Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting <a href="https://www.67pallmall.com/the-london-club/">67 Pall Mall,</a> an elite private members&#39; club in London that caters exclusively to wine enthusiasts. Nestled in a grandiose building steeped in history and charm, this establishment offers a rich gastronomic experience for all its patrons.

The Food:

Dining at 67 Pall Mall is akin to indulging your senses in an array of culinary delights. The menu was thoughtfully curated with dishes designed not just for their standalone merit but also how they pair beautifully with wines. From delicate canap&eacute;s to hearty mains and decadent desserts, each dish was crafted exquisitely using high-quality ingredients sourced locally.

The Wine Program:

The heart and soul of 67 Pall Mall lie undoubtedly within its extensive wine program &ndash; one that boasts over four thousand different labels from around the globe. Their highly trained sommeliers guide you through this labyrinthine list with grace and knowledge. Whether you&#39;re a novice or seasoned connoisseur, there&rsquo;s something incredibly satisfying about discovering new vineyards or vintages under their expert guidance.

What sets them apart is not only the diversity of their collection but also their impressive storage capabilities which allow them to house these thousands of bottles under optimal conditions ensuring perfect preservation.

Service &amp; Vibe:

Atmosphere plays a crucial role when it comes down to enjoying fine dining paired with exquisite wines; thankfully, this aspect has been mastered by 67 Pall Mall as well. With impeccable service that strikes the right balance between attentiveness without being intrusive along with an ambiance reminiscent of old-world sophistication mixed subtly with modern chicness - it&rsquo;s hard not be enamored by it all!

Global Presence:

Beyond London&#39;s historic St James district where it first opened doors back in December 2015 lies its international presence across Bordeaux, Beaune, Singapore, and Melbourne. Each location maintains the same high standards of service while reflecting the unique cultural nuances of their respective regions.

Comparison with Soho Franchise:

While both 67 Pall Mall and Soho franchise cater to an elite clientele seeking a refined experience, there are notable differences. Where Soho clubs tend to lean towards a broader spectrum of interests including arts, film and media; 67 Pall Mall is unabashedly dedicated to wine enthusiasts providing them with an unparalleled selection along with educational events hosted by industry experts.

The Need for Private Wine Clubs in New York:

Given New York&#39;s vibrant culture and its plethora of enophiles, it&#39;s surprising that private wine clubs like 67 Pall Mall aren&#39;t more prevalent here. Establishments such as Wing-Tip in San Francisco have demonstrated how these venues can become social hubs for those passionate about wines - combining education, appreciation and camaraderie under one roof.

Being part of a community like this not only expands your understanding but also refines your palate over time &ndash; making every sip you take thereafter a testament to your evolving sophistication. As I left the hallowed halls of 67 Pall Mall that evening - satiated yet yearning for more - I couldn&rsquo;t help but feel grateful for having been part of such an enriching experience. Here&rsquo;s raising my glass hoping many more will get to enjoy this oenophile&rsquo;s paradise!

Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting 67 Pall Mall, an elite private members' club in London that caters exclusively to wine enthusiasts. Nestled in a grandiose building steeped in history and charm, this establishment offers a rich gastronomic experience for all its patrons.

A Connoisseur's Sojourn to 67 Pall Mall - An Exquisite Oenophile's Paradise

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

Le Grand Restaurant

Grace Hood

Le Grand

Le Grand

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 Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier. Hello Grace,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to have you!

GH: Hey Robert! Happy to be here as always

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. Grace, what are we reviewing today?

GH: Today we&rsquo;re taking on downtown LA hot spot, Le Grand, and let me tell you, this place looks like a VIBE as the youths say. On top of having an awesome wine list and delish-looking menu, they have live music, DJs and performers most nights! Looks like one hell of a party. Let&rsquo;s go Robert!

RT:&nbsp;Let me get a babysitter and I&rsquo;ll meet you there Grace!

GH: And I love that even though this place is super fun and lively, they put a lot of care and consideration into their wine list. That doesn&rsquo;t always happen with properties that focus more on having a good time rather than curating a unique wine list. You basically either get fine dining with huge cellars, or nightclubs with bottle service. Love that this place meets in the middle!

RT: Sounds super fun! What are your thoughts on the wine menu?

GH: Whoever made this wine list definitely knew their audiences. In LA you have some old school classic Hollywood types who love their big cabs and old-world Italians etc. But then you have hip young millennials who are all about natural wine. And you can get all of that at La Grande!

