Nothing screams cheesy quite like a heart-shaped pizza and pasta dish at restaurants decked out in pink and red streamers and balloons on Valentine&rsquo;s Day. And it doesn&rsquo;t get more clich&eacute; than scarfing it down with a bottle of Champagne. Bubbles are festive, but aren&rsquo;t you tired of spending the holiday of love and romance the same way every year?

Valentine&rsquo;s Day should be an authentic celebration of the love and joy shared between two people, and there are plenty of ways to convey this without reaching for that same old yellow-label Champagne or eating from last year&rsquo;s prix-fixe menu.

&ldquo;Cultivating an experience where both people are discovering something new together is a great way to spend the holiday,&rdquo; says Samantha Hohl, a sommelier in Boston.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Getting out of your comfort zone and trying something new, whether it&rsquo;s food or wine, is a fun way to get close to your person. I always like to find a place where my partner and I can sit down and go on an adventure together,&rdquo; Hohl continues.&nbsp;

The key to success on Valentine&rsquo;s Day is opting for off-the-beaten-path restaurants with wine lists as exciting and extensive as dinner menus &mdash; otherwise, spend the evening at the restaurant with a thoughtfully curated wine list and take it from there. Look for farm-to-table establishments, where dishes are created with local delicacies and intention, or restaurants that focus on small plates for sharing with a partner. Restaurants with serious wine programs that offer wine-pairing menus can provide an enchanting date night experience by giving dinner guests a chance to experience a journey through the glass and on the plate.&nbsp;

&ldquo;My husband and I like to go to restaurants with wine pairings with their tasting menus, like Le Cirque, inside the Bellagio Hotel,&rdquo; says Las Vegas sommelier Maria Valetta. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a very classy restaurant, but it&rsquo;s not stuffy. The sommeliers there are so knowledgeable and entertaining, and they always have great stories about the pairings for each course. To have that special wine with every dish &mdash; like pairing foie gras with Sauternes &mdash; is an exciting and mind-blowing experience to share with a partner.&rdquo;

And never underestimate the power of simplicity.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Alcove in Boston&rdquo; is a really fun restaurant with an awesome wine list separated by different adjectives. The food program is straightforward and focused on New England coastal dishes, but the wine list is so fun and approachable. You can order wines under categories like &lsquo;crisp and refreshing,&rsquo; &lsquo;mineral driven,&rsquo; or &lsquo;advanced textures,&rsquo;&rdquo; says Hohl.

Of course, restaurants are always necessary to enjoy an evening of romance. Sometimes all you need is your favorite takeout and the cozy comforts of home to set the mood, and wine can undoubtedly come in handy for those intimate moments too.

&ldquo;Opening up a bottle that you love and sharing it with someone you care about can make for an extraordinary moment and celebration of love,&rdquo; says Grace Hood, a sommelier in San Diego. &ldquo;Your whole mood changes after you open a special bottle. It sets a nice mood, an elevated ambiance that can really play up the romance.&rdquo;

Hood adds, &ldquo;Not to mention, wine makes a great gift.&rdquo;

Valetta recommends looking for bottles that can amplify the loving theme of Valentine&rsquo;s Day, like the vibrant&nbsp;and thirst-quenching &ldquo;Love You Bunches&#39;&#39; carbonic Sangiovese by Santa Barbara winery Stolpman Vineyards or Jean-Louis Chave&rsquo;s fruit-forward and peppery &lsquo;Mon Coeur&rsquo; C&ocirc;tes du Rh&ocirc;ne, which translates to &ldquo;my heart.&rdquo; Want to go the expensive route? Ch&acirc;teau Calon S&eacute;gur makes one of the most recognizable bottles of Bordeaux with a heart-shaped label. However, more affordable options help crank up the heat, too, like Slow Down Wines&rsquo; Lovehammer Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley.

Another fun option could be Gerard Bertrand&rsquo;s Cote du Roses Ros&eacute;, which comes in a beautiful bottle with a rose design. &ldquo;I would love for someone to show up at my door with five of those bottles turned upside down and wrapped with a bow like a ros&eacute; bouquet,&rdquo; says Valetta.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Playing around with different wines and looking for bottles with a special meaning or name that centers on love, joy, and companionship could make for a unique Valentine&rsquo;s Day wine lineup,&rdquo; Valetta continues.

