Love me some&nbsp;Paso! Located in the heart of California&#39;s Central Coast wine region,&nbsp;Paso&nbsp;Robles is a hidden gem for wine enthusiasts and food lovers alike. With its diverse array of wineries and charming tasting rooms, this scenic destination offers an unforgettable experience for visitors.

When it comes to wineries,&nbsp;Paso&nbsp;Robles has something for everyone. Whether you prefer large-scale operations or boutique vineyards, there are plenty of options to explore. Let&#39;s take a closer look at some of the standout wineries in the area.

For those who appreciate the big names in the industry, Justin is a must-visit. Known for their exceptional cabs and blends, Justin offers a fantastic tasting experience and even boasts an on-site restaurant. Keep in mind that Justin is located in the corner of the&nbsp;Paso&nbsp;wine region, so plan your visit accordingly.

Another noteworthy winery is Daou, a relative newcomer that has quickly made a name for itself. Situated atop a picturesque hill, Daou&#39;s tasting room offers breathtaking views of the surrounding hills of&nbsp;Paso. Their range of blends and price points ensures there&#39;s something for every palate.

If you&#39;re looking for a winery with a long-standing reputation, J Lohr is a great option. However, while their wines are of high quality, the tasting room experience may not be as exceptional as some of the other choices.

The established wineries in&nbsp;Paso&nbsp;Robles also deserve a special mention. L&#39;Aventure, led by a French winemaker, has been producing some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah blends in the region for years. Their Estate Cuvee is considered a benchmark of&nbsp;Paso&#39;s winemaking excellence.

Tablas Creek, owned by the renowned Chateau Beaucastel, is another standout in the region. As a pioneer of the California Rhone Ranger movement, Tablas Creek offers an impressive range of Rhone-style whites and reds. Their outdoor patio tasting experience is delightful.

Turley Winery, famous for their Zinfandel, provides a more understated tasting experience. If you&#39;re a fan of Zinfandel, it&#39;s a must-visit destination.

For a more intimate experience,&nbsp;Paso&nbsp;Robles&#39; boutique wineries truly shine. Villa Creek, helmed by winemaker Chris Chery, offers a hip and comfortable tasting room where you can enjoy their exceptional Syrah and Rhone-style wines. Law, with its modern building perched on a cliff, provides stunning views along with their remarkable Syrah and Cabernet blends.

Denner is another boutique winery worth visiting. Their wines, particularly the Ditch Digger and Dirt Worshipper, are nothing short of amazing. And if you&#39;re looking for an up-and-coming hot spot, My Favourite Neighbor is gaining popularity among wine enthusiasts.

Other notable wineries that people enjoy include Peachy Canyon, Adelaida, Eberle, Tobin James, and Clos Selene. While Saxum offers some of the best wines in the region, unfortunately, their tasting room is not open to the public, as they focus on their James Berry vineyard.

One unique area to explore in&nbsp;Paso&nbsp;Robles is Tin City. It&#39;s a vibrant hub where wineries lease space for winemaking, storage, and tasting rooms. This &quot;start-up&quot; zone provides an opportunity to discover up-and-coming wineries. Nicora is a personal favorite, known for their fantastic Syrah and the ability to source high-quality grapes from various producers and regions. Benom is also highly recommended in Tin City.

When it&#39;s time to indulge in culinary delights,&nbsp;Paso&nbsp;Robles won&#39;t disappoint. Somm&#39;s Kitchen, run by Master Sommelier Ian, offers an exclusive dining experience where food is expertly paired with exceptional wines. For delicious Italian cuisine, Il Cortile is a fantastic choice. And if you&#39;re in the mood for fresh Mexican flavors, Fish Gaucho won&#39;t disappoint.

Paso&nbsp;Robles truly is a wine lover&#39;s paradise. So, grab a map, plan your route, and embark on a journey to explore the diverse wineries and exceptional dining options that await you. Whether you prefer the renowned names, the boutique gems, or the innovative spaces in Tin City,&nbsp;Paso&nbsp;Robles has something to offer every wine enthusiast. Cheers and enjoy your&nbsp;PasoRobles adventure!

Mike Parker

Love me some Paso! Located in the heart of California's Central Coast wine region, Paso Robles is a hidden gem for wine enthusiasts and food lovers alike. With its diverse array of wineries and charming tasting rooms, this scenic destination offers an unforgettable experience for visitors.

Come discover Paso Robles hidden gems for Wine and Food Enthusiasts

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

Barbuto

Samantha Hohl, certified sommelier,  joins Robert Tas to review the wine list at Barbuto, an Italian restaurant heavily influenced by California vibes. 

Wine List Review of Barbuto, New York City

Sam Hohl

Barbuto

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!

