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

Field & Main Restaurant

Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas explore the wine list at Field and Maine, a restaurant with a wholesome, rustic vibe that serves locally-sourced and globally-inspired cuisine. 

Wine List Review of Field and Maine, Virginia

Michaela Quinlan

Field and Maine

Field &amp; Main:

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where,&nbsp;in each episode,&nbsp;we will review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier. Hello Michaela,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to be back together for another episode.

MQ: Hi Robert!

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.

RT: Today we are talking about Field and Main Restaurant in Marshall, VA, just an hour outside of Washington DC. Field and Main offers locally sourced and globally inspired cuisine. Enjoy their indoor dining, or try their private, outdoor cabana seating for that special event.

Michaela, I can&rsquo;t wait to hear what do you think of their wine list.

MQ: Any wine list that features pages of sparklers from around the world, definitely has my attention! Not to mention the stellar selections of reds, whites, and roses. The list layout is approachable by region and varietal and will certainly please all palates.

RT: That&rsquo;s really great, as you looked at the list did you see anything jump out at you?

MQ: The first wine that caught my eye was a local, Viognier. Consider the 2016 Michael Shaps Viognier from Charlottesville, VA. Viognier is light to medium bodied, aromatic, and truly thrives in Virginia. This beautiful white wine features aromas of white flowers, honeysuckle, ripe green apple, ripe peach, and lemon zest. Enjoy this wine as an aperitif or with shellfish and cheese.

RT: That is for sure unique. Did you find any others that caught your eye right away?

MQ: Another unique wine caught my eye. Consider the 2021 Domaine de la Mordoree &lsquo;La Reine du Bois&rsquo; Rose from Tavel in France. Tavel is an appellation in southern Rhone that only produces Rose. This standout blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah consistently earns high ratings. It features rich color with notes of tangerine, ripe red cherries, ripe raspberries, along with notes of herbs on the lingering finish. This is a year-round Rose to pair with shellfish, cheese, and lightly sauced proteins.

RT: So, Michaela, their list seems to have lots of range but was there anything that you would say is a &ldquo;must-try&rdquo;?

MQ: A must-try is the Jansz Brut from Tasmania. This Australian sparkler consists of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Munier and features all of the classic aromas and flavors you hope for in a standout Brut. From notes of citrus, apple, and pear, to brioche and almond, this sparkler is a must-try. Kick off your dining experience with a glass or pair with light fare and anything fried.

RT: These are some great calls. So, you know I&rsquo;m getting thirsty and will need to order a bottle with my dinner, where would you guide us?

MQ: Another standout on this list is the 2020 Mullineux Syrah from Swartland, South Africa. This Western Cape Syrah showcases aromas of lavender, dried rose, ripe blackberries, black cherries, and cassis, with notes of mushroom, olive, black pepper and smoke. Pair this red with herbed proteins, savory and smoky dishes.

RT: Michaela, speaking of price, sometimes people have a budget in mind..&nbsp; any other great value wines you&rsquo;d point us to?&nbsp;

MQ: Consider the 2021 Tornatore Carricante from Sicily. Carricante is a Southern Italian white grape varietal is a medium-bodied crowd pleaser. From ripe peach, pear, and green apple to a mineral and almond/nutty finish, this quality/value white is another must-try. &nbsp;

RT: That sounds great. What is your other value selection?

MQ: We can thank Portugal for our next selection. If you are looking for a quality/value bold red, then consider the 2019 Quinta de la Rosa from the Douro region of Northern Portugal. This blend of Touriga National, Tinta Roriz, and Touriga Franca features ripe black cherries, ripe plumb, fig, with notes of smoke, earth, and leather. Keep this wine in mind when pairing with all richly sauced dishes.

RT: Now Michaela, what if I have a big client dinner or special occasion where I want to take it up a notch?

MQ: If you are fortunate enough to visit this gorgeous area of Northern Virginia, and specifically a cabana at Field and Main, consider the following wine to enhance your Old-World dining experience. The 2020 Domaine JM Guillon &lsquo;Vielles Vignes&rsquo; from Gevrey- Chambertain in Burgundy. Field and Main offers this wine in a Magnum format, which always makes an impression when it arrives at the table. &lsquo;Vielles Vignes&rsquo; on the label means &lsquo;old vines &lsquo;and the grapes for this exquisite and aromatic Pinot Noir were grown on 90-year-old vines. Featuring ripe cranberry, fig, plumb, and ripe raspberry with a note of spice and minerality on the finish make this classic Pinot Noir a celebration in itself.

RT: Michaela, thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Field and Main&rsquo;s wine list. I can&rsquo;t wait to go try them myself.&nbsp;

&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.

&nbsp;

Thank you.

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End

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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

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