Congratulations to the winners of the 2023 <a href="https://www.jamesbeard.org/awards">James Beard Awards!</a> These talented individuals and establishments have demonstrated exceptional skills and contributed to the culinary world in remarkable ways. Here&#39;s a praise for each winner:

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Outstanding Chef: Rob Rubba of Oyster Oyster in Washington, D.C., showcases a mastery of flavors and a commitment to sustainable and plant-based cuisine.

Outstanding Restaurant: Friday Saturday Sunday in Philadelphia, PA, captivates diners with its impeccable service, innovative dishes, and an inviting atmosphere.

Best New Restaurant: Kann in Portland, OR, brings a fresh and exciting culinary experience to the city, pushing boundaries and delighting taste buds.

Outstanding Restaurateur: Ellen Yin, the driving force behind High Street Hospitality Group, including Fork, a.kitchen + bar, and High Street Philly in Philadelphia, PA, has created a dining empire known for its exceptional quality and diverse offerings.

Outstanding Hospitality: The Quarry in Monson, ME, stands out for its warm and welcoming atmosphere, ensuring that guests feel truly cared for.

Emerging Chef: Damarr Brown of Virtue in Chicago, IL, has emerged as a rising star, showcasing culinary creativity and a deep passion for his craft.

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker: Margarita Manzke of R&eacute;publique in Los Angeles, CA, creates stunning desserts that are as visually captivating as they are delicious.

Outstanding Bakery: Yoli Tortilleria in Kansas City, MO, crafts artisanal tortillas that elevate any meal with their authentic taste and texture.

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program: Ototo in Los Angeles, CA, offers an impeccable selection of wines and other beverages that enhance the dining experience with every sip.

Outstanding Bar: Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu, HI, is a haven for cocktail enthusiasts, delivering exceptional libations with skill and flair.

Best Chef: Midwest: Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger of Fairchild in Madison, WI, create a culinary symphony, fusing local ingredients with inventive techniques.

Best Chef: Mountain: Kris Komori of KIN in Boise, ID, showcases the diverse flavors of the region, combining culinary traditions with contemporary flair.

Best Chef: South: Natalia Vallejo of Cocina al Fondo in San Juan, PR, celebrates the vibrant flavors of Puerto Rican cuisine with a modern twist.

Best Chef: Northeast: Sherry Pocknett of Sly Fox Den Too in Charlestown, RI, captivates diners with her creative dishes rooted in indigenous ingredients and traditions.

Best Chef: Southwest: Andrew Black of Grey Sweater in Oklahoma City, OK, dazzles diners with his innovative approach to regional ingredients and bold flavors.

Best Chef: Southeast: Terry Koval of The Deer and the Dove in Decatur, GA, showcases a deep understanding of Southern cuisine, blending tradition with contemporary techniques.

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic: Chutatip &ldquo;Nok&rdquo; Suntaranon of Kalaya in Philadelphia, PA, takes diners on a culinary journey through the flavors of Thailand, beautifully balancing authenticity and innovation.

Best Chef: New York State: Junghyun Park of Atomix in New York, NY, crafts refined and intricate dishes that pay homage to Korean cuisine with a contemporary twist.

Best Chef: California: Justin Pichetrungsi of Anajak Thai in Sherman Oaks, CA, showcases the rich and complex flavors of Thai cuisine, creating a memorable dining experience.

Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific: Vince Nguyen of Berlu in Portland, OR, presents a menu that celebrates the bounty of the Pacific Northwest, highlighting local and sustainable ingredients.

Best Chef: Texas: Benchawan Jabthong Painter of Street to Kitchen in Houston, TX, brings the vibrant and diverse flavors of Thai street food to the heart of Texas, creating an unforgettable culinary experience.

Best Chef: Great Lakes: Tim Flores and Genie Kwon of Kasama in Chicago, IL, craft innovative Filipino-inspired dishes that celebrate the flavors and traditions of their heritage.

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Special mentions for the wine-related categories:

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Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program: Ototo in Los Angeles, CA, impresses with its curated wine selection, showcasing a diverse range of varietals and regions.

Outstanding Bar: Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu, HI, offers an exceptional selection of wines, spirits, and cocktails, ensuring a memorable drinking experience for all.

&quot;At CorkRules we&rsquo;d like to congratulate&nbsp;the winners of the 2023 James Beard Awards! You inspire us with your passion and innovation. The restaurant industry continues to reimagine itself and these winners are leading the inspiration&rdquo;, Robert Tas, CEO/Founder of CorkRules.