RT: Love that. Catering to all palates in downtown LA. Where do you want to kick us off?

GH: So, in the first few pages, they are highlighting Georgian wine which is super rare to see! Georgia is internationally recognized as the cradle of wine with 8,000-year history of winemaking. These smaller lesser-known countries, like Ge&oacute;rgia, who have been producing wine for thousands of years, but just didn&#39;t have the volume or the interest to distribute worldwide. But now that so many countries have wine as an everyday beverage, we&rsquo;re seeing tons more countries represented in the wine scene. &nbsp;

RT: I don&rsquo;t know if I&rsquo;ve ever had Georgian wine!

GH: You wouldn&rsquo;t be the first person to say that to me Robert! I love that Le Grand is putting na emphasis on Georgian wine. And best part, besides being delicious, is that it&rsquo;s super affordable! Most of the wines they have on the Georgian list are going to be natural wines done in quervi&rsquo;s which are large, egg-shaped earthenware vessels used for the fermentation, storage and ageing of traditional Georgian wines. Going to give you a creamier more rustic style of wine. Not for everyone but definitely worth trying so you can at least experience this unique style for yourself.

RT: What would you recommend to a first-timer like myself?

GH: For skin contact Orange wine, I would do the 2019 Ori Marani Exile on Caucasus, which is made (and I might get this pronunciation totally wrong) from the Katsateli grape. Or the 2019 Villa Mosavali Mtsvane. Both those grapes are indigenous to Georgia and a staple of their wine-making history.

RT: Very cool! I&rsquo;m so curious about them. What would you recommend for Georgian reds? &nbsp;&nbsp;

GH: So saperavi is one of their most famous red grapes. And there are more than a few on the Le Grand list. I would go with the 2019 from Marbano. Or the 2019 from the Georgian Wine Foundation. The name says it all!

RT: Wow that&rsquo;s so rad. Thanks for that Georgian wine lesson, Grace. I bet a lot of our viewers had no idea about Georgian wine till now. What else is looking good on the Le Grand list?

GH: Oh man they have so many little sub categories. This list is like looking at a map of a city that has many unique neighborhoods. A few pages past Georgia, they have a section called the Rare Gems Collection, and boy do they ever. Starting in sparkling, you could go with the 1990 Taittinger Artist Collection or the equally as lovely 2005 Dom Perignon Brut Rose. 

RT: Can&rsquo;t go wrong with vintage champagne. What about some lighter-style whites?

GH: Oh they have a great domestic riesling producer, Brooks, which is out of the Willmette Valley in Oregon. The riesling made in Oregon, unless otherwise specifed, is going to be dry! Crispy and aromatic and floral. I&rsquo;ve been lucky enough to visit and tour the Brooks winery and they&rsquo;remaking some really exceptional wines up there. &nbsp;

RT: Oh delicious. And I bet riesling would be a fun bottle to have while jamming to a groovy band at Le Grand.

GH: Exactly! When I&rsquo;m dancing I always want something refreshing in my glass.

RT: What about a white for our listeners who are more into richer styles? &nbsp;

GH: Gotta be a central coast classic, Melville. It&#39;s a Santa Barbara winery that&#39;s making french style wine from California grapes, and is a personal favorite of mine. The tasting room is absolutely stunning as well.

RT: Oh la la American Burgundy!

GH: And speaking of American Burgundy. You know I gotta highlight some domestic pinots. They have a 1999 Flowers Pinot out of Sonoma. You don&rsquo;t want to drink pinots when they&rsquo;re too too old, so this one is right on the cusp of almost over the hill, so don&#39;t delay and drink today!

RT: Going once going twice sold!

GH: And if pinot isn&rsquo;t your jam, how about some rhone valley Syrah? This 1999 E Guigal Cote Rotie would be a fabulous choice. Oh if you wanted a 90s Italian, they&rsquo;ve got a 1997 Sassicaia! Woweee wow wow! Or orrrr if you wanted 90s Spanish &ndash; get yourself a bottle of 1998 Vega Sicilia from Ribera del Duero! Holy canolli this place has some deep cuts on their list!

RT: Absolutely amazing. I think this answers the question &ldquo;where did all the older vintages go?&rdquo; turns out their hiding out in a groovy cellar in downtown LA

GH: You can say that again, Robert. Le Grand, we see you!

RT: Amazing! Grace, thank you so much for helping us navigate the list at Le Grand. 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. Follow us on social media @CorkRules and @wineswithgrace

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

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End

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