In episode three of the CorkRules podcast, certified sommelier Grace Hood shares her expertise on how sommeliers create and organize a great wine list and provides a brief overview of how to pair wines. She also reviews the wine list of <a href="https://www.qualitymeatsnyc.com/">Quality Meat Steakhouse</a>, a restaurant renowned for serving the finest steaks and cuts of meat in NYC.

If you are looking for a robust cabernet sauvignon to pair well with the Bone-In Dry-Aged Prime Sirloin, consider the reasonably-priced Post &amp; Beam by Far Niente, 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley. It is the heavy presence of tannins in cabernet sauvignon that make it such an excellent match with a rare cut. The effect of tannins is in the texture, not the taste. Just as a strong cup of tea heavy with tannins makes the mouth feel dry, a heavy tannin wine is best to cut through fat.

At Quality Meat Steakhouse, the 15-page wine list provides a wide variety of types, styles, and vintages of wine with a vast array of tasting notes and subtle differences.

With so many choices, how do you make a wise, and informed choice of wine to pair with your food. It can take years to understand which wines pair well with what foods. Luckily, that&rsquo;s where a certified sommelier can help you. This is their area of expertise and experience, so why not take advantage of it and ask for their advice? For instance, if choosing the Fresh Cracked Lobster the Caposaldo, Pinot Grigio, Veneto, 2020 would be a wise choice. Dry white wines generally work better with shellfish because the shellfish is slightly sweet and mild, a crisp dry white helps accentuate the flavors without adding to the sweetness, much like a twist of lemon adds just a nice amount of acidity to help balance the fats and sugars.

If you don&rsquo;t have a sommelier by your side, these simple rules on pairing wine with food will help you decide what to choose.

<ul>
	<li>When it comes to acidity, the wine should be more acidic than the food.</li>
	<li>Likewise, the wine should be sweeter than the food.</li>
	<li>Choose wine and food that are comparable in flavor.</li>
	<li>Bold, tannin-heavy red wines pair best with heavier, red meats</li>
	<li>Crisp, dry white wines pair best with light-intensity meats</li>
	<li>Bitter wines, tannin-rich wines are best balanced with fat.</li>
	<li>When eating sauce-rich foods, pair the wine to the sauce, not the meat</li>
</ul>

If you want to hear more about the wine list at Quality Meat Steakhouse, check out the CorkRules <a href="https://corkrules.com/episodes">wine review podcast </a>where Grace identifies the notable wines from Bordeaux, points out the best-value wines on the list, and shares a little knowledge on the wine and moonshine history in the States.

Cheers.

In episode three of the CorkRules podcast, certified sommelier Grace Hood shares her expertise on how sommeliers create and organize a great wine list and provides a brief overview of how to pair wines.

Quick Tips on Pairing Wine at Quality Meat Steakhouse

Wine can bring out the best in food, and yes, that does include seafood, but it’s not only white wine that pairs well with seafood, despite the popular misconception, some red wine pairs well with some seafood. When you are choosing wine to pair with seafood, you should pay more attention to the wine notes, sweetness and dryness, than the color of the wine.

Wines that Pair Well with Seafood at Oceana

Whether you are just visiting or you’re a local to New York City, you know how difficult it can be to choose a new restaurant, but we can help. We’ve reviewed the best and brightest restaurants in New York City and we review the wine list, too. It’s a one-stop shop where you can find wine reviews and restaurant reviews.

Best Restaurants New York City and Wine Review

Oceana

Michaela Quinlan

Music Intro:

RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where&nbsp;we review a Wine List from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Michaela Quinlan, Certified Sommelier.

Hello Michaela,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to be back together for another episode.

MQ: Hi Robert!

RT: Before we jump in, let&rsquo;s talk about CorkRules. We created CorkRules to demystify wine list&rsquo;s 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, today we are talking about Oceana. If you are near Rockefeller Center and craving critically acclaimed seafood, Oceana is for you&hellip;not to mention their astounding wine list.

Michaela, I can&rsquo;t wait to hear what do you think of their wine list?

MQ: I was sidetracked by their cocktail list, which should always receive attention.

RT: It&rsquo;s always nice to start the night with something, what&rsquo;s your beverage of choice?

MQ:&nbsp;

RT: For me I&rsquo;m old school so an old fashioned but we digress.

MQ: Alright, Now, back to wine! They feature several standouts from around the globe. I was also taken by their half-bottle list. This is a wonderful option when there may be different palates at the table.

RT: That&rsquo;s really great, very unusual for a restaurant to have that many great &frac12; bottles. &nbsp;As you looked at the list did you see anything jump out at you?

MQ: Let&rsquo;s begin in Spain with the Valtea Albarino from Rias Biaxis. Rias Baixas is located just north of the Portugal border in Galicia. Albarino is a perfect pairing for all things seafood, due to its acidity, fresh grapefruit, citrus, and salinity. Think of it as a&nbsp; fuller-bodied Sauvignon Blanc with a touch more melon.

RT: That&rsquo;s a. nice start for sure.

So Michaela, their list has some many great choices, it&rsquo;s hard to get my arms around it, it&rsquo;s 33 pages. was there anything that you would say is a &ldquo;must-try&rdquo;?

MQ: Of course. Let&rsquo;s stay in Spain, and head over to Ribeira Sacra, still in the Galicia province. I would try the Don Bernadino Mencia. Mencia is a medium-bodied red grape, with aromas of pomegranate and cherry, along with a hint of licorice and pepper on the finish. This is where any pairing of herbs and root vegetables would be a perfect fit.

RT: Love that call. So as I start thinking about my second course maybe some raw bars item, I think we&rsquo;re going to need a bottle, where would you guide us?

MQ: Yes, yes. Let&rsquo;s head to France. To Burgundy of course, to try the Christian Simone Petit Chablis 2017. Petit Chablis is the appellation located around the town of Chablis in Burgundy and is 100% Chardonnay. This Chardonnay also has high acidity, making it a perfect pairing for richer dishes such as chowders, raw fish, and sushi. Certainly a crowd-pleaser.

RT: That sounds yum, I love Chablis. &nbsp;Michaela, this wine list has something for everyone, any great value wine jump out at you?

MQ: I have spotted a few wonderful value wines to pair with the incredible Oceana menu. The first being Gadais Muscadet from the Loire Valley of France. Muscadet, a dry, light, crisp, white wine is perfect for all things raw bar! Oysters, you name it, and this is your selection. Muscadet is also a wonderful wine to sip on and enjoy as you peruse the menu.

Another favorite, and keeping it local, is the Blaufrankisch, from Red Tail Ridge in the Finger Lakes of NY. Blaufrankisch, not only is it fun to say, but it is a dark-skinned grape originating in Austria. Back to those bright tannins, blackberry, and black cherry, this is a wonderful pairing for smoked dishes.

RT: Sounds yum. NY sure has some great wineries.

MQ: Absolutely!

RT: Now Michaela, what if I have a big team dinner or special occasion where we want to take it up a notch?

MQ: Of course. A personal favorite, and eternal California Cabernet Sauvignon classic, the Groth Vineyard Reserve 2015 from the Oakville district of Napa Valley will never disappoint. The smooth tannins, rich red berries, and a hint of vaNULLla from its time in oak barrels will win over any client or add to any celebration.

RT: Michaela, thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Oceana&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 us 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.

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End

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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.

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