Prairie Whale

Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas explore the wine list at The Federal where white table elegance and an innovative “new American” cuisine with Italian and French influences ensure an enjoyable and memorable dining experience, but let’s not forget the wine. The extensive wine list features half bottles, magnums, stand-out value wines, and excellent dessert wines, and fortunately, Michaela is here to help point out the bottles that will pique your palate and tickle your taste buds.

Wines reviewed include:

• 2021 Castello di Neive, Montebertotto, Arneis, Italy

• 2017 Robert Foley, The Griffin, Red Blend, Napa

• 2019 Domaine Christian Moreau 1er Cru Chablis Vaillons, Burgundy

Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas visit the French brasserie, Coquette. If you love the food of Southwest France and Spain’s Basque Country, this is the place for you.  The combination of Gallic influences and Boston’s fresh seafood are beautifully represented in the menu, and the wines served open the door to the brasserie’s playful and flirtatious energy.

Wines reviewed include:

• 2016 Benedicte et Stephan Tissot Traminer, France

• 2019 Barbara Ohlzelt Zobinger Gruner Veltiner, Austria

• 2015 Olga Raffault Picasses Cabernet Franc, France

Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas review the wine list at Terra Eately, a unique restaurant inspired by earth and fire. The dining room centers around a wood-burning Italian grill, and they offer an extensive wine list with a superb collection of Italian wines. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2021 OTELO Lugana, Veneto,  Italy

• 2019 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Vigneto di Tobia Col Di Corte, Italy

• 2019 Lenotti Bardolino Classico, Tuscany

Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas visit the French bistro Bar-a-Vin. The wine list here is composed of more than 250 different varieties of French wine, not only from Bordeaux but from across France,  including well-known classics on the list. This restaurant is a tribute to French wine and casual cuisine, and Michaela is here to help find the hidden gems in the list. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2020 Domaine St. Amant, Viognier, France

• 2018 Chateau du Seuil, Graves,  Bordeaux

• 2020 Chateau Sainte Marguerite Grand Cru Clesse, France

Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas visit the modern Mediterranean restaurant Porto. This restaurant has a  lively bar scene and outdoor patio in Boston's Back Bay, the perfect location for a fun night out. In addition to a James Beard award-winning menu, Porto’s wine list consists of unique and classic varietals and Michaela is here to help find those special bottles and hidden gems. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2020 Santo Winery, Assyrtiko from Santorini, Greece

• 2019 Castellare, Poggio alla Guardia, Tuscany

• 2020 Pacher Hoff, Muller Thurgau, from Varna, Italy

Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas visit Primo in Rockland, Maine. Primo serves a truly fresh and ever-changing menu, and since they source their produce from their own farm, you can’t get fresher than that. This is the ultimate farm-to-table experience and they offer a stellar wine list to match the menu. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2020 Chateau de Segries, Tavel, France

• 2019 Skouras Salto Moschofilero Wild Yeast, Greece

• 2014 Clau de Nell, Grolleau, Loire Valley

Certified sommelier Michaela Quinlan and Robert Tas review the wine list at Madcap, an upscale dining establishment in an intimate, casual setting with an urban feel.

Chef Ron Siegel is the owner, operator and creator of a tasting menu of seasonal selections and the delicious wine list. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2021 Nigl Zweitgelt Rose, Austria 

• 2018 Gamba Vineyards Etrusca Velia, Red blend, Russian River Valley, California

• 2018 Château de Fosse-Sèche, Arcane, Saumur, France

Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas head north of the border to visit Montreal and the Syrian restaurant, Damas. Damas feels like a crossroads of Eastern and Western cultures; the atmosphere is inviting and exotic, and the wine list is both adventurous and traditional. Michaela guides us to the bottles that will deliver in quality, including a few Canadian wines. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2018 Overnoy Cremant de Jura, France

• 2021 Grand Saint Charles, St Pepin, Quebec

• 2021 Domaine Neumeyer Blanc Tache

Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas cross the border into Canada where they review the wine list at Stratus, a fine-dining restaurant that serves inspired Canadian cuisine that is a mix of new-world flavors and old-world classics, and their wine list is curated to pair well with their menu. Michaela reviews wines from both sides of the Atlantic, including Canada.

Wines reviewed include:

• 2018 Misty Cove Estate Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand

• 2017 Cave Spring, Indian Summer, Late Harvest Riesling, Niagara, Canada

• 2019 Claudia Ferrero “Pepita” from Tuscany, Italy

Michaela Quinlan, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas review an interesting selection of wines at Waypoint, a restaurant with a unique and creative menu and a wine list that offers a few surprises in addition to those well-known and well-loved bottles. Michaela identifies pairing notes in a range of wines from Slovenia, stand-out Greek wines, and organic and biodynamic wines from Washington State. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2020 Enderle & Moll, Muller Thurgau, Germany

• 2020 Thymiopoulus “Young Vines” Xinomavro, Greece

• 2020 Krasno Malvasia Blend from the western edge of Slovenia