CorkRules - Episodes

Available on

About this Episode

Samantha Hohl, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas visit Vincent’s, a modern American restaurant where they offer a two-page wine list that is carefully crafted and packs in some really unique bottles, natural wines, and a mix of Old and New World options.

Wines reviewed include:

2020 Orto Vins Les Argiles Blanc, Spain
2019 Maitre De Chai, California
2021 Division Winemaking Company “Béton”, France

Transcript: Vincent's

Vincent’s

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!

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

SH: Hey Robert great to be back.

RT : Before we jump in, let’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… 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.

You can now download our CorkRules app available on the apple app store. Where you can access all the wine list of your favourite restauarant wine lists, get personalized recommendations and connect, share and learn with your friends.

RT: So, sit back and listen as we review your favorite wine list. Today Sam and I …

Cork Rules

Vincent’s

Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Vincent’s invites you to pull up a seat at their cozy bar, or enjoy dinner in their dining room or patio. They feature American cuisine, craft cocktails and a natural wine selection. They’re also known for their Texas Roadside Brunch on the weekends.

Overview

Vincent’s two-page wine list is carefully crafted and packs in some really unique bottles. It’s a mix of Old and New World options, and they’ve separated it into descriptive sections to help navigate wines that will suit a particular taste or style.

Where to start

For a red the 2021 Division Winemaking Company “Béton” caught my eye. Kate Norris and Thomas Monroe founded Division Winemaking and took inspiration from wineries in France, in particular the Loire, Northern Rhone, Burgundy and Beaujolais. They’re based out of Portland, Oregon and craft wines with minimal intervention. This particular bottle was inspired by Paris bistro wines. It’s meant to be a super drinkable wine that’s great with food. This red blend is primarily Cab Franc along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cot, Gamay Noir and Pinot Noir. With this blend comes a lot of fun characteristics and flavors, like cherry and raspberry, blackberry and leather smoke. It would be great to start with the charcuterie board.

Another bottle that would be great to start with was the 2019 Maitre De Chai which I found under the section labeled “Crisp and Classic.” This is a Chardonnay from the Rorick Heritage vineyard in the Sierra Foothills, California. This Chardonnay doesn’t undergo malo-lactic conversion, which is when the malic acid is converted to lactic acid. This process reduces the acid qualities in a wine and creates a creamier result and those buttery qualities which many Chardonnays are known for. So this bottle is going to have higher acid and crisp notes of citrus and pearl, along with honey and mineral flavors. Because it has more acid to it than a buttery chardonnay it would pair nicely with something like the flounder and mussels.

Value

Most of the wines on this list fall into reasonable range which means great accessibility to bottles you may know you’ll love or the opportunity to try something new. One that stood out to me was the 2020 Orto Vins Les Argiles Blanc. This wine is made from a blend of Macabeo and Grenache Blanc from the Monstant DO in Catalonia, Spain. This wine has some nice body to it along with fruity, mineral and spicy notes. It’s also got floral tones and a lingering finish. A lovely start would be with the Castelvetrano olives or the Patatas Bravas since it’s a natural pair with tapas. There’s only 3,000 bottles produced each year so this is an excellent value bottle.

Celebratory

For something really special, I’d go for the 2019 Julien Sunier Morgon found in the “Old World Classics” section. This is a gorgeous Gamay from Julien Sunier, who owns parcels in 3 of the 10 Beaujolais Crus. His vines are organically farmed and around 60 years old. The Morgon parcel is where this wine comes from and it is known to produce some of the best wines in the region. Sunier strives to let the fruit really show itself and he uses as minimal intervention as he can in the cellar. He used indigenous yeasts for fermentation and aged the juice in neutral barrels. The result is a super aromatic and fruit forward bottle. The fruit shines here but it’s balanced with great minerality and acid. It’s got notes of strawberry and rose with subtle spice in the background. This is one of those bottles you’ll discover more about with every sip. It also helps that it comes in a magnum size so there’s plenty to celebrate over!

RT: Sam Thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Vincent’s wine list. I can’t wait to go try them myself.

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.

We are looking forward to being with you on another CorkRules episode soon. In the meantime, please download our CorkRules app and check out our website for all other episodes of your favorite restaurant wine lists.

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

End