Josh Ardizzoni, certified sommelier and cellar consultant, reviews the wine list of <a href="https://thegrillnewyork.com/">The Grill</a>, &nbsp;a mid-century American Steakhouse inside the iconic Seagram Building in Midtown East. It&rsquo;s expensive, glitzy, and definitely smacks of mid-20th-century fat-cat dining, but it&rsquo;s well worth dining here. Whether you are in the mood for land, sky, or sea, the menu offers a delicious array of dishes, and the extensive wine list offers an impressive selection of champagnes, an impressive Premier Cru selection, and many exciting wines from Europe and beyond.

If celebration is on your mind, and you&rsquo;re in the mood for a little decadent indulgence, The Grill offers a classy, classic New York experience.

They offer several vintages of Louis Roederer, Cristal, ranging from 1997 to 2013, Moet Chandon, Dom Perignon, and more, and you can choose a three-litre bottle, six litres, or a magnum.

Champagne engages all the senses, from the first pop of the cork to the fizz when pouring, and the light pop of the bubbles in the glass. Then there is the delicate color, aroma, and texture on the tongue. It&rsquo;s light, delightful, and a downright joyous way to kick off an evening with friends.

Identifying the delicate tasting notes of champagne is no easy task, it takes dedication, focus, and the arduous task of drinking lots and lots of different types and styles of champagne.

The tasting notes in Champagne wines are subtle but every bottle has unique characteristics that have developed over time, and of course, are derived from the grape, age, producing and bottling. All elements converge and merge and mature into their own, unique bottle with notes that can range from fruity to floral, wood or spice.

At The Grill, consider kicking off the evening with a bottle of Dom P&eacute;rignon, Lady Gaga, 2010, the floral aromas, nuttiness, toast and a tight salinity, this wine is full-bodied and dry, and wonderfully fresh.

A champagne that offers value in addition to sparkle is the Mouss&eacute; L&#39;Or d&#39;Eugene, Perpetuelle, it&rsquo;s a blend of 80% pinot meunier and 20% pinot noir. This wine has a deep and complex bouquet of golden orchard fruit, honeycomb, and candied peel. It&#39;s medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, and would complement many of the appetizers on the menu.

To learn more about the wine list at The Grill, <a href="https://uat.corkrules.com/the-grill/episodes/7">check out the CorkRules podcast</a>&nbsp;with Josh Ardizonni.

Josh, a CorkRules&rsquo; sommelier, talks about where the exciting side of where champagne is going, and he identifies those exclusive and beautifully-aged bottles as well as the extraordinary value wines on the list such as Les Beaux Regards from B&eacute;reche &amp; Fils, the 2015 Volnay-Champans from Marquis d&rsquo;Angerville, and the 1986 Ch&acirc;teau Rauzan-S&eacute;gla from Margaux.

The tasting notes in Champagne wines are subtle but every bottle has unique characteristics that have developed over time, and of course, are derived from the grape, age, producing and bottling. All elements converge and merge and mature into their own, unique bottle with notes that can range from fruity to floral, wood or spice.

Tasting Notes in Champagne at The Grill

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

Samantha Hohl, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas visit Sportello

Wine Review of Sportello, Boston

Sam Hohl

Sportello

Sportello

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where we review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Samantha Hohl, wine educator and certified sommelier.

Hello Sam, great to have you back for another great wine list.

SH: Hello 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 wine lists can be intimidating, and even a little daunting.

Our aim is to help prepare you to navigate that list, find those hidden gems, 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.

Cork Rules

Sportello

Overview

Sportello is located in Boston&rsquo;s Fort Point neighborhood and is known for their takes on Italian dishes. Its trattoria-style setting invites you to pull up a seat at the counter in front of their open kitchen and dig into a bowl of pasta.

Stand Outs

Sportello has plenty of classic drink options to go with their Italian cuisine, including a lovely list of apertivos and digestivos to start or end the night. But Sportello&rsquo;s also has a really accessible wine list focusing on Italian wines of all styles so you&rsquo;re sure to find a favorite or discover something new and delicious.

