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

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

Robert Tas and Tina Johansson, WSET Diploma Graduate and Michelin restaurant sommelier, review the wine list at Bocca di Lupo in London. 

Wine List Review of Bocca di Lupo in London, U.K.

Tina Johansson

Bocca di Lupe

CorkRules Script

Bocca di Lupo

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!

I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Tina Johansson, WSET Diploma Graduate and Michelin restaurant sommelier.

Hi Tina, thanks for being back with us on another episode of CorkRules, - a podcast where we help simplify and demystify the wine lists at some of your favorite restaurants. We talk with certified sommeliers and wine professionals who point out interesting bottles, classic food and wine pairings, hidden gems, value wines, or splurge wines that will take your dining experience over the top.

&nbsp;

TJ: Thank you Robert, good to be back here with you.

&nbsp;

RT: Today we&rsquo;re visiting Bocca di Lupo in London, an authentic Italian restaurant that have gotten many accolades since opening in 2008, due to their simple but genuine food. All 20 regions are represented on the menu, that is ever-changing to follow the seasons. They make as much as they can on their own, like pasta, sausages and mostarda and they even have their own gelato shop! A dream place for anyone into the amazing Italian cuisine.

TJ: Yeah, Italian food is one of my favorites, as is the wine. But yes, the food made here really takes me back to all the times I&rsquo;ve visited Italy and I just love it. And the wines here! The list is Italian only, they don&rsquo;t even serve champagne! I really admire restaurants that stay true to their concept like this one.

RT: Wow, not many restaurants are brave enough not to serve champagne these days. So if you want to start with something bubbly, what should you drink instead?

TJ: Well Italy actually makes some amazing sparkling wines as well. Everyone knows prosecco, but they have other styles of sparkling wine as well that are made with the traditional method, meaning the same as in champagne. To really dive into the Italian vibe here I would start with a sparkling wine from Trentino in the north of Italy. One of the Top producers here is Ferrari and one of their most prestigious wines has a place on the list here, their 2015 Perl&eacute; Nero Riserva Brut made from Pinot Noir. Fantastic start, fresh but quite full-bodied to handle different cheeses and salumi for the classic antipasti platter.

RT: Sounds delicious! I&rsquo;ve been admiring the menu and what better way than to start an evening with sparkling wine, burrata cheese and Parma ham?

&nbsp;

TJ: Definitely! They do something else I love here, all food has a region of origin next to them which is so cool. As you might now by now I&rsquo;m a big fan of eating food and drinking wine from the same area, so listing region for both wine and food is just the best idea. And listen to these courses; risotto nero with cuttlefish in its own ink from Veneto, the classic aubergine parmigiana from Campania and a pot dish with chickpeas, tomato and mint from Puglia. Getting hungry yet?

&nbsp;

RT: Yeah absolutely! And thirsty. What are we drinking with all of this amazing food?

&nbsp;

TJ: Well for me, a safe bet with food containing a lot of tomato is anything Sangiovese-based. They have an amazing Brunello di Montalcino from Tuscany, and the Brunello DOCG area has to make their wines with 100% Sangiovese by law. So I&rsquo;d drink the Casanova di Neri Brunello called Cerretalto from 2016. A fantastic bottle!

&nbsp;

RT: Wow, bringing out the big guns here! Brunello wines are amazing. So Besides this one, is there anything else you must try on the list?

&nbsp;

TJ: Yes, I see a Freisa I would love to drink. Freisa is a less know grape variety from Piedmont that usually makes a bit lighter and fruitier styles of wine. The name Freisa comes from the Italian word for strawberry. Let&rsquo;s open a bottle of 2018 Freisa Ky&egrave; from the producer Vajra.

&nbsp;

RT: Sounds great, always fun to try something less common when out dining. Thank you for your recommendations today Tina. To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on Corkrules.

&nbsp;

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 and we will do our best to get it in the queue as quick 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 wherever you get your podcasts.

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

&nbsp;

END

BRAT

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

The Prisoner Wine Company is a premium wine producer that focuses on producing unique, high-quality wines that are rich in flavor and depth. The company is known for its bold and powerful blends that are crafted using cutting-edge winemaking techniques. The Prisoner has quickly become one of the most recognized and respected wine producers in California.

Long-running kosher grocery store with produce, dairy products, meat, seafood & household items.

28-50 Wine Workshop & Kitchen

28-50

Bleu Provence

KOCHINYC

Kochi

Wally's

Hav & Mar

Bern's Steakhouse

homepage

CorkRules application allows you to discover wines at your favorite restaurants, learn with friends and be confident with price transparency. Order wine with confidence at restaurants and retailers. Get personalized recommendations. #DrinkWhatYouLove

Landau’s Kosher Supermarket

Alban Vineyards

Viognier 2020

Viognier

Central Coast, California, USA

Ettore Germano

Barolo Comune di Serralunga d'Alba 2018

Nebbiolo

Barolo, Piedmont, Italy

Palmina

Pinot Grigio 2020

Pinot Grigio

Santa Barbara County, USA

Golan Heights Winery

Hermon Mount Hermon Red 2018

Blend

Galilee, Israel

Conquilla

Cava Brut NV

Blend

Cava, Spain

Borthwick Paper Road CPR, New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa 2018

Chardonnay Blend

North Fork of Long Island, New Zealand

Raúl Pérez

Los Arrotos del Pendon Prieto Picudo 2020

Prieto Picudo

Castilla y Leon, Spain

The Fableist

Albarino 2020

Albarino

Central Coast, USA

Raúl Pérez

Los Arrotos del Pendon Prieto Picudo 2020

Prieto Picudo

Castilla y Leon, Spain

Pivnica Cajkov

'Princess' Pesecka Leanka 2019

Slovakia

Bonnet-Huteau

Les Bonnets Blancs 2020

Melon de Bourgogne

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, France

Fakin

Malvazija Istarska NV

Malvazija Istarska

Bindi Sergardi

I Colli Achille Rosso 2018

Sangiovese

Toscana, Italy

Sans Liege Wines

Groundwork Syrah 2017

Shiraz/Syrah

Santa Barbara County, USA

Suriol

Azimut Negre 2016

Blend

Penedes, Spain