CorkRules - Episodes | The Lambs Club The Lambs Club

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About this Episode

Certified sommelier, wine educator and entertainer Grace Hood joins Robert Tas as they navigate the wine list of The Lambs Club. This restaurant is renowned for its unique take on classic American cuisine. Located at The Chatwal Hotel, Manhattan, this restaurant is ideal for both intimate private dinners to large-scale gatherings of up to 300, and the wine list is well-equipped with bottles to satisfy both the value hunter and the discerning oenophile.

Wines reviewed include:

2013 Vilmart and Cie Champagne
Hugel Pinot Blanc from the Alsace region of France
Italian chardonnay from the Alto Adige vineyard Alois

Transcript: The Lambs Club

The Lambs Club

RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules!

A podcast where we will review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I’m your host Robert Tas along with Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier. Hello Grace, it’s great to have you!

GH: Hey hey Robert! Glad to be back.

RT Before we jump in, let’s talk about those wine lists. We created CorkRules to help demystify wine list’s because we know from experience, that sometimes when we get that list handed to us, well… 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: Today we’re chatting about a staple of the Theater District, The Lambs Club. What are your initial thoughts?

GH: When I was doing research for this episode, I started to have all these flashbacks to the 90s, when I would go to in to the city with my family to see plays and musicals on Broadway. I come from a family of performers so we’ve always been big theatre goers – we always would make a whole night of it as well, even when we were little. Dinner before the show, my parents sipping martinis, my grandmother telling us stories from her travels abroad, and then the mad dash for the check to get to the theatre before the curtain came up! It’s such a classic New York City experience to do dinner and show. I love that we’re sharing this with our listeners.

RT: Absolutely. It’s a rite of passage if you come to Manhattan. So, what are your thoughts on The Lambs Clubs wine list?

GH: So, they call themselves a “modern Manhattan American dining” with what I will call an intimate menu aka it’s smaller and straightforward, but I appreciate restaurants that only have a few dishes rather than a binder of options – quality over quantity for me always. And since we’re not going really outside the box when it comes to food, we get to more some more fun choices with the wine since we get more to play with. Of course, if you wanted to start with some bubbles, they have a lot of great options – but the one that stood out to me is the 2013 Vilmart and Cie Champagne. Sommeliers are notorious for loving boutique vintage champagnes, and Vilmart is one of our favorites for sure. I had one the other day with a caviar flight and it was fabulous.

RT: Such a tough life you’re living Grace! Now what are you thinking for whites?

GH: For a lighter white, I would order the Hugel Pinot Blanc from the Alsace region of France. Pinot blanc is exactly what it sounds like – a hybrid of pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc! I love pinot blancs b/c they have a little more complexity than sauv blanc but still maintain that refreshing herbaceous quality. If you wanted to go with a richer white, I would choose an Italian chardonnay from the Alto Adige vineyard Alois Lageder. Unlike California chardonnay, Italian chardonnay will still be rich and decadent but have some acidity to it since it isn't aged in new American oak, which is what imparts all those buttery toasty qualities you get in American chardonnay.

RT: Italian chardonnay – I don’t drink nearly enough of that. Will have to pick up a bottle soon. Now, what are you thinking for reds Grace?

MV: Well, I was pleasantly surprised to see they have an extensive list of my favorite Italian red – barolo! I tend to like my barolos at least 10-15 years old, so on this list I’m grabbing the 2010 Oddero Brunate. And if you’re looking for a heavier red, oh man I was stoked to see they have a pretty hard to find wine on the list – a 2012 Syrah from Sine Qua Non out of Santa Barbara. I love Central Coast syrahs and this producer has been a legend in the area for years.

RT: Yum both of those sound delicious. Now, what about an every price point and then maybe a bottle to celebrate!

GH: You got it. So for good value, I would do with 2017 Louis Michel Chablis for white, and then for red, staying in the same region and vintage, the Joseph Drouhin Chorey-les-Beaune. And then for your special occasion bottles I’m gonna have to go with the 1998 Billecart-Salmon Grand Cru, or with the 1999 Guigal “La Turque” Cote Rotie.

RT: Amazing. Grace, thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate The Lambs Club wine list.

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 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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