Grapes are one of the most finicky fruit to grow. They need just the right soil, amount of water and sunlight, and ideal temperatures; if any of these factors are off the grapes become flabby or tart, and the magic attained when opening a perfect bottle is lost. This is why climate change is fast becoming such a monumental issue within the world of wine.

The Beginning of the End?

But don&rsquo;t worry, it isn&rsquo;t all fire and brimstone. Cooler regions are actually thriving. In the past, wine production could occur only within the latitudes of 30 and 50 degrees. Southern England lies around 52 degrees, north of that traditional latitude window and once thought too cold for grapes to fully ripen. As temperatures rise, however, English wine production has been increasing with the introduction of first class sparklers from producers like Nyetimber and Chapel Down. And why not? There is an abundance of white, chalky soil in certain parts of southern England, the same soil so coveted in Champagne. The English use the same three grape varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Muenier) as their French counterparts to the south, as well as the same traditional method for wine production. English sparklers tend to have a little more orchard fruit and rustic qualities, but the top producers can spar with the best of them.

Champagne, on the other hand, once considered very cold and continental, only declared vintages in the best years when their grapes received ample sunshine to fully ripen. Global warming has brought an abundance of vintage worthy years, but there is now danger that the pendulum will swing too far in the other direction. If it continues to warm in this region, there is danger that the grapes will become flabby, losing the crisp, brioche-like minerality that Champagne is so known for. The solution is still up in the air, but a lot of producers have started setting up shop in new regions; the classic Taittinger in England and Roederer in Anderson Valley, California. Other previously too cold regions, like Norway and Denmark, are also getting into the wine game, which could result in exciting new varieties and styles.

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Wine Production is Looking Up

For those who can&rsquo;t expand north or south, production is starting to look up&hellip; literally. In Argentina, producers are pushing to new heights with vineyards in Salta planted at up to 11,000 feet. These grapes still receive sun and heat during the day, but benefit from a greater diurnal shift, the difference of temperature between day and night. Higher altitudes mean cooler temperatures at night which give the grapes time to rest, ripen more slowly, and keep that fresh acidity that is so important to great winemaking.

Washington producers are also starting to push upward with regions like Walla Walla Valley experimenting with heights of 3,000 feet. The wines are refined, with silky tannins and lush fruit. The alcohol per glass in Washington wines hovers closer to 14 percent, a welcome quality when so many Napa wines are sitting at up to 15.5 percent! This is because the hotter it gets the more the grapes ripen and the more sugar they contain. When the yeast eats the sugar it produces alcohol, hence more sugar equals higher alcohol after fermentation. One solution is to pick the grapes earlier in September instead of October when they aren&rsquo;t as ripe, but without that extra hang time there is a risk of picking a less complete, complex grape.

The New Grapes on the Block

What if a producer can&rsquo;t move north or upwards? One solution: introduce new grape varieties that can stand up to warmer weather. Bordeaux has a long history and reputation for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc (Malbec, Carmenere, and Petit Verdot are also allowed in red wine). These have been the go-to grapes that made this region infamous. The French also take pride in tradition, so it&rsquo;s an indication that things must really be warming up for them to consider change. For the first time in hundreds of years, new red grape varieties are allowed in small proportions to help producers adapt to climate change.

The new red grape varieties are Arinarnoa, Castets, Marselan, and Touriga Nacional. Arinarnoa is a cross (when two grapes of different pedigree cross pollinate) between Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon created in France in 1956. Castets is a rare grape variety originating in southern France. Marselan was developed in 1961 from crossing the grapes Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. Touriga Nacional is from the Douro region of Portugal and often used for port. All these grapes have something in common, they are late ripening, often smaller berried and thicker skinned; perfect for warmer temperatures and retaining structure and acidity. French law states that these new grapes can make up no more than ten percent of the wine blend, and the results will be reevaluated after ten years. Stay tuned for its progress.

Looking to the Future

The good news is that wine is an ancient tradition that isn&rsquo;t going away any time soon. Scientists and agriculturalists continue to study both climate and fruit to develop solutions. More and more farmers are developing sustainable and biodynamic practices to rejuvenate the land. And we, as consumers, have more opportunities to buy local to reduce our carbon footprint. So whether you&rsquo;re looking up, to the north, or trying something new, keep enjoying a great bottle of wine. I believe that&rsquo;s one thing that will always good for the planet&hellip; and the soul.

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Grapes are one of the most finicky fruit to grow. They need just the right soil, amount of water and sunlight, and ideal temperatures; if any of these factors are off the grapes become flabby or tart, and the magic attained when opening a perfect bottle is lost. This is why climate change is fast becoming such a monumental issue within the world of wine.

Climate Change and the Future of Wine

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

Maria Valetta, Maria the Wine Blonde, and Robert Tas take a trip to Skybar Las Vegas in the Waldorf Astoria where they review the wine list. 

Wine List Review of Skybar, Las Vegas.

Maria Valetta

Skybar

Skybar Las Vegas in the Waldorf Astoria 

RT): Hi Everyone,&nbsp; 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, and certified sommelier, also known as Maria The Wine Blonde. Welcome back Maria

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MV: Hello Robert! Today we are checking out a Las Vegas hot spot with an insane view of the strip

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RT: Wine with a sky-high view. I love it., but before we get started, let&rsquo;s talk about CorkRules. CorkRules was created to help you navigate the wine list so you will always love the wine you drink. With CorkRules in hand, you can confidently and easily make selections from the wine lists based on your wine preferences of flavor, style, region, and even price point. Plus, you can check out which wines your friends loved and try them yourself. So have a listen to our podcasts as our top Sommeliers help you find those hidden gems, value wines, and those special celebration-worthy bottles.

