Hey guys!

Guess where I had dinner last night? Babbo Ristorante in NYC! If you&#39;re a foodie like me, I&#39;m sure you&#39;ve heard of this amazing Italian classic Let me give you the lowdown on this place and why you absolutely need to check it out.

First things first, let&#39;s talk about the history of Babbo. Back in 1998, renowned chef Mario Batali opened this gem in the heart of Greenwich Village. It quickly became one of the hottest spots in the city, attracting food lovers from all over the world. Fast forward to today, and the restaurant is now under the expert management of chef-owner Mark Ladner, who has taken Babbo to new culinary heights.

<a href="https://www.corkrules.com/babbo/episodes/252">Check out CorkRules Podcast #218</a>&nbsp;by our very own Maria Valetta aka @mariathewineblonde.

Food: (4.5/5) - Now, let&#39;s dive into the food. The menu at Babbo is a celebration of classic Italian cuisine with a modern twist. They offer a wide variety of dishes, ranging from antipasti like the famous Grilled Octopus with Borlotti Beans to mouthwatering homemade pasta dishes like the unforgettable Black Spaghetti with Rock Shrimp and Spicy Calabrese. Chef Ladner&#39;s expertise really shines through in every bite, and you can taste the love and dedication put into each dish.

Wine: (4/5) - But it&#39;s not just the food that makes Babbo stand out; their wine program is equally impressive. Head sommelier Jeff Kellogg has curated an exceptional but overwhelming wine list, featuring a fantastic selection of Italian wines as well as some hidden gems from around the world. Whether you&#39;re a wine connoisseur or just enjoy a good glass of vino, you&#39;ll find something to suit your taste here. The knowledgeable staff is more than happy to help you find the perfect pairing for your meal, making the dining experience even more enjoyable.

Service: (4/5) And speaking of the staff, let&#39;s talk about the service at Babbo. From the moment you step through the doors, you&#39;re greeted with warm smiles and attentive hospitality. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the food and wine they serve, and they go above and beyond to ensure that every guest feels well taken care of. It&#39;s the kind of service that makes you feel like a VIP.

Vibe: (4/5) Finally, let&#39;s talk ambiance. If you&#39;re looking for a cozy and intimate setting for date night, Babbo is the place to be. The restaurant has a charming rustic decor, with warm lighting and exposed brick walls that exude a welcoming atmosphere. The energy is lively and vibrant, making it the perfect spot for a celebratory dinner or a romantic date night. And if you&#39;re looking to host a private event, Babbo also offers a private dining room that can accommodate larger parties.

Babbo is one the quintessential restaurants in NYC and is simply outstanding. From the incredible food to the exceptional service, this place has it all. Whether you&#39;re a fan of Italian cuisine or just looking for a memorable dining experience, Babbo is definitely worth a visit. So go ahead and make a reservation and prepare to indulge in the best of Italian flavors. You won&#39;t be disappointed!

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Back in 1998, renowned chef Mario Batali opened this gem in the heart of Greenwich Village. It quickly became one of the hottest spots in the city, attracting food lovers from all over the world. Fast forward to today, and the restaurant is now under the expert management of chef-owner Mark Ladner, who has taken Babbo to new culinary heights.

Babbo Ristorante in NYC! An Italian Classic!

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

Samantha Hohl, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas explore the wine list at Little Donkey, a global tapas restaurant by James Beard Award-Winning Chefs.

Wine List Review of Little Donkey, Massachusetts

Sam Hohl

Little Donkey

Little Donkey

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where, in each episode,&nbsp;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,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to be back together for another episode.

SH: Hi Robert!

RT: Before we jump in, let&rsquo;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&hellip; 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:&nbsp;So, sit back and listen as we review your favorite wine list.

Cork Rules

Little Donkey

Overview

Little Donkey is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and they&rsquo;re offering up internationally inspired small plates and tapas. The owners are James Beard Award-winning chefs who provide a variety of unique flavor combinations- and of course there&rsquo;s great cocktails and wine to go along with them.

Sam, I can&rsquo;t wait to hear what you think of their wine list.

Where to start

Much like their food, their wine list is also globally inspired and unique! The list is straightforward to navigate, sectioned into types- like bubbles, white and red, but there are definitely some really cool finds on here that might not be familiar! To start, there were a few interesting blends that caught my eye and would be a fun way to kick off the evening.