For more helpful wine tips and recommendations&nbsp;<a href="https://apps.apple.com/app/id1631528589">download the CorkRules app</a>&nbsp;and keep up with the CorkRules&nbsp;Sommeliers on Instagram: Maria Valetta&nbsp;@mariathewineblond, Grace Hood @wines_with_grace, Grant Wood @decant_with_grant, Alexis Rogers @alexiphanic, Samantha Hohl @sam__hohl

&nbsp;

Avoid the clichés and set the mood on Valentine’s Day with these extraordinary wines and restaurants

Make This Valentine’s Day One to Remember with These Exceptional Wines and Restaurants

Congratulations to the winners of the 2023 James Beard Awards! These talented individuals and establishments have demonstrated exceptional skills and contributed to the culinary world in remarkable ways. Here's a praise for each winner

2023 James Beard Award Winners Spotlight

1803 is a Cajun restaurant that brings a little of New Orleans’ eclectic culture to the streets of New York. It’s a sexy, sultry space with a penchant for Deep South decadence and jazz. For a memorable culinary experience, this is the place to bring a date.

Pairing Wine with Cajun Food at 1803

Drops of God, the popular manga series by Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto, has been adapted into a television series by AppleTV and has some buzz in the wine world. The AppleTV series tells a story about a competition between Camille's (Fleur Geffrier) estranged daughter and Issei (Tomohisa Yamashita), the protégé after the death of Camille's father, a famous wine collector, to win his world-renowned wine collection valued at $100M+.

Drops of God: The AppleTV Series That Could Save the Wine Industry

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

Carbone

Maria Valetta, wine educator, and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas review the wine list at Carbone, a high-end Italian restaurant that retains the glamor of mid-20th-century Italian restaurants. 

Wine List Review of Carbone, 

Maria Valetta

Carbone Las Vegas 

&nbsp;

RT): Hi Everyone, welcome back to CorkRules! The wine podcast that&rsquo;s here to help YOU navigate all your favorite restaurant wine lists so you can order wine with confidence!

I&rsquo;m Robert Tas, along with Maria Valetta, wine educator, and certified sommelier, also known as Maria The Wine Blonde on Instagram. Welcome back Maria

MV: Hi Robert, it&rsquo;s great to be here for another episode today we are talking about Carbone Las Vegas a spot we go to often for celebrations!

RT: Laughs&hellip; that&rsquo;s right.. Carbone&rsquo;s Las vegas outpost is known for its HEFTY portions of Italian-American favorites, served in a swanky setting. Located within the Aria Casino and Resort, this restaurant is such a hot spot you can often see crowds of people waiting outside to get in for their reservation. Timeless Italian classics are elevated with table-side presentations in the glamorous dining room that takes its d&eacute;cor inspiration from the rat pack era. Maria I can&rsquo;t wait to see what you think of their extensive wine list.

MV: I really love how well Carbone does elevated Italian-American cuisine..- it reminds me of the way I grew up and the kind of food we ate&hellip; especially for our early Sunday suppers with Nonna. Now I thought the NYC wine list was all that&hellip; but the Vegas location &hellip; just as impressive! Lots of Italian of course but also some great French finds, and California is just as well represented&hellip;I mean,&nbsp; it is an Italian American restaurant after all.

RT: Well of course.. so walk us through your favorites starting with the by-the-glass list.. something we didn&rsquo;t have access to for our NY episode

MV: That&rsquo;s right&hellip; Okay so definitely start with their negroni&hellip; it&rsquo;s the best! And then order a glass of the Lunae, Colli di Luni, Liguria&nbsp;2021&nbsp;Vermentino. For me, the vermentinos from Liguria have a little more floral essence that I find really lovely. Try it with the baked clams, Ceasar salad..veggie dishes, and fresh fish

If you want a fuller-bodied white try the Brewer-Clifton, Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills&nbsp;2019&nbsp;

$25 but this is not an oaky chard as winemaker Greg brewer uses only neutral barrels here.

Red standouts for me are the Barbaresco, Musso, Rio Sordo, Piedmont&nbsp;2018&nbsp;

$29 which is full of Ripe cherry black tar, and dark plums. And the&nbsp; , Masi, Costasera&nbsp;Amarone della Valpolicella 2017&nbsp; $33 which has coffee and cocoa notes along with red and black fruit and a higher alcohol level. (15%!!!) But both are great options for richly flavored meat dishes.

RT: Beautiful wines.. Given how great the wines by the glass are I can&rsquo;t wait to see your selections for bottles. Does anything stand out that&rsquo;s on the more affordable side?

MV: If you like Pinot noir, then try the Tornatore, Pietrarizzo, Etna Rosso&nbsp;2019&nbsp;[Bin - 33513]

$102 made from the nerelo mascallese grape, this Sicilian red has a delicate structure and a spiced herbal fruit flavor. If you like Sangiovese but not the price tag that sometimes comes with it at times,, try this one.. the Badia a Coltibuono, Sangioveto&nbsp;2015&nbsp;a smaller production release that&#39;s only made in select years and Aged in French oak for about 12-16 months

RT: How about if I&rsquo;m having the dover sole Picatta?

