&nbsp;

Paola Bea is a legendary figure in the world of Italian wine, particularly in Umbria. The family is renowned for their commitment to natural winemaking and has been instrumental in establishing the reputation of Sagrantino di Montefalco as one of Italy&#39;s most distinctive wines.

The Paola Bea estate, located near the town of Montefalco, has been in the family for generations. However, it was under Paola&#39;s stewardship that it gained international recognition. The vineyards are farmed organically without any chemical intervention and minimal mechanization.

Paola Bea wines are known for their intense character and depth of flavor. They reflect not only the unique terroir but also Paola&#39;s dedication to traditional winemaking methods such as long maceration periods and aging in large oak barrels.

His approach results in wines that are expressive, complex, and have a strong sense of place &ndash; characteristics highly valued by wine enthusiasts worldwide. Whether you&#39;re tasting the acclaimed Sagrantino or lesser-known blends like San Valentino Palo Bea, you can expect an authentic representation of Umbrian viticulture at its finest from this esteemed producer.

Review of San Valentino Palo Bea

San Valentino is a highly esteemed winery located in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Known for its dedication to organic and biodynamic farming practices, this producer has carved out a niche for itself as an innovative and sustainable wine creator. The vineyard was established by Umberto Cesari in 1965, who passionately believed in the potential of Sangiovese grapes from Romagna.

Color:

The San Valentino Palo Bea presents a rich, deep ruby red color that is almost opaque. This intense hue hints at the concentration and complexity within each bottle.

Nose:

On the nose, this wine offers an enticing blend of ripe black fruits like cherries and plums mingled with earthy undertones of leather and tobacco. There are also delightful notes of spices such as clove and cinnamon which add depth to its aromatic profile.

Tannins:

The tannins in San Valentino Palo Bea are well-structured yet supple, providing a robust backbone without overwhelming the palate. They contribute to its full-bodied nature while ensuring longevity for cellaring.

Taste:

Upon tasting, one can expect an explosion of flavors echoing those on the nose - ripe dark fruits layered with spice and earthy nuances. The finish is long-lasting with hints of sweet vanilla oak from barrel aging.

Critic Score &amp; Reviews:

San Valentino Palo Bea consistently receives high scores from critics around the world due to its exceptional quality. It frequently garners ratings above 90 points from renowned publications like Wine Spectator and Decanter Magazine. Reviewers often praise it for its balance between fruit intensity, tannic structure, acidity levels, making it both approachable now but capable of aging gracefully over time.

Food Pairing:

Given its robust character and complex flavor profile, San Valentino Palo Bea pairs wonderfully with hearty dishes such as grilled red meats, game, and rich pasta dishes. It also complements aged cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano.

San Valentino Palo Bea is a testament to the winemaking prowess of its producer. Its full-bodied nature coupled with complex flavors and aromas make it an excellent choice for those seeking a high-quality Italian wine that showcases the potential of Sangiovese grapes from Emilia-Romagna.

Paola Bea is a legendary figure in the world of Italian wine, particularly in Umbria. The family is renowned for their commitment to natural winemaking and has been instrumental in establishing the reputation of Sagrantino di Montefalco as one of Italy's most distinctive wines.

San Valentino Paolo Bea an Italian treasure

Omakase is experiencing a surge in popularity, let’s dig into what it is and of course what wines to drink.



 Omakase, a term that translates to "I'll leave it up to you" in Japanese, is rapidly gaining popularity in the culinary world. This dining experience places your meal entirely in the hands of the chef, who meticulously crafts each course based on seasonal ingredients and their personal creative flair. It's not just about seafood; while sushi often features prominently due to its status as a cornerstone of Japanese cuisine, an omakase menu can include anything from Wagyu beef to seasonal vegetables.

Omakase and Wine Pairing: A Booming Gastronomic Journey

California Chardonnay: it's a name synonymous with sunshine, buttery richness, and maybe even a splash of white wine envy (looking at you, Bridget Jones). But how did this grape, originally hailing from France, become a Californian icon? Buckle up, because we're diving into the world of CA Chard, from its unexpected origins to the reasons it continues to reign supreme on wine lists.

Buckle up, because we're diving into the world of CA Chard!

Forget everything you think you know about sweet, syrupy wines. Lambrusco is a sparkling red wine from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region that’s as light and bubbly as a summer day.

Lambrusco: The Party in a Bottle You Need to Try under $25

As the days grow longer and warmer, it's time to trade in your full-bodied reds and crisp whites for a glass of refreshing rosé. This versatile wine is not only perfect for spring but also pairs beautifully with a wide variety of foods all year round.