The 2021 Summer Nat by Borachio would be a really lovely bottle to start with. Borachio is a natural winery in the Adelaide Hills of Australia. They produce mostly field blends, which are blends where the grapes have grown in the same vineyard, are picked together and then co-fermented, as opposed to wines that are blended after fermentation. Summer Nat is a Pet Nat (short for Pettilant Naturel, meaning naturally sparkling). It&rsquo;s a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc, which is unusual and results in this grapefruity fizz with notes of refreshing watermelon. This zippy pet nat would be so good alongside the salmon and tuna belly tartar!

If you&rsquo;re feeling something red and playful, try the 2020 &lsquo;Petal&rsquo; by Sonshine Vins. Not too clobbering and super drinkable, this would pair well with so many of the starters or small plates. Lisanne van Son is the winemaker behind Sonshine Vins. She is from the Netherlands and after years of working in restaurants as a&nbsp; sommelier she decided to follow her dream of making wine and moved to France&rsquo;s Loire Valley. She sources grapes from vineyards that practice organic or biodynamically which she explains can be difficult due to the effects of climate change on the vineyards. She then makes bottles that are vibrant and let the grapes truly shine. This bottle is mostly composed of Grolleau gris and Muscat Roug- another blend that&rsquo;s going to give you a unique glass. This bottle is a light red with delicate tannins, some beautiful floral notes and juicy red fruit. With its lighter body and tannins but fruity profile, it would be awesome with the pork sticky ribs.

Value Bottle

The 2021 Meinklang Burgenland White is a great value bottle on this list. Meinklang is a family-run farm that&rsquo;s located in the heart of a national park in Pamhagen, Austria. The three brothers who own it each focus on a specific part of the farm, the vines, the animals and plants, and the winemaking. They practice biodynamically and each part of their farm plays into how the other thrives. They pride themselves in taking equal care of their animals and land, as well as anything produced from it. Their wines are created with this integrity and straightforwardness that really does tell the story of their farm. This bottle is primarily Gruner Veltliner blended with some welschriesling and muskat. It&rsquo;s going to be super fresh and bright, great acidity, with notes of green apple and lime. This zingy white wine is going to help cut through things that are creamy or fried, so it would be a great start with the shrimp and pork wontons or the burrata with golden beats.

Celebratory

If you&rsquo;re up for something special, the 2016 COS &ldquo;Cerasuolo di Vittoria&quot; would definitely make your night. This Sicilian red blend of Nero d&rsquo; Avola and Frappato is balanced and structured, serious enough to celebrate with but rounded and juicy, making it a real joy to sip on. COS winery is owned by three friends who are committed to representing their familial lands through their wines. The blend of these two grapes make a great partnership- with the Nero d&rsquo;Avola offering dark fruit notes and the Frappato bringing those raspberry and red cherry tones. The Frappato is also aged in stainless steel tanks while the Nero d&rsquo;Avola is aged in oak so you have this added complexity of those vanilla notes from the oak and bright freshness maintained from tank aging. It would be wonderful with the Manti, which is Istanbul Meat Ravioli, with red pepper butter to compliment those bold fruit flavors and zingy acidity.

RT: Sam Thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Little Donkey&rsquo;s wine list. I can&rsquo;t wait to go try them myself.&nbsp;

To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.

If you would like Sam to review one of your favorite restaurants, please send us email to: <a href="mailto:Info@corkrules.Com">Info@CorkRules.Com</a> 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.&nbsp;

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

&nbsp;

End

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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

Da Luca is a family-owned winery located in the heart of the Veneto region. The winery is known for producing high-quality wines that showcase the unique terroir of the region. With a focus on sustainability and organic and biodynamic techniques, Da Luca is committed to producing wines that are both delicious and environmentally responsible.

Cafe Champagne

The Metropolitan Grill

Ray’s Boathouse

Ray's Boathouse

Purple Café and Wine Bar

Purple Cafe & Wine Bar

Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar

Seastar

The Butcher's Table

Sofreh

Have & Meyer

Don Angie

Ruffian

request

Join us each week as we pour a glass and share top restaurant ‘wine list’ picks, providing you with the knowledge to confidently navigate the ‘wine list’ through somm recommendations, suggested food pairings and masterclass insights.

Have a question or comment for our team?