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 Samantha Hohl, certified sommelier.

Hello Sam, it&rsquo;s great to have you on this episode.

SH: Hi Robert! I&rsquo;m very excited to be here. I&rsquo;m so thrilled to be talking about the wine list at Barbuto with you today!

RT: I&rsquo;m glad you&rsquo;re here to talk us through it!&nbsp; CorkRules was created 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, even more so if it&rsquo;s hard to pronounce.

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.

Today we are talking about Barbuto! The West Village restaurant that has been a neighborhood gathering spot welcoming locals and visitors alike for over 15 years.&nbsp;The name Barbuto means &ldquo;bearded&rdquo; in Italian. When developing the concept, Jonathan and his business partner at the time Fabrizio Ferri both sported beards and this is where the name was born!

So, Sam, what&rsquo;s your overall impression of the list @ Barbuto?

SH: As a sommelier in the Napa Valley, I love to see some amazing California gems hidden on a wine list in NYC! Chef Jonathon Waxman at Barbuto features a unique take on Californian-Italian cuisine that is simple and seasonal. Their wine list features an eclectic selection of Italian, French, and California wines, amongst other lesser-known varietals from all over the world.

RT: That concept of Italian-Californian cuisine does sound intriguing. Are there any dishes on their menu that jumps out to you? Any hidden gems on the wine list you&rsquo;d pair with those dishes?

SH: Definitely, the Polpettone appetizer enticed me right away! It&rsquo;s a tomato-based crispy pork stuffed meatball dish. The 2018 Vigneti Luigi Oddero e Figli &lsquo;La Morra&rsquo; from Barbera d&rsquo;alba comes to mind. The fresh acidity serves as a balance beam upon which savory red fruits leap and strut, and the wine displays a marked sense of liveliness. With its high acidity, and medium to low amounts of tannin, Barbera would be a perfect match for the Polpettone dish!

RT: That sounds like a delicious pairing! Any other pairings for those interesting California wines you were mentioning earlier?

SH: But of course, Robert! I found an absolute favorite wine of mine that would go spectacular with the Insalata Fagiolii Tonnato dish. The 2018 Lieu Dit, Sauvignon Blanc from the Santa Ynez Valley in Central California. Founded by longtime friends Eric Railsback and Justin Willett, Lieu Dit seeks to highlight the unique microclimates and soils of Santa Barbara, focusing on Loire Valley grape varieties. This sauvignon blanc is zesty on the palette and marked by flavors of citrus rind, pear skin, white flowers, and a bright minerality on the finish.

RT: Wow, you really sold me on that pairing! Sheena, are there anymore wines that caught your eye? You spoke about some lesser-known varietals that were on the list, I&rsquo;m curious to hear a little more about them.

SH: Certainly! Since Barbuto features mostly Italian cuisine, I would like to talk about a lesser-known varietal grown in the Southern part of Italy, on a little island called Sicily. The 2019 Feudo Montoni &lsquo;Lagnusa&rsquo;, Nero d&#39;Avola gives us a very accurate portrayal of the grape, with plenty of ripe, dark and purple fruits followed by scorched earth, toasted almond and a hint of black olive.&nbsp;The producer, Fabio Sireci, culls fruit for this wine from 35-year-old vines propagated from his ancient Vrucara plot.&nbsp;The name of the wine, Lagnusa, is named after the Sicilian word for &quot;lazy&quot; because of the low yields associated with this particular growing site with heavy clay soils. Nero d&rsquo;Avola&nbsp;is the most widely planted red variety in Sicily and is great either as single varietal bottling or in blends with other indigenous varieties or even with international ones.

RT: I&rsquo;ve said this once and I&rsquo;ll say this again, there is always so much to discover with the wines of Italy!

SH: There really is, and I&rsquo;m totally here for it! Haha

RT: Me too, Sam! Thank you so much for being our guide and helping us navigate the Italian/Californian wine list at Barbuto. I can&rsquo;t wait to do some food and wine pairing there! 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: Info@CorkRules.com or visit our web website where&nbsp;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.

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

END

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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

Catena is a renowned family-owned winery in Mendoza, Argentina that has been producing exceptional wines for over a century. Their expertise in high altitude winemaking has allowed them to craft some of the most sought-after wines in Argentina.

Posh outpost for elevated Korean cuisine & cocktails served in an airy, contemporary setting.

Steak Frites

Alexis Percival is a New York City based CMS certified sommelier, consultant and event planner who puts the art in party.

Certified sommelier Alexis Percival

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

Gayeon

Available Wines
Total Wines - 2

Dusoil Pinot Noir, Lodi 2020

Lodi, USA

Clos du Bois

Merlot 2019

Merlot

California, USA