Syrah and Shiraz. Two different names for the same grape variety, but also the name of two different styles of wine. Originally from France but spread around the world today, it has found its own identity in regions far away from the original origin.

The black grape Syrah comes from the French Rh&ocirc;ne valley and it&rsquo;s still very much planted there. Here, it&rsquo;s the only variety used in Hermitage and Cornas, and also used in blends with other local grapes in areas like Ch&acirc;teauneuf-du-Pape and C&ocirc;tes du Rh&ocirc;ne to mention a few. The grape name won&rsquo;t appear on the label though since in France, and in Europe in general, the origin is of more importance than the grape variety.

As France is writing the wine region instead of the grape on the label, countries outside of Europe favors writing the grape variety over the region. Due to this, the term Shiraz is commonly seen on wine labels as it&rsquo;s almost exclusively produced outside of Europe. The origin of the name Shiraz, instead of the French Syrah, is said to be Australian. When wine production here advanced, Syrah vines were sent from France to be planted, however the mistake of writing Scyras instead of Syrah was made and eventually that transformed to the Shiraz we know today. It&rsquo;s in Australia Shiraz has made a name for itself, just like with Syrah in Rh&ocirc;ne. The most premium area for Shiraz would be the Australian Barossa Valley, an area known by many today.

Even though the names are different it is still the same grape variety. They are made in different styles though, where Syrah often tends to be more austere with flavor of dark berries, black pepper, licorice and leather. A Shiraz wine on the contrary would be described as a more full-bodied style with riper fruit and berries, and often a higher alcohol due to the warmer climate the grapes grow in. Today, winemakers around the world choose to label their wine either as Syrah or Shiraz depending of the style they make and the image they want to convey. In either case it&rsquo;s a fantastic grape with different expressions, which will be your favorite?

Syrah and Shiraz. Two different names for the same grape variety, but also the name of two different styles of wine. Originally from France but spread around the world today, it has found its own identity in regions far away from the original origin.

The black grape Syrah comes from the French Rhône valley and it’s still very much planted there. Here, it’s the only variety used in Hermitage and Cornas, and also used in blends with other local grapes in areas like Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côtes du Rhône to mention a few. The grape name won’t appear on the label though since in France, and in Europe in general, the origin is of more importance than the grape variety.

Decoding the wine label: Syrah or Shiraz?

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 Channing Frye talk wine culture, wine community, and of course, Chosen Family Wines. 

Wine List Review of Chosen Family Wines

Robert Tas

Chosen Family Wines

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Chosen Family Wines:

RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Excited to announce our CorkRules app is now available for download, it has over 40K of your favorite restaurants where you can get personalized recommendations, price transparency, and connect with your friends. It&rsquo;s a place to discover and order wine with confidence.

&nbsp;

Welcome to today&rsquo;s podcast with my special guest, &nbsp;Channing Frye who is known for his basketball career with the NY Knick and Cleveland Cavaliers but we are here to talk about his wine &ndash; Chosen Family which I must say is a real slam dunk.

&nbsp;

Channing, Welcome to the CorkRules podcast.

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CF: &hellip;

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RT: Channing, it was a pleasure meeting you and tasting your wine in Aspen. I have to say it blew me away. &nbsp;No disrespect but it was great. That chard was rocking.

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CF: &hellip;

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RT:&nbsp; Alright let&rsquo;s take a step back before we get into your wine, for those of you who don&rsquo;t know Channing. He was a professional basketball player and played for the NY Knicks, a few other teams and &nbsp;won a NBA championship ring with Cleveland Cavaliers. He had a fabulous basketball career but is now putting his passion behind his wine. Channing I&rsquo;d love to start to get to know you with how your started your wine journey? Where did you get introduced? What wines made their mark with you?

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CF: &hellip;

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RT: What&rsquo;s with the all the NBA guys getting into wine making? Melo, D-wade, CP3 to name a few? Do you all guys compare notes, do tastings? BTW I have an app for that. LOL

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CF: &hellip;

RT: Let&rsquo;s talk about Chosen Family Wines, you started it with former teammate Kevin Love, close friend Jacob Gray, and wine maker Chase Renton. Can you share your vision for entