CorkRules - Episodes | The Ordinary The Ordinary

Available on

About this Episode

Samantha Hohl, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas head south to Charleston to review the wine list at The Ordinary, where Sam finds a spectacular selection of wines including a pet nat from Slovenia, a spectacular skin contact wine, and one that is a must-pair with oysters. In addition to her wine-tasting expertise, Sam shares a little background knowledge of the wine producers and vineyards, which always makes the bottle you choose more interesting and memorable.

Wines reviewed include:

2020 Mortellito, "Tuttu", Sicily
2021 Gonc “Canvas”, Slovenia
2020 Anjou à Françoise, Loire Valley

Transcript: The Ordinary

The Ordinary

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!

A podcast where, in each episode, we will review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I’m your host Robert Tas along with Samantha Hohl, wine educator and certified sommelier. Hello Sam, it’s great to have you!

SH: Hey Robert, great to be back.

RT : Before we jump in, let’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… 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: So, sit back and listen as we review your favorite wine list. Today Sam and I are heading south to Charleston to review an icon. The Ordinary.

The Ordinary

Overview

The Ordinary is located in Charleston, South Carolina. They operate out of an old bank from the 1920s, creating a great backdrop for their oyster bar. They're known for their takes on local and regional seafood and of course, great drinks to pair with them.

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

Where to start

So, this wine list is pretty concise at just about 2 pages long, but even though it’s not extensive it is packed full of gems! There are some seriously cool bottles on here that maybe you’ve never heard of before and are sure to make your evening. Off the bat, the 2020 Mortellito, "Tuttu" caught my eye and would be a unique bottle to try! This wine is a blend from Sicily that’s 75% Nero d’Avola and the rest a mixture of red and white grapes like Grillo, Cataratto, and Frapatto. This is where it gets the name Tutto from, meaning “all” or “everything” in Italian. Mortellito vineyards are located near the coast in Val di Noto, so they get some great ocean influence adding salinity to their wines. This blend is going to be bursting with different fruit notes, from tropical to dark fruit accompanied by an herbaceous finish. Zippy acid, soft tannins and light body make this a great pair with lots of dishes on this seafood inspired menu- the crispy oyster slider or the Brown Shrimp a la Plancha would pair very nicely.

Another super seafood friendly bottle would be the 2021 Ruth Lewandowski “Tatto.” Evan Lewandowski is the winemaker behind Ruth Lewandowski wines, and he sources grapes that are grown in Mendocino County, California. Evan starts the fermentation process in California, then puts the fermenting juice in refrigerated U-Hauls and takes them to Utah to finish the aging and bottling process. This bottle is a skin-contact wine made from primarily Friulano, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s bursting with citrus and lemon zest, along with notes of passionfruit and ginger. It’s going to have some great mineral components as well, and structure from the skin contact. This is a seafood-ready bottle, and can handle a little spice or zest, like the Flounder with lime ponzu and Asian pear.

Value

There are some great affordable bottles on this list, but one that caught my eye that would be great with so many things on the menu would be the 2021 Gonc “Canvas.” This is a Slovenian Pet Nat made from Pinot Blanc. Peter Gonc’s family have been making wines for 4 generations. Peter relies on traditional winemaking methods but also enjoys branching out by using different grape varietals and aging techniques. This bottle is going to have crisp pear notes, aromas of lemon and hints of nuts. These bubbles would be great with scallops or shrimp. The Cape Bay scallops made with apple and lime would be super yummy to play off the fruit and citrus notes! Only about 300 cases of this wine are produced so it’s affordable and special!

Celebratory

If you’re looking to elevate the night with, I’d go for the 2020 Anjou à Françoise. This is Chenin Blanc from producer Thibaud Boudignon, who grew up around grapes in his grandfather’s vineyard and has worked for multiple wine cellars in Bordeaux, and even Australia. Originally wanting to be a Judo Olympic champion, he ended up working in wine for years before setting out to make his own in 2009 after moving to the Loire Valley. He’s now known for his show-stopping Chenin Blancs. He farms his vineyards biodynamically and is very committed to the health of his fruit, which results in these incredible bottles. This wine is alive with acidity, lots of beautiful citrus and delicate floral tones all complemented by flavors of stone. Pair with oysters for complete indulgence, or the Triggerfish Schnitzel since it would be delicious with something fried. Whatever you choose, this bottle will be refreshing and so memorable!

RT: Sam Thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate The Ordinary’s wine list. I can’t wait to go try them myself.

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: 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 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.

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

End