Certified sommelier Grant Wood joins Robert Tas in this episode of CorkRules where they review the wine list of <a href="https://www.casalever.com/menu/">Casa Lever</a>, a classic Italian restaurant located within the Park Avenue glass skyscraper the Lever House, so you know it&rsquo;s going to be classy. Damien Hirst artwork adorns the walls. In 2010, a New York Times critic described it as &ldquo;a new Italian restaurant of the Manhattan old school, built for socialites and those who finance them, staffed by handsome, rakish men with huge wristwatches. . . .&rdquo; It may be a little more inclusive and accessible today, but this Manhattan landmark it&rsquo;s still immensely elegant.

For something light and giggly, consider the Rossini Royale, a delicious combination of Grey Goose Vodka, Italicus, strawberry, and &quot;Sant Ambroeus&quot; Prosecco. If a refreshing pick-me-up is what you need, the Summer in the ends&nbsp;is a light blend of Bombay Dry Gin, cucumber water, and spring herbs cordial and it will not disappoint. However, if you&rsquo;re looking for something with a little more weight, try the Carta Bianca&nbsp;with Glenmorangie X, Amaro Lucano, pineapple, and almond orgeat may offer what you want.

They also offer all the classic cocktail favorites: Bellinis, Pimm&rsquo;s Cups, Martini&rsquo;s etc. Whatever cocktail kicks off the evening for you, the bar will provide, but show some restraint, there&rsquo;s a lovely wine list to explore before the evening is over.

The wine list&nbsp;includes dozens of wines by the glass, ranging from $17 to $80. So if you have an occasion to celebrate or just want a delicious glass of wine that won&#39;t break the bank, this list will meet your needs. &nbsp;

Moving on from cocktails to bubbles, Casa Lever&rsquo;s&nbsp;wine list&nbsp;offers a lovely selection of Prosecco, Champagne, and Lambrusco. Splurge on a glass of the &nbsp;Champagne Brut &quot;Rare&quot;, Piper Heidsieck, (2007) a wonderful blend of chardonnay and pinot noir or consider ordering a bottle of the less-costly Prosecco di Valdobbiadene &ldquo;Cartizze&rdquo; by Villa Sandi This wine offers exceptional value and quality.

For whites, there is a lovely if small selection from Italy with one or two from the U.S. and France. The Vouvray Sec &quot;Clos Naudin&quot;, Philippe Foreau, (2015) Chenin Blanc, from the Loire Valley is well worth trying, but if you want a medium-bodied dry white, order the Sauvignon Blanc &quot;Asimenia&quot; (2021), from Toscana. This white will pair nicely with a rich dish like the &nbsp;Carbonara.

On the red side of life, on the wines-by-the-glass list French and Italian wines dominate, and you can&rsquo;t go wrong with a Ch&acirc;teauneuf du Pape &quot;T&eacute;l&eacute;gramme&quot;, Vieux T&eacute;l&eacute;graphe, (2019) a wonderful blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourv&egrave;dre, and Cinsault, from the Rh&ocirc;ne Valley.

To learn more about the wine list at Casa Lever and the difference between Cava, Champagne and Prosecco, <a href="https://uat.corkrules.com/casa-lever/episodes/13">listen to the CorkRules podcast </a>with certified sommelier Grant Wood.

Cheers!

&nbsp;

About the CorkRules Podcast:&nbsp;Each week we pour a glass and share top restaurant wine list picks, providing you with the knowledge to confidently navigate the wine list through sommelier recommendations, suggested food pairings and expert insights

About CorkRules:&nbsp;CorkRules, the first digital wine app experience, makes it easier for you to navigate the restaurant wine list, and provides you with personalized wine recommendations from your favorite restaurants. Through CorkRules you can find the perfect wine for every occasion based on your preferences. Connect with friends and wine experts to discover new wines to try and learn about wine. CorkRules makes it easier to discover and drink what you love. &nbsp;

For something light and giggly, consider the Rossini Royale, a delicious combination of Grey Goose Vodka, Italicus, strawberry, and "Sant Ambroeus" Prosecco. If a refreshing pick-me-up is what you need, the Summer in the ends is a light blend of Bombay Dry Gin, cucumber water, and spring herbs cordial and it will not disappoint. However, if you’re looking for something with a little more weight, try the Carta Bianca with Glenmorangie X, Amaro Lucano, pineapple, and almond orgeat may offer what you want.

Cocktails and Wine at Casa Lever

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

Franks Wine Bar

Alexis Rogers

Frank's

Frank&#39;s&nbsp;

RT: Hello and Welcome to Corkrules!

&nbsp;I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Alexis Rogers, Wine Educator and&nbsp; Restaurant Sommelier

Hi Alexis, thanks for being back with us on another episode of CorkRules, - a podcast where we help simplify and demystify the wine lists at some of your favorite restaurants. We talk with certified sommeliers and wine professionals who point out interesting bottles, classic food and wine pairings, hidden gems,&nbsp; value wines, or splurge wines that will take your dining experience over the top.

AR: Thanks for having me back! I&rsquo;m excited to talk some more Italian wine today!

RT:&nbsp; That&rsquo;s right, Italian it is because today we are discussing Frank, a quaint cash-only East Village eatery serving homestyle Italian dishes with outdoor seating and daily specials. It has been considered an essential East Village restaurant since it opened its doors in 1998. Frank has an all-Italian wine list to perfectly complement their perfectly comfortable Italian fare. So, Let&rsquo;s dive in! Alexis, give us your impression of the wine list at Frank.