Cheers to all the winners.&nbsp;

Congratulations to the winners of the 2023 James Beard Awards! These talented individuals and establishments have demonstrated exceptional skills and contributed to the culinary world in remarkable ways. Here's a praise for each winner

2023 James Beard Award Winners Spotlight

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

LAVO Italian Restaurant

Maria Valetta

Lavo

LAVO NYC

RT: Hello and welcome back to CorkRules! The wine podcast that&rsquo;s here to help YOU navigate all your FAVORITE restaurant wine lists!

I&rsquo;m, Robert Tas along with Maria Valetta wine educator&nbsp; &amp; certified sommelier also known as MARIA the Wine Blonde

Hello Maria, It&rsquo;s really great to have you back

MV: Hi Robert, I&rsquo;ve been doing a lot of travelling so It&rsquo;s great to back at it&hellip;

RT: Today we are talking about Lavo Italian restaurant and Nightclub in NYC in Midtown Manhattan.

Sophisticated, Energetic and SEXY are the perfect words to describe this vibrant industrial-chic restaurant. Lavo is famous for its Champagne brunch and subterranean nightclub below featuring top DJs spinning sounds for all the pretty people. The ultra-exclusive vibe and over-the-top family-style homemade Italian favorites make it the PERFECT place to pop some bottles of bubbly with your beautiful besties. Maria I can&rsquo;t wait to hear what you think of this wine list:

MV: Lots of fantastic choices here&hellip; this restaurant has an excellently curated list, with a ton of large format bottles which is definitely the way to go because this is group dining at its best! Nothing wrong with Bringing a party to the party!!

RT: So, a bottle of bubbly to start?

MV: You KNOW IT! You can pass over the by-the-glass here and go straight for the BIG bottle of bubbly b/c everyone loves to start off with a champagne-style toast!

They have a great price on a magnum of Franciacorta &hellip; the Ca&rsquo; del Bosco from Lombardia, Italy. &nbsp;If you aren&rsquo;t familiar with Franciacorta, you should be.&nbsp; These lesser-known northern Italian sparklers are produced in the champagne method, meaning that the second fermentation happens IN the bottle, and the wines see a significant amount of ageing, so they have that toasted buttery brioche flavor that we all love, but with more fruit character since the wines are less acidic than champagne.

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Now If you would rather go for that bottle of French bubbly, I&rsquo;d recommend the Lavo Edition&rsquo; the restaurants signature champagne that&rsquo;s more intense than the Ca Del Bosco, &hellip; roasted almonds and ginger on the nose., Henri Giraud is the oldest Champagne house still owned by its founding family (1652) and produces some of the most sought after and well-regarded wines of any house in Champagne. F&ucirc;t de Ch&ecirc;ne is their flagship cuv&eacute;e, and is made from about 70% &nbsp;pinot noir and 30% &nbsp;chardonnay. This wine could easily carry you through to the main course.

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RT: These are a great way to start off the evening Maria. So, anything that our listeners must try on this list?

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MV: SO- Lavo is famous for their Giant Meatball appetizer The Meatball is a hefty full 6 Ounces of Ground Wagyu, Italian Sausage and Veal Mixture, served with Fresh Whipped Ricotta. It&rsquo;s one of those &ldquo;must-order&rdquo; menu items to share- and I would pair it with the Barbera d&rsquo;Alba, Prunotto &lsquo;Pian Romualdo&rsquo;, 2016. Barbera is the grape and &ldquo;de Alba&rdquo; means it&rsquo;s FROM the region of Alba, which is located in NW Italy in Piedmont. I&rsquo;ve been opening some 2016 Barberas lately and they have been outstanding! All this dense fruit with some violet layers plus a touch of vanilla oak spice. Super food friendly.

RT: I feel like Barbera is overlooked sometimes but I 100 percent agree it is a great food wine.. Anything else you love about this list Maria:

MV: I would also like to mention they have some lovely offerings of New world Chardonnay for all my buttery chardonnay lovers out there&hellip; : I am particularly drawn to the Lewis Cellars 2017 RRV Sonoma Coast, Lusciously rich with a subtle toasted oak notes, &nbsp;and the Kistler &lsquo;Les Noisetiers&rsquo;, another Sonoma Coast Chard from &lsquo;17 buttery and complex I know these two will not disappoint.

