North Italia

Certified sommelier and wine educator Maria Valetta and Robert Tas review the wine list at Matteo’s in Las Vegas where they offer a deliciously Italian menu in a contemporary setting. Maria spots a few by-the-glass wines that are sure to please In addition to pairing suggestions. She also selects a few Indigenous Italian varietals and a wallet-friendly wine to try in place of the pricier Barolos and Barbaresco. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2018 Valtiglione, Piemonte, Italy

• 2020 Arneis Roagna, Piemonte, Italy 

• 2015 Piedirosso, Kerres, “I Pentri”, Campania, Italy

Maria Valetta, wine educator, and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas navigate the wine list at the Mexican restaurant Viva Garcia where they choose wine to pair well with bold Mexican flavors. The list offers a great selection of Mexican wines from Mexican wine country,  Valle de Guadalupe, in addition to a fine choice of old and new world wines. Maria introduces a flight of rosés, and value Spanish wines. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2018 Raúl Pérez, Ultreia Saint Jacques, Bierzo, Spain

• 2017 Solar Fortune, Syrah, Valle de Guadalupe, B.C., Mexico

• 2020 The Domaine de Triennes, Rosé, Provence, France

Maria Valetta, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas review the wine list at Brera Osteria. This restaurant is known as one of the best places to eat Italian food without pretension or fanfare. It’s a place to relax, eat, enjoy, and drink wine. Feel free to flip the list and order the wine to kick off the relaxation. Maria explores the mostly Italian wine list from region to region to find the best of the fine and fun wines and offers pairing suggestions to help you find the wine to complement the meal. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2019 Falanghina San Salvatore, Campania, Italy

• 2013 The Montefalco Rosso Tenute Lunelli, “Ziggurat”, Italy

• 2010 Borgogno, Barolo “Cannubi”, Piemonte, Italy

Maria Valetta, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas head to Las Vegas where they stop in at Buddy V’s an Italian restaurant in the Venetian resort with views of the strip. What a great place to relax, enjoy, and people-watch in Vegas. Maria kicks off the review with wines from the extensive wines-by-the-glass list before moving on to a stellar bottle for prosecco lovers, and a fabulous, must-not-be-missed Friuli. For red fans, she also spots a baby Super Tuscan, a certified organic barolo and many more. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2019 Trinchero, Iron & Sand, Paso Robles, California

• Nino Franco Rustico, Prosecco Veneto

• 2015 Ziata, Mia Madre, Bordeaux Blend Napa

Robert Tas talks wine with Maria Valetta, wine educator, and certified sommelier, also known as Maria The Wine Blonde on Instagram. If you have ever wondered what to wine to pair with Southern Fried Chicken or ST. Louis Ribs, this is the episode for you. Maria includes an English sparkling wine, an award-winning cabernet franc, and an insanely delicious Burgundy. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2020 Chalk Hill Sonoma Coast, Chardonnay, California

• 2018 Ridge Lytton Springs Dry Creek

• 2016 The Mascot, Napa Valley

Maria Valetta, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas chat about wines to pair with Latin food as they explore the wine list at Chica where Chef Lorena Garcia has melded the vibrant flavors from Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico to provide a wholly unique dining experience and to ensure we choose the wine that pairs well with the hot spice, Maria offers pairing suggestions from a list that presents Latin wines from Spain, Argentina, and Chile in addition to wine from Europe and North America. For all chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon lovers who are ready to venture out of their comfort zone, Maria offers a few delicious alternatives that will expand your list of favorites. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2019 Agro de Bazán Granbazán Etiqueta Verde Rias Baixas, Spain

• 2019 Carmenère from Montes Alpha Colchagua Valley, Chile

• 2018 Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett Mosel

Maria Valetta, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas join forces for a fun review of the wine list at Bar Zazu where they offer wines from around the globe with a special focus on Spain. If you wonder just what to pair with the charred Spanish octopus with chorizo, gremolata, almond, romesco or the seafood paella, Maria has the wine for you. In addition to wines that make your meal just too delicious for mere words, Maria offers a little wine education on lesser-known varietals such as the Tintilla, the Callet, and the Tannat. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2018 Samuel Tinon “Birtok”, Tokaj, Hungary 

• 2017 Anima Negra “An” 2017, Mallorca

• 2016 Garzon Single Vineyard Tannat, Uruguay

Maria Valetta, wine educator, and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas dare to review the wine list at Hell’s Kitchen, a Chef Gordon Ramsay restaurant in Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas.  Among many of the stellar wines, Maria suggests are a bottle of bubbles from the UK and a beautiful example of an all-chardonnay sparkling wine made in the champagne method, a Burgundy made in the Champagne style, a value wine from Australia that showcases a little-known varietal, and a wine from the king of pinot noir vines.

Wines reviewed include:

• 2017 Domaine Tempier, Bandol, France

• 2017 Foley Johnson, Rutherford, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 

• 2014 Three Sticks Gap’s Crown Pinot, Napa Valley

Maria Valetta, wine educator, and certified sommelier, also known as Maria The Wine Blonde on Instagram, and Robert Tas explore the wine list at Brera, on the Las Vegas strip where they offer over 200 wines with a focus on Italian wines from all the best wine producing regions to pair with the delicious Italian cuisine. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2019 Nero D’Avola Crisera Luna Nuova, Sicilia, Italy 

• 2020 Aglianico San Salvatore, “Vetere”, Campania, Italy 

• 2010 Borgogno, Barolo “Cannubi”, Piemonte, Italy 

Maria Valetta, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas review the wine list at Jasmine, in Bellagio Hotel. This restaurant is located in a beautiful setting that serves Cantonese, Szechwan, and Hunan cuisine. If you don’t know what to pair with Asian food, don’t worry, Maria identifies the tasting notes in wines and offers pairing suggestions with meals on the menu, including well-known favorites such as Peking Duck and, for the adventurous oenophile, she suggests trying China’s best wine from the foothills of the Himalayas. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2020 Marc Bredif, Vouvray, Loire Valley, France

• 2019 Sokol Blosser, Dundee Hills, Oregon

• 2018 Ashes & Diamonds, Blanc, a Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc blend, California