Rosé originates from France, specifically Provence - the world’s leading rosé region. It has been produced there since 600 BC when Greeks brought vines to southern France. Unlike its red and white counterparts, rosés are made using an array of grape varietals including Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault among others.

Spring into Rosé: The Perfect Wine for Warmer Weather

We are interested in understanding your dining and wine consumption habits to gain valuable insights into the wine and restaurant industry.

State of Wine and Restaurant Survey 2024

Aligoté: Burgundy's Unsung Hero Steps Out of the Shadows

For Chardonnay lovers seeking a refreshing, value-driven alternative, Aligoté, Burgundy's "other" white grape, beckons with its crisp acidity, subtle minerality, and undeniable charm. Often overshadowed by its more illustrious neighbor, Aligoté is finally gaining recognition for its unique qualities and exceptional quality-to-price ratio.

Aligoté: Burgundy's Unsung Hero Steps Out of the Shadows

A Hungarian Legacy: Imagine yourself in Tokaj, Hungary, a region steeped in winemaking tradition. For centuries, Furmint has thrived in its volcanic soil, basking in the warm sunshine. These grapes, loved for their thick skin and high acidity, became the cornerstone of Hungary's most famous wine: Tokaji. These sweet, honeyed treasures were once enjoyed by royalty and popes!

Furmint: Hungary's Hidden Gem for Wine Lovers

Check out these four whites wines under $24, from some great producers across various terroirs – France, Italy, Spain. Spring is in the air.

Four must try white wines for under $24 from France, Spain, and Italy

Eric Asimov's recent article isn't just about the "luxury" of sommeliers vanishing from restaurants. It's a stark warning about the potential collapse of a vibrant corner of our social and cultural ecosystem: the world of wine.

Why the Decline of Sommeliers Is a Crisis for All of Us

rhodora wine bar

Grace Hood

Rhodora

RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where&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 Hey Robert!

RT Before we jump in, let&rsquo;s talk about those wine lists. We created CorkRules to help demystify wine list&rsquo;s 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;Today we&rsquo;re reviewing the wine list for the Brooklyn wine bar Rhodora. Grace what are your initial thoughts?

GH: So, this place has a really amazing concept &ndash; they&rsquo;re all about sustainability, heralding themselves as a zero-waste establishment, which we love to see. Apparently, they are the first restaurant in America to have this zero-waste concept, in that nothing goes to the landfill, there isn&rsquo;t even a trash can on premise! Instead, the scraps get put in a trash compactor and turn it into mulch for their flower beds outside the restaurant &ndash; how delightful is that! But this place is definitely first and foremost a wine bar &ndash; the food menu is pretty limited but gives you some lovely shared plates tapas style options.

RT: Love that they&#39;re committed to environmental causes. More places need to follow suit. So, what are your thoughts on the wine list?

GH: So, with Rhodora, we&rsquo;re exploring a trendy buzzword in the hospitality industry &ndash; natural wine. Which essentially just means it&rsquo;s a wine that was made in the most organic, ancient, back to basics way. It&rsquo;s all about letting the grape and the terroir shine through by having minimal human intervention, as opposed to these big production wineries that will manipulate their wine with food coloring and flavor chips to make the wine taste how they want it to, rather than how it naturally should be.

RT: Oh, wow you definitely have a point there Grace. So where should we start on the Rhodora natural wine menu?

GH: At only 2 pages, this is a pretty approachable list. Coupled with the fact that their prices are really really affordable. The average bottle price looks to be around $80, which is a steal when it comes to New York City fine dining. This is the place to take that chance and get some really unique wines you haven&rsquo;t tried before. And since this is a wine bar, the staff will be really educated on the list and you&rsquo;ll be able to fully nerd out with them, or trust that they will guide you to something you&#39;ll really enjoy. Now if you&rsquo;re asking what I would drink &ndash; I&rsquo;m starting with the sparkling pinot gris from the Alsace region. I absolutely love the still pinot gris&rsquo; from that &aacute;rea &ndash; which is the most northern in all of Europe that produces wine. So think about these slightly mountainous cool climate &aacute;reas with all this rich f&eacute;rtile soil. Alsace makes some fabulous and totally under-the-radar light whites. And speaking of lighter style french whites, I&rsquo;m super curious about the 2020 Jerome Jouret sauv blanc from Ardeche, which is in the southeast region of France. Usually, you see sauv blancs coming from the west of France &ndash; either in the Loire Valley or in Bordeaux. So I&rsquo;m really interested to see how a sauv blanc from an untypical region would taste.

