Toscana

Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas review the wine list at Craft L.A., a Chef Tom Colicchio restaurant. Following his success in New York, he brought Craft’s pioneering approach to the West Coast.  Grace dives into the boutique style list, and in true international fashion, she chooses bottles from around the globe, including  France, Australia, Spain and beyond. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2009 Soter Brut Rose, Willamette Valley, Oregon

• 2018 Txakolina from Ameztoi, Spain

• 2017 Alber Boxler Pinot Gris, Alsace, France

Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas review the wine list at Barbrix a wine shop and restaurant hotspot in Los Angeles with a spectacular selection of women wine makers, orange wine, pet nat wines, and natural wines. Grace identifies must-try wines from the unique selection on offer.  

Wines reviewed include:

• 2020 Prosa Sparkling Rose, Austria

• 2021 “Ode to Lulu” Rose, Bedrock, California

• 2020 Barbera d’Alba, Sottimano, Pairolero

Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas explore the extensive wine list at Wally's Beverly Hills, a one-stop shop for everything delicious – including a list of over 100 wines by-the-glass to explore, and five pages of Bordeaux to choose from. Wally's offers a large selection of wines from the world's finest vineyards, and Grace helps you navigate the list to choose a divine wine for your table, picnic, or wine to unwind at the end of the day.

Wines reviewed include:

• 2019 Clos du Roy Sancerre from Pascal Jolivet

• 2018 from Zind Hambrecht, Alsace

• 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape from Domaine de la Solitude

Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas review the wine list at The Belvedere located in the Peninsula Hotel in Los Angeles. This elegant, European brasserie displays a classic French-country aesthetic steeped in Southern California luxury. Guests can enjoy the culinary creations of a Michelin-star chef while indulging in a wine list that offers an equally elegant wine list. Grace recommends kicking of the evening with a bottle of top-notch bubbles, she suggests some light floral whites, a beautiful Burgundy and bold cab savs. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2009 Cristal Brut, Champagne

• 2016 Pouilly Fume, Jean Claude D’Aganeau, Loire valley

• 2004 Pillar Rock, Stags Leap, Napa

Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas hit the high spot on Las Vegas Boulevard, Spago, where Grace reviews the 60-page wine list to find the hidden gems, value bottles and celebration wines. Whether you lean towards a delightful white Burgundy, Italian or Spanish reds, or are a firm believer in chardonnay all day, every day, Grace finds the wine that will delight and deliver on expectations. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2002 Krug Reims, Champagne, France

• 2006 Franz Kunstler, Rheingau, Germany

• 2015 Gangolff Condrieu, France

Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas review the wine list at Jeune et Jolie in San Diego. This restaurant offers diners a choice of a 4-course menu in which guests make their own selections, but ultimately enjoy a fine dining California style, or the more casual "Le Menu du Bar”, an à la carte menu available for walk-in guests at our bar and lounge. Whether you prefer casual or formal, the wine list offers a quality selection of bottles to choose from. Grace lets her inner Francophile loose as she reviews a fabulous selection of French wines from bubbles to white Bordeaux and beautiful, bold reds. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2015 Blanc de Noir Marie Courtin, France

• 2018 Meursault from Buisson Battault, France

• 2012 Grand Cru Pauillac from Pontet Canet, France

Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas review the wine list at Cucina Urbana where they serve contemporary Italian cuisine with a focus on California seasonality and the bounty of local farms. Their wine program features 200+ labels from around the world, with an emphasis on Italian and California varietals and Grace peruses the wine list to find some hidden gems, including a white Bordeaux that has been described as “liquid gold” a fabulous Cremant, which equals Champagne if bubbles are on your mind, and a unique, pinot noir rose from Sancerre.

Wines reviewed include:

• 2020 Gruner Veltliner, Manni Nossing Winery,  Alto Adige

• 2017 Mayacamas, Mt. Veeder, Napa

• 2019 Grenache one from the Giovanni Montisci Vineyard, Sardinia

Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas explore the Italian wine list at the LA hotspot Rossoblu. This fun and funky restaurant will not disappoint serious diners and wine lovers. On the menu, you will find handmade pasta dishes, in-house butchery and salumi, and classic Italian cuisine with a contemporary twist. The wine list offers unique varietals from family-owned wineries. From sensational sparkling wines to light and zesty whites or 

Grace spots the bottles that will be delicious, delightful, and sometimes, downright decadent. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2021 Vermentino, Antonella Corda Vineyard, Sardinia

• 2021 Galanghina, Marisa Cuomo, Campania

• 2016 Margaux, Chalatour de Bessan

Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas visit the French bistro Petit Trois in Los Angeles, an unassuming and unpretentious restaurant inspired by classic Parisian bistros and has won many accolades from foodies and food critics alike. They offer two award-winning wine lists and Grace reviews the wines on both to identify the approachable and affordable and the big baller bottles of French wines, including Bordeaux, Burgundies, syrahs, and stellar cab blends. 

Wines reviewed include:

• 2019 Melon du Bourgnon, Muscadet

• 2011 Riesling Domaine Marcel, Alsace

• 2019 Domaine Rougeot Pommard

Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier and Robert Tas explore the wine list at Cowboy Star in San Diego’s East Village. This steakhouse and butcher shop sources ethically-raised, meat and seafood. They have a stellar wine list and a reputation to match. From bold, tannic reds to crisp, light whites, champagne that will definitely tickle the taste buds,  and a few surprises in between, Grace identifies the bottles on the list that will please the most discerning palate, including a Margaux from Bordeaux.

Wines reviewed include:

• 2020 Shea Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

• 2020 Chalk Hill Sauvignon Blanc, Napa

• 2017 Joseph Swan from the Russian River Valley