, Caymus, Far Niente, etc. for a moment because, though, they are classics and there is nothing wrong with them, you can get them anywhere. Here&rsquo;s who I have great respect for and will take your dining experience to another level.

2014 Cain Five Napa Valley CS. Beautiful, sadly damaged by fire in 2020, worth it!

2012 Continuum Proprietary CS. Tim Mondavi at his best. 

2012 Delle Valle, just down the hill from Continuum, Maya, you&rsquo;re crushing it. 

2014 Spottswoode, a real St. Helena classic

2011 Staglin, Rutherford. Cool, underrated year, ageing beautifully. 

Let&rsquo;s take a trip to Bordeaux.

2006 Ch. Pavie, Right bank Grand Cru Classe A powerhouse.

2004 Haut-Brion, head turner to impress your date or clients

2005 Ch. Petrus, when money is no object

2005 Ch. Cos d&rsquo;Estournel, because I&rsquo;ve been there, and you should go there too!

Other honorable mentions:

1999 Vega Sicilia Unico from Ribera del Duero is a classic.

2009 Penfolds grange, obviously. 

2013 Vieux T&eacute;l&eacute;graphe CDP, for the Rhone heads out there. 

And the list goes on. This is a list built around the classics so why not lean into it and let your carnivorous indulgence take the wheel?

Grant, great job today!&nbsp; Thank you for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Spark&rsquo;s Steakhouse wine list. I can&rsquo;t wait to go and try your suggestions myself.

To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.&nbsp; If you would like us 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 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;

End

&nbsp;

Hy's Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar

Hy's Steakhouse

Frasca Food and Wine

Blu Ristorante

Alcove

Tatiana's

Urban Farmer Portland

Urban Farmer

Mariel

Chiado

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The Painted Lady

Larkspur

Elways

Fall Line Kitchen & Cocktails

Fall Line

Market del Mar

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Tutti Mangia Italian Chophouse

Tutti Mangia

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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.

Grain & Cane

Domaine la Colombette

Notorious Pink, France 2021

Vin de France

Escorihuela Gascón

DON 2020

Uco Valley, Argentina

Peyrassol

Reserve des Templiers Cotes de Provence 2021

Provence, France

Lapis Luna

Pinot Noir 2020

North Coast, USA

Dry Creek Vineyard

Sauvignon Blanc DCV3 Estate 2021

Dry Creek Valley, USA

Willamette Valley Vineyards

White Pinot Noir 2020

Willamette Valley, USA

Weingut Eifel-Pfeifer 'Heinz Eifel' Shine Riesling Germany 2020

Germany

Kila Brut Cava, Catalonia 2019

Catalonia, Spain

Matchbook

Chardonnay (Old Head) 2019

Dunnigan Hills, USA

Volpaia

Chianti Classico 2020

Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

Altos Ibéricos

Crianza 2015

Rioja, Spain

Vina Robles

Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

California, USA

Banshee Wines

Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Napa Valley, USA

La Crema

Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2019

Oregon, USA

Mail Road

Mt. Carmel Vineyard Chardonnay 2016

California, USA