Certified sommelier and CorkRules&rsquo; resident Somm, Michaela Quinlan shares her expertise on the wine list of <a href="https://ilbuco.com/">il Buco.</a>&nbsp;il Buco&rsquo;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 &quot;one of the best and most exciting in America&quot; by Gourmet magazine and the wine list has won <a href="https://www.winespectator.com/">Wine Spectator&rsquo;s</a>&nbsp;&quot;Award of Excellence&quot; several times.

The wine cellar was created by Roberto Paris, a childhood friend of Alberto Avalle&#39;s, the co-owner. Roberto is from the small town of Foligno, Umbria and he has brought his knowledge of the artisan producers to il Buco. The selection of wines is dedicated to small lesser-known producers of artisan wines that are expressions of the soils and cultures However, on a 400-wine list, you&rsquo;d expect to see wines from the world&rsquo;s more renowned wineries, and indeed, you will find a large selection of well-known and well-loved wineries.

In the by-the-glass section, try the La Lecciaia Brunello Riserva, Toscana. Made from sangiovese from a winery in central Italy, this wine is light, fruity and dry with notes of ripe red fruit, raspberry and cherry.

Another must-try on the by-the-glass section is the Arnaldo-Caprai &#39;Cuvee Secret&#39;, Umbria. Umbria is a region famed for the quality of its wine, and this one lives up to expectations. It&rsquo;s round and soft, at the same time fresh with notes of delicate flavors and citrus. It also comes from central Italy and is made from the grechetto grape.

Moving to the north of Italy, the Magia Lambrusco 2016 from Emilia-Romagna has a dark purple hue that pours a beautiful purple fizzy head. The bubbles are small and light, the notes are floral with red fruits. Delightful on a hot summer night.

Taking a break from Italian wines, let&rsquo;s move on to Slovenia and try a bottle of the Simčič Ribolla Classic 2016. The ribolla varietal is indigenous to Slovenia and is best grown in the mild Mediterranean climate. The bouquet is soft with notes of lemon, green apple, citrus and grapefruit. This wine would pair well with the Tagliatelle (house-made egg pasta, Perigord black truffle, parmigiano or the Risotto (Principato di Lucedio carnaroli rice, Oregon porcini, thyme, pecorino di noce).

If a trip to wine country in Italy is out of the question, may we suggest a visit to il Buco where you can peruse artisan wines&nbsp;at your pleasure.

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 thanks to sommelier&rsquo;s 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. &nbsp;CorkRules will help you 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;

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

Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas navigate the wine list at Elways owned by and named after the NFL quarterback, John Elways. 

Wine List Review of Elways, Vail, Colorado

Grace Hood

Elways

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where, in each episode, 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 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 fabulous spot are we looking at today?

GH: Well since it is ski season, we are in the fabulous town of Vail Colorado, taking a deep dive into the wine list at Elways. &nbsp;&nbsp;

RT: Owned by the football player?

GH: That is correct Robert. Elways has a few locations, and their location is definitely one of the gems in their portfolio. &nbsp;

RT: And I can assume the wine list here is going to be killer. Fine dining steak house in a ski town must mean a baller list.

GH: 100% &nbsp;

RT: Alright where do you want to start us, my friend?

GH: With sparkling of course! If you&rsquo;re looking for a nice easy drinking approachable French sparkling &ndash; the Lucien Albrecht Cr&eacute;mant from Alsace is one of my go-tos. However, if you wanted a fabulous vintage champagne, they have a 2005 Jacequesson which would be really unique.

RT: Oh, wow two great and very different options to start us off with. Thanks for that Grace. Where are you steering us when it comes to the whites?

GH: If you&rsquo;re looking for light white, they&rsquo;ve got a 2020 Gruner Veltliner from Ingrid Groiss, or if you want a sauv blanc, I would show some love for the 2019 Chateau la Rame White Bordeaux.

RT: Awesome &ndash; definitely can&rsquo;t go wrong with either of those. Now I assume Vail brings in the classic chardonnay drinkers.

GH: Oh, it absolutely does Robert. For California chardonnay, I would go with the 2014 Hirsch vineyards out of Sonoma, for Oregon Chardonnay I&rsquo;m doing the 2016 Walter Scott, and for French chardonnay, I would do the 2020 Paul Pernot Puligny Montrachet &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

RT: 3 very different styles of chardonnay &ndash; super fun choices. Alright &ndash; where are we going as we dive into the reds?

GH: Gotta start with pinot of course &ndash; for my Burgundy pick I think I would do the 2014 Chambolle Musigny Premi&egrave;re Cru from Olivier Bernstein, and then California pinot I would do the 2018 Alden Alli from Sonoma Coast. And then for Oregon pinot, the 2015 JK Carrier. &nbsp;&nbsp;

RT: Sold ha-ha now how about something a little more medium-bodied?

GH: Ohhh speak of the devil &ndash; I just spotted a 2014 Mayacamas from Mt. Veeder &ndash; I was literally just talking about Mayacamas merlot to a fellow sommelier the other day. I personally prefer napa merlot over Cabernet so I&rsquo;m always excited to see some love shown to Napa merlot.

RT: Totally get where you&rsquo;re coming from. Speaking of, any good right bank Bordeaux?

GH: At Elways &ndash; oh for sure. I would do the 2001 Chateau l&rsquo;Avangile. 

RT: Hey now that sounds like a winner. Alright we can&rsquo;t forget about the cab drinkers &ndash; especially at a steak house like this.

GH: Would never dream of it &ndash; for cabs &ndash; starting with left bank Bordeaux, the have a 1995 chateau Gruraud Larose which for the price point is crazy good. And then for a big bold California Cabernet &ndash; they have a 2011 Araujo which would definitely do the trick

RT: hey now we&rsquo;re talking. Alright, Grace how about some value wines on the Elway&rsquo;s menu? Something accessible and easy for an apr&egrave;s ski?

GH: You had me at apr&egrave;s hahah for a white, I would do the 2018 Aligot&eacute; from Sylvain Patalie. And then for a red &ndash; the 2016 Bordeaux Blend from Gilbert Cellars out of Walla Walla Washington.

RT: Oh yeah those will drink great for the price point. Now how about some special occasion bottles at Elways.

GH: Oh man there are tons of those to choose from. But if I just had 2 picks &ndash; I would go with the 2011 Grand Cru Morey Blanc Batard Montrachet, or the 2001 Chateau Latour.

RT: There it is - Grace thank you so much for helping us navigate the wine list here at Elways. &nbsp;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.

End

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