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RT: Today we are talking about The SkyBar in The Waldorf Astoria Hotel and Residences in La Vegas.

Sitting High above the strip on the 23rd floor, it&rsquo;s the ideal perch for taking in prime views of all the iconic hotels while noshing on electic bites and slices of fresh sashimi. The elegant d&eacute;cor and dimly lit lighting makes it a perfect date night spot for a pre-show dinner and a glass or bottle of wine.

Does this little hot spot have some wines worthy of checking out Maria?

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MV: I love this sexy little place&hellip; If I lived in the Waldorf, I would be at SkyBar every night! Their wine list is a one-pager, focusing on sparkling which also happens to go well with sashimi. And luckily, they offer about 15 wines by the glass, more than some large restaurants offer so that&rsquo;s a big plus!

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RT: So sparkling to start?

MV: yes, I recommend the Collet Brut champagne, it&rsquo;s got a nice toasty flavor and is offered by the glass and more reasonable than the Veuve and I like it just as much. A traditional blend of pinot Meunier pinot noir and Chardonnay grapes and quite about 35% of reserve wines make up this non-vintage champagne.

A nice value option for champagne by the bottle that they have is the Ayala champagne. that is always a great choice and I think because not many people know it it&#39;s not priced as high.

Both of these would be lovely with the salmon roll or the curated sashimi platter by sushi pro chef Katz. but also remember champagne is really fabulous with French fries and so one of the perfect pairings on this menu is going to be the duck fat French fries with a bottle of that Ayala champagne.

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RT: yeah you know sometimes it&#39;s the simplest bites that go best while sipping something special.

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MV: agree and so let&#39;s talk about the white wines they have by the glass and bottle here. They are a little bit limited but I would choose the Lucien Crochet Sancerre, a sauvignon blanc from the Loire valley in France, you really can&#39;t go wrong with sancerre it&#39;s such a bright and refreshing wine and I would like this with the charcuterie and cheese plate, the elote fritters or the blackened shrimp tacos.

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RT: Any other whites you would order? They have to have a decent chardonnay even if the white wine selection is small right?&nbsp;

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MV: yes of course I&#39;ve never come across a wine list that doesn&#39;t have chardonnay by the glass its one of those classic varieties. So two of them here that are going to have a similar profile are the Chalk Hill Chardonnay from Sonoma County and the Sanford Estate Chardonnay from Santa Barbara but if you wanted that steely more minerality in your Chardonnay, one from a cooler climate that showcases more fruit and less of that buttery richness then go for the Patrick Piuze&nbsp; &ldquo;Terrior de Chablis&rdquo; from France that&rsquo;s offered by the bottle. I feel like people often forget that Chablis is Chardonnay it&#39;s just the very northern part of burgundy and so as a result the flavor profiles is different and has all that lovely minerality that I particularly love.

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RT: Some nice white choices actually, so let&rsquo;s Switch to a red or two?

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MV: yes you know the great thing about this wine list is everything is fairly reasonable, honestly, the most expensive bottle on the list is the Dom Perignon Champagne which is always a great bet if you&#39;re celebrating but as far as Reds go you have one of the Super reliable Reds that everyone likes the Justin Cabernet from Paso Robles in California. Bold and big that one is. Then a super value by the bottle would be the Bodega Norton Reserva Malbec with it&rsquo;s pepperiness and dark black fruit character&hellip;and if you want something with that really nice luscious fruit-forward in your face fruit that jumps out of he glass and &nbsp;would&nbsp; go really well with the carnitas sopas or the sky bar sliders then definitely go for the Orin Swift &ldquo;Eight Years in the Desert&rdquo; Zinfandel from Napa Valley California.

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Honestly, it&#39;s a short list here Robert so easy to navigate. What it comes down to, is taking some of the items from the menu and pairing them with one of these great wine selections and finding the top options that are the most enjoyable for your palate.

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RT: that&#39;s great Maria sometimes it&#39;s refreshing to see a short wine list and not get so overwhelmed and I like that this is more like a tapas style menu so you can try a few things have your wine and then get off to one of the Cirque du Soleil shows!

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MV: that&#39;s right sometimes if you&#39;re splurging on a show like that you just want to pre-theatre bite with a view to impress your date and Sky bar is THE place for that!

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RT: well thank you Maria for finding us some fabulous gems on the wine list at Skybar. Thank you everyone for joining us today you can find more wine tips from Maria on Instagram @Mariathewineblonde. Remember the only rule in wine is &ldquo;drink what you LOVE&rdquo;.

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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> You can find previous episodes on your favorite podcast platform and on

The CorkRules website. Be sure to follow @CorkRules on Instagram for episode and app updates. Prices and selections subject to change, 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

Peirano Estate is a historic winery located in the heart of the Lodi AVA. They are known for producing high-quality, estate-grown wines that showcase the unique terroir of the region.

Hip spot offering New American small plates at dinner & late-night craft cocktails in stylish digs.

Eddy V's Prime Seafood Restaurant

The View

Il Capriccio

Clarity

Bellissimo Restaurant

Bellissimo

Sandbar

Mirabelle Restaurant & Tavern

Mirabelle at Three Village Inn

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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

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