RT: And where are our value wines on this list Maria, anything fun we should try

MV: Lots of fun wines under $100 to explore here if you are up for getting out of your comfort zone: 

For Brunch I&rsquo;d recommend a Rose- It&rsquo;s the perfect day drinking wine in warm weather. I love the Ch&acirc;teau Minuty, &lsquo;M&rsquo;, from the C&ocirc;tes de Provence 2020, Grenache Cinsault and Syrah are the grapes used in this wine.. it&rsquo;s fresh and light and the bottle shape is ultra-feminine and elegant looking for the table

Another great wine for those who tend to gravitate towards Sancerre or Sauvignon Blanc... is the Nikolaihof, &lsquo;Hefeabzug&rsquo;(heefa UB Zoog), Gr&uuml;ner Veltliner, 2015 from the Wachau, in Austria. It has the bright citrus crispness that SB has but with a pinch of ground white pepper versus fresh green pepper, loads of minerality. I love this wine with salads, Vegetarian dishes, and shellfish. 

RT: What about a splurge-worthy red for those of us having the meatball to ourselves for an entree&hellip;

MV: ha&hellip; okay so a big wine for the big meatball.. or even the bone-in-ribeye, I would order the La Sirena CabSauv 2009. This wine is ready to open now&hellip; it has had the perfect amount of cellar time, lots of graphite and mixed berried fruits, plus this wine is made by one of the most well-regarded winemakers in all of Napa Valley, Heidi Barret. that&rsquo;s right a famous female winemaker in the house! And she rocks! Wines such as Screaming Eagle, Fantesca, Dalle Valle, this her &ndash; very - own -label. La Sirena means the mermaid in Spanish. if that helps you remember it&hellip; and hey if you want to really go for it&hellip; they do have Screaming Eagle. the 2014 vintage&hellip; but it will cost you a mortgage payment&hellip; lol! 

RT: (laugh), I&rsquo;m ordering that only if someone else is buying.

MV: Right! haha!ME TOO

RT: Well, that&rsquo;s a wrap on today&rsquo;s episode. thank you Maria for all of your helpful wine suggestions for Lavo&rsquo;s NY wine list. You can find Maria on Instagram @Mariathewineblonde.

Thank you EVERYONE for joining us on CorkRules, Remember the only rule in wine is &ldquo;drink what you LOVE&rdquo;.

MV: Have a favorite wine list? Let us review it here, send us your requests at <a href="mailto:info@corkrules.com">info@CorkRules.com</a> and remember to check out all of our episodes on CorkRules.com. Please drink responsibly.

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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

Domaine Oudin is a small family-owned winery located in the heart of Chablis. They are known for producing high-quality, terroir-driven Chardonnay wines that are elegant, complex, and age-worthy.

Bustling destination serving steak & barbecue plus cocktails, beer & wine, in a sleek space.

Krasi

Sazon

La Boca

Coppa

Helm Oyster Bar & Bistro

Helm Oyster Bar and Bistro

Ledger Restaurant & Bar

Ledger

Row 34

The Ordinary

The Fig

Harvest

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

Killen's STQ

Technique

Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

Cabernet Sauvignon

Alexander Valley, USA

Tinto Negro (TintoNegro)

Finca La Escuela Malbec 2016

Malbec

Mendoza, Argentina

Vermillion

Red Blend 2016

Grenache

California, USA

Tom Eddy

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Cabernet Sauvignon

California, USA

Château Beau-Site Haut-Vignoble

Saint-Estephe 2016

Petit Verdot

Bordeaux, France

Viña Cobos

Bramare Malbec Uco Valley 2017

Malbec

Uco Valley, Argentina

Saddleback

Vine Haven Merlot 2016

Merlot

California, USA

Maal

Killen’s Old Vine Malbec 2017

Malbec

Mendoza, Argentina

Crosby Roamann

Merlot 2014

Merlot

Oak Knoll District, USA

Arnot-Roberts

Kirschenmann Vineyard Zinfandel 2018

Zinfandel

California, USA

Switchback Ridge

Peterson Family Vineyard Merlot 2016

Merlot

Napa Valley, USA

Hensley Family Vineyards Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2016

Napa Valley, USA

Kalaris

Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Cabernet Sauvignon

California, USA

Cellars

Stewart, Stout Family Cabernet Franc 2015

Napa Valley, USA

Lexington, Cabernet Sauvignon Gist Ranch, Santa Cruz Mountains 2014

California, USA