&nbsp;

RT: Oh totally. All great points Grace. What else caught your eye?

&nbsp;

GH: Well, they have a pretty extensive Orange wine list! And I know for a lot of people, Orange wine is a little intimidating or just strange for most wine drinkers who haven&rsquo;t had a lot of experience with Orange wine. Like we talked about on another episode, Orange wine is just a white wine grape that has been done in a red wine style. In that the grapes were fermented whole berry or whole cluster, instead of the juice being pressed off like a normal white wine. So you&rsquo;re going to get this really interesting rich lush mouth feel. Because there are so many different varietals on this Orange wine list, my suggestion would be to pick one of your favorite white wine grapes, and order the Orange wine made out of that! That&rsquo;ll be a really cool contrast &ndash; your palate can draw from the memories of that grape as done in a white wine style, and you can compare it to the grape done in an Orange wine style. Just because I&rsquo;m a huge nerd and I love rare grapes, I&rsquo;m going to be choosing the muscadet 2019 from Jura. Usually, muscadet is grown in the west, so its interesting to see it grown in jura which is in the east borderline with Switzerland. Pick your favorite white grape and go with it in an Orange wine! Have fun with it!

RT: Love that approach Grace. Makes the orange wine list not so daunting. Now what are you thinking for reds?

GH: Oh man, there are so many good options! One that stuck out to me was the 2013 merlot from Dario Princic from the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. It&#39;s one of the only older red vintages on the menu so I def want to give that one a go &ndash; anticipating how lush and soft it will be! Another one I&rsquo;m interested in is the 2017 Syrah Crozes-Hermitage from the Aleofane vineyard in the Rhone valley. Rich and decadent without too much acidity. And one that I&rsquo;ve got questions about, is a Slovenian pinot noir! Slovenia is one of those countries that has been producing wine for centuries, but a lot of it doesn&rsquo;t make it to the domestic marketplace because there is no demand for it &ndash; but that&rsquo;s only because people don&rsquo;t know Slovenia makes wine, let alone how good it is. Places like Rhodora, with their thoughtful and affordable list as well as knowledgeable staff, will be the perfect place to go out of your comfort zone and try something new.

RT: Amazing Grace. Great choices as always. Thank you for helping us navigate the wine list at Rhodora.

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.

&nbsp;

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

&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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BRAT

Bocca di Lupe

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Alba Restaurant

Alba

10 Greek Street

L'Auberge Chez Francois

Andrew Edmunds

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Matteos Ristorante Italiano

Matteo's

Riondo is a renowned Italian wine producer that specializes in the production of Prosecco. They have a long-standing history of producing some of the finest wines in Italy, and their commitment to quality and innovation has made them one of the most respected names in the industry.

Airy, modern outpost for raw fare, wood-fired seafood & other plates plus a U-shaped cocktail bar.

Viva Garcia

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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

Fort Oak

Domäne Wachau

Gruner Veltliner Federspiel Terrassen 2021

Gruner Veltliner

Wachau

Weingut Bründlmayer

Gruner Veltliner Landwein 2021

Gruner Veltliner

Niederosterreich

La Rioja Alta

Vina Alberdi Crianza 2018

Tempranillo

Rioja, Spain

Tenuta Campo al Mare

Bolgheri Rosso 2021

Merlot

Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy

Château de Saint Cosme

Cotes du Rhone Les Deux Albion 2019

Blend

Cotes du Rhone, Rhone, France

Domaines Schlumberger

Riesling Alsace Grand Cru 'Saering' 2018

Riesling

Alsace, France

Laurent Fayolle

Sens Crozes-Hermitage 2020

Shiraz/Syrah

Crozes-Hermitage, France

G.D. Vajra

Dolcetto d'Alba Coste & Fossati 2019

Dolcetto

Dolcetto d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy

Hendry

Hendry Block 28 Zinfandel 2018

Zinfandel

California, USA

Frog's Leap

Merlot 2019

Merlot

Rutherford, USA

Comte Lafond

Sancerre Blanc 2021

Sauvignon Blanc

Loire, France

Le Domaine d'Henri

Chablis Premier Cru 'Fourchaume' 2020

Chardonnay

Chablis, Burgundy, France

François Chidaine

Les Choisilles Montlouis Sur Loire 2020

Chenin Blanc

Loire, France

Siduri

Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2020

Pinot Noir

California, USA

Le Domaine d'Henri

Chablis Premier Cru 'Fourchaume' 2015 2020

Chardonnay

Chablis, Burgundy, France