AR: Well, they say &ldquo;what grows together, goes together&rdquo; and I think that&rsquo;s especially true throughout the country of Italy. Wine is an everyday meal accompaniment there, not just for special occasions or on the weekend and the wines of each region have evolved to be consumed with the local cuisine. Something interesting I found with the wine program at Frank is that they have a section of their list that is &ldquo;By Consumption&rdquo; Usually, our options are &ldquo;glass&rdquo; or &ldquo;bottle&rdquo; but sometimes you want to enjoy a wine at your own pace for exactly as long as the meal lasts - no less and no more. With these selections, Frank will open a bottle for you and you let THEM know when you&rsquo;re finished. The bottle will be measured and you&rsquo;ll be charged for exactly as much wine as you&rsquo;ve consumed.

RT : What a fresh concept! I really like that! And speaking of fresh, I&rsquo;ve seen reviewers and food critics across the board praising&nbsp; Frank&rsquo;s Rigatoni al Ragu. It&rsquo;s a must try! What would you pair with this dish?

AR: This classic, everyday meal demands a classic everyday wine. My pick is the Hillberg Barbera d&rsquo;Alba Superiore. Wines made from the Barbera grape are consumed casually and frequently by the Piedmontese as they are more accessible and approachable than wines from the other famous regional grape, Nebbiolo. These wines are bright and fresh with notes of red cherry and raspberry, dried leaves, nutmeg and purple flowers. The lower tannins and high acidity make it a perfect match for the high-acidity tomato sauce central to this dish.

RT: Yum! That sounds delicious! Tomatoes are the real heavy lifter in Italian cuisine, that and garlic! I&rsquo;ve heard the Spaghetti with Garlic here is a real garlic-lovers dream! What are we going to pair with something with such an intense flavor profile?

AR:I think this dish calls for a zesty white wine to cleanse that garlic-coated palate in between bites. A glass of Soave Classico will do the trick! Soave is a subregion that has been making wines from the important Italian white grape Garganega since Roman times. The term Classico in Italian wine law indicates that all of the grapes used come from the original growing zone. Soave bottlings can vary widely in quality so producer here really is key. The Nardello family has been growing grapes in Soave since the 1500s and hold some of the most enviable cru plots of land in the region. They are producing intensely concentrated and intensely aromatic wines from this grape. They have definitely learned a thing or two in 500+ years&hellip;

RT: That kind of history&nbsp; is really impressive. The wines of this country really express a sense of place and tradition.

AR: Totally! That&rsquo;s one of the coolest things about Old World Wine to me, you can find places where families, regions and even grapes have existed for nearly a millennium! For example, this next grape is thought to have been brought to Piemonte in the 11th century! It&rsquo;s called Dolcetto and it translates to &ldquo;little sweet one&rdquo; but these wines are nearly always dry. This is the other, other Piedmontese red. Wines from this grape are marked by their low acidity, high tannins, and their intensely perfumed bouquet. They are rich and concentrated and mean to be drunk young and fresh within 3-5 years of their vintage. They are bursting with black fruit flavors like black plum and blackberry with notes of cocoa powder and black pepper and have a characteristic bitter almond finish. Pair this bottle from producer San Guiliano with the Crostino Toscano - liver pate on Tuscan toast.

RT: Always something more to discover with Italian wine! Alexis, thanks so much for being our Italian wine tour guide again. I&rsquo;ll have to try and get in on the off hours at Frank to try some of these pairings with a little elbow room. 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 wherever you get your podcasts.

And finally, drink what you love and please make

sure you drink responsibly.

&nbsp;

END

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

Joliesse is a family-owned winery located in the heart of Napa Valley, California. Founded in 2003 by Julie Johnson, Joliesse is known for their minimal intervention winemaking approach that allows the terroir of the region to shine through in each bottle.

Refined takes on bistro classics & French wines at a chic stop with high tables & stools at the bar.

Viva Garcia

Brera Osteria

Buddy V's

Yardbird

CHICA Las Vegas

Chica

Bar Zazu

Hell's Kitchen, Las Vegas

Brera

Jasmine

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

Les Cocottes Tour Eiffel

Charles Hours-Clos Uroulat Cuvee Marie Sec 2020

Jurançon, France

Charles Hours-Clos Uroulat Cuvee Marie Sec 2017

Jurançon, France

Jeanne Gaillard

Terres de Mandrin Syrah 2020

Shiraz/Syrah

Collines Rhodaniennes, France

Gaillard

Jeanne, Viognier, IGP Collines Rhodaniennes NV

Collines Rhodaniennes, France

Creisses, Pays d'Oc 2020

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Clos Marie

Simon Pic Saint Loup 2021

Blend

France

Domaine la Remejeanne Cotes du Rhone Les Arbousiers 2020

Rhone, France

Domaine Naudet

Sancerre Blanc 2020

Sauvignon Blanc

Sancerre, France

G. Roblot Marchand & Fils

Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Nuits Rouge NV

Pinot Noir

France

Jean Rijckaert, Bourgogne, Praron Dessous Blanc 2021

Bourgogne, Burgundy, France

Clos Marie

L'Olivette Pic Saint Loup 2020

Mourvedre

France

Emmanuel Darnaud

Mise en Bouche Crozes-Hermitage 2020

Shiraz/Syrah

Crozes-Hermitage, Rhone, France

Domaine Anne Gros & Jean-Paul Tollot Les Combettes 2020

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Gamay

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Domaine Anne Gros & Jean-Paul Tollot La Vermentino 2020

France