If it&rsquo;s a red kind of night I&rsquo;d go with the 2019 Occhipinti il Frappato. This red comes from Sicily and Frappato is one of the indigenous grape varietals&nbsp; grown there. I love Frappato wines because they tend to be bright with red fruit, yet complex with some earthy components and have this tartness that is so good with food. This bottle will bring great minerality and refreshing acid too, making it fun to drink but a great partner with your starter. I&rsquo;d sip this alongside the spicy tomato soup with taleggio and caraway crostini.&nbsp;

There&rsquo;s also some great classic white wine options that are going to be really nice with your meal. A white wine that caught my eye though was the 2017 Viola Shiva. This wine is made by Aldo Viola, a winemaker also in Sicily and made from 100% Catarratto grapes which are widely planted there. Aldo&rsquo;s vineyards are located near Alcamo on Sicily&#39;s coast. These wines typically have a fuller body and notes of citrus and tropical fruit. This particular wine was made with 30% grapes that were dried before being fermented, adding more fruit-forward flavors. It&rsquo;s also going to have herbaceous qualities and subtle notes of smoke. These aromas and flavors just take the sensory experience up a notch, and with the panzanella starter with sheep&rsquo;s milk ricotta your meal is off to an incredible start.

Value Bottle

This list provides a great range of pricing. So if you&rsquo;re looking to splurge a little, you&rsquo;ve got options, and if you&rsquo;re looking for a bottle that will elevate your meal without breaking the bank, there&rsquo;s plenty of choices as well.

Something affordable and a little different would be from a small section called &ldquo;Italian Style Whites&rdquo; and the 2019 Giornata Ramato got my attention. This Ramato wine is from Paso Robles. Ramato is an Italian word for &ldquo;coppery,&rdquo; which speaks to the color of this wine since it&rsquo;s not quite pink like rose and not as orange as an orange wine. It&rsquo;s 100% Pinot Grigio that has been in contact with the skins for a few months before finishing the aging process. The result is a zippy wine with red fruit flavors, hints of melon, and some minerality. It will have some tannins from the skin contact so it&rsquo;s able to handle some flavorful dishes, such as the Long Island duck breast with beet, carrot and cherries.

Celebratory 

Alright, maybe it&rsquo;s a big night and you&rsquo;re feeling like something that&rsquo;s going to take your meal over the top. I&rsquo;d go for the 2016 Paolo Bea Pagliaro. This wine from Umbria is made from the Sagrantino grape, which is known for its super high tannins, making it ideal for aging. Paolo Bea wines are loved by natural wine enthusiasts and their wine production is limited, so this bottle would be a real treat. Paolo Bea farms organically and uses minimal intervention in their wines, meaning they don&rsquo;t make unnecessary additions to the wine in order to show the true essence of the product. This wine will have blackberry and dark fruit flavors, with a nice backbone of earthy minerality and tannins. Pair with the Vermont Wagyu and that will be a meal you won&rsquo;t forget!

Sam, Thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Sportello&rsquo;s wine list. I can&rsquo;t wait to go try your great suggestions.&nbsp;&nbsp;

To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.

If you would like Sam 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.

&nbsp;

BRAT

Bocca di Lupe

Gap Weekend: A Film Shoot in Wine Country

Alba Restaurant

Alba

10 Greek Street

L'Auberge Chez Francois

Andrew Edmunds

Salt Seafood and Oyster Bar

Matteos Ristorante Italiano

Matteo's

Beringer is one of the oldest and most respected wineries in California, known for producing high-quality wines that showcase the unique terroir of the region. The winery is located in the heart of Napa Valley and has been making wine for over 140 years.

American rotisserie fare & live blues are draws at this restaurant in a warehouse with city views.

Per Se

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

Two Urban Licks

Available Wines
Total Wines - 10

The Paring

Pinot Noir 2018

Pinot Noir

California, USA

Terra Valentine

Riesling 2012

Riesling

Spring Mountain District, USA

Flache Sornay, Morgon 2016

Beaujolais, France

The Giving Kitchen

Pinot Noir 2018

Pinot Noir

Central Coast, California, USA

Arnot-Roberts

Gamay Noir 2019

Gamay

Sierra Foothills, California, USA

Flowers

Pinot Noir 2019

Pinot Noir

Sonoma Coast, USA

Tenuta delle Terre Nere

Etna Rosso 2016

Nerello Mascalese

Sicily, Italy

Shea Wine Cellars

Estate Pinot Noir 2016

Pinot Noir

Oregon, USA

Georges Lignier et Fils

Chambolle-Musigny 2014

Pinot Noir

Burgundy, France

Domaine Roblet-Monnot Volnay Saint-Francois, France, Burgundy 2015

Pinot Noir

Cote de Beaune, Burgundy, France