MV: Ah yes..so I went with value reds first because it&rsquo;s so fitting here, but the dover sole is spectacular the picatta is butter on butter plus capers and lemon&hellip;they have this funky little gem that I think is priced reasonably because no one is going to know what it is -But I would go for it&hellip; the Clos Uroulat&nbsp;2017&nbsp;Jurancon sec&nbsp; this French estate is run by a father-daughter team and they practice biodynamic farming It is a blend of two local grape varieties - Gros Manseng and Courbu aged 10 months in oak, giving it a rich golden color. Big and fleshy they say it&rsquo;s an intense wine.. I like intense don&rsquo;t you?

RT: I do&hellip; and Hey I&rsquo;m always up for trying new wines. Especially with a fair price tag! Now you said this is your celebration spot, so which wines do we order for special occasions here?

MV: So if you love a good Pinot.. hands down the Cirq, Russian River Valley&nbsp;Pinot Noir 2018&nbsp;[Bin - 35378] is going to one you&rsquo;ll fall in love with!&nbsp; $581 Cirq is the new project from Michel Browne.. ya know the co-founder of the famed Kosta Brown estate so you now you know this is going to be a good bottle. We are actually on their mailing list! The wines although expensive, are fantastic!

MV: Another beauty, the Antinori, Guado Al Tasso, Bolgheri&nbsp;2019&nbsp;[Bin - 35287] a super Tuscan maybe not as recognizable as some of the others but I&rsquo;ve been drinking this one since before it was famous&hellip; before the hefty price tag. Cab sauv dominated with some merlot and an increasing amount of more Cab franc every year due to global warming in the vineyard.

$338

And 2 more Tuscan gems, the Fontodi, Flaccianello della Pieve&nbsp;2007&nbsp;[Bin - 18917] the old world grape Sangiovese&nbsp; is the star here but handled with new world winemaking techniques.

$468 2007 is great older vintage but if you prefer your wines with less age on them try the Biondi Santi&nbsp;2016 Brunello di Montalcino. Iconic producer.. this could easily steal the attention of everyone at the table. [Bin - 35187]

RT: Any celebratory white that we should take note of?

MV: HA! there I go again right to red.. let me see ah yes&hellip; the Gaja, Gaia &amp; Rey&nbsp;2017 a gorgeous chardonnay from Gaja the italian producer that consistently has the highest priced wines..but the quality matches the price tag.&nbsp; I&rsquo;d love a chance to try this knock-out white with the whole Bronzino or even the Veal parmesan at Carbone..

RT: And there you go! The wine list at Carbone a la Maria! Thank you everyone for joining us today you can find more wine tips from Maria on Instagram @Mariathewineblonde. 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

The CorkRules website. Be sure to follow @CorkRules on Instagram for episode and app updates. Prices and selections subject to change, please drink responsibly.

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Meson

Dear Annie

Rossoblu

Lago

Le Farfalle

Petit Trois

The Red Dory

Audrey

Cowboy Star

Airy, brick-clad eatery offering cooked Japanese dishes plus sushi rolls & sashimi.

Cracked by Chef Adrianne

Chef Adrianne's

Dear Margaret

Brennan's Restaurant

Brennan's

Freya

Elvie's

COTE Miami

Cote Miami

request

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.

Maru Sushi & Grill

Jinro

House Red NV

Peltier

Hybrid by Peltier Station Pinot Noir NV

Lodi, USA

Georges Vigouroux Pigmentum Malbec, Cahors NV

Cahors, France

Mendoza Vineyards

Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Mendoza, Argentina

Piattelli Vineyards Grand Reserve Mendoza Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Argentina

Piazzo

Moscato d'Asti NV

Asti, Piedmont, Italy

Domaine de la

Potine Touraine Sauvignon Blanc, Loire NV

Loire, France

Ultraviolet

Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Napa Valley, USA

Black Star Farms 'Arcturos' Dry Riesling, Old Mission Peninsula NV

Old Mission Peninsula, USA

Chateau de Montgueret

Cabernet d'Anjou Rose NV

Loire, France

Red Schooner

Wagner Family, Voyage NV

Mendoza, Argentina

Red Schooner

Voyage 9 NV

Mendoza, Argentina

Kuranui

Sauvignon Blanc NV

Marlborough, New Zealand

Emmolo

Merlot NV

California, USA

Chateau de la Font du Loup, Chateauneuf-du-Pape NV

Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone, France