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

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

Samantha Hohl, certified sommelier and wine educator, and Robert Tas visit Bistro du Midi, Boston

Wine List Review of Bistro du Midi, Boston

Sam Hohl

Bistro du Midi

Bistro de Midi:

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where, in each episode,&nbsp;we will review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Samantha Hohl, certified sommelier and wine educator. Hello Sam,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to be back together for another episode.&nbsp;

SH: Hi Robert!&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.

&nbsp;RT:&nbsp;So, sit back and listen as we review your favorite wine list.

RT:

Cork Rules

Bistro du Midi

Overview

Bistro du Midi is located in Boston, Massachusetts and offers Southern French cuisine with New England influences. They feature two floors for dining where you can enjoy the bistro on the street level or dine upstairs in the dining room while taking in the view of the Boston Public Garden.

RT: Sam, I can&rsquo;t wait to hear what do you think of their wine list?

Where to start

This list has lots of French selections, which of course makes sense with the theme. They also include some Italian options and a few New World sections as well, but the heart of this list is definitely French. A bottle that would make for a delicious aperitif or to pair alongside your starter plates would be the Drappier Rośe Brut. These bubbles come from the Champagne Drappier estate which has been in the town of Urville since 1808. 70% of the grapes they grow is Pinot Noir, which is what this bottle is made from. It&rsquo;s got bright red fruit aromas and on the palate notes of grapefruit and subtle flower petal tones. It would be perfect with the Salmon Crudo or Tuna tartare.

&nbsp;

Another great start to the evening would be the 2019 Alphonse Mellot Les Romains, Sancerre. Domaine Alphonse Mellot has been around for over 500 years and has had 19th generations of family winemakers. They&rsquo;re known for their outstanding quality white wines, and this Sancerre is no exception. It&rsquo;s 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Upper Loire region of France. It&#39;s going to have a gorgeous acid core and aromas of lemon and notes of peach. It also has lovely structure and mineral qualities too. It&rsquo;s going to pair really well with the arugula salad with goat cheese or oysters to start.

Value

A lovely bottle that would pair well with the menu but also won&rsquo;t break the budget is the 2019 Antidoto Ribera del Duero. This bottle comes from Bodegas Antidoto located in Soria, Spain and is made from Tinto Fino, also known as temperanillo. This bottle has red and black fruit flavors of cherry and blackberry, which I always love. It also has notes of vanilla and pepper. It&rsquo;s bold but balanced with tannins and acidity. It&#39;s going to play really well with these rich, French dishes, especially meat. You could start it with the charcuterie board or try it with the Wagyu beef with mushroom and garlic.

Celebratory 

This wine list has no shortage of celebratory wines. There&rsquo;s some incredible bottles with lots of age, but there&rsquo;s definitely some range here even on the celebratory front. One that caught my eye was the 2000 Grand-Puy-Lacoste Pauillac. This is a gorgeous Bordeaux and a great vintage. It&rsquo;s bold and beautiful with structure and tannins. It has notes of blackberry and black current, along with tobacco and pencil led. Really flavorful and complex with a lasting finish. Sip this alongside the duck breast for a classic pairing. You could also go with the foie gras, or the beef entrees to create the ultimate celebratory experience.

RT: Sam Thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Bistro du Midi&#39;s wine list. I can&rsquo;t wait to go try them myself. &nbsp;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: <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.&nbsp;

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

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End

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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.

Pholuscious Vietnamese Noodles and Grill

Ricco

NV Carletto, Peach Moscato, Italy NV

Italy

Alamos

Malbec 2019

Mendoza, Argentina

Louis M. Martini

Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

California, USA

Château de Raissac

Ostrea Sauvignon Blanc 2018

Languedoc-Roussillon, France

Original House Wine

Red Blend NV

Washington, USA

Ricco

NV Carletto, Peach Moscato, Italy NV

Italy

Chalk Hill

Chalk Hill Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2014

Chalk Hill, USA

William Hill

Central Coast Chardonnay 2020

Central Coast, USA

Alamos

Malbec 2016

Mendoza, Argentina

Whitehaven

Sauvignon Blanc 2020

Marlborough, New Zealand

Canyon Road

Pinot Noir 2016

California, USA

Louis M. Martini

Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

Sonoma County, USA

Alamos

Malbec NV

Mendoza, Argentina

Whitehaven

Sauvignon Blanc 2016

Marlborough, New Zealand

Husch La Ribera Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendocino 2015

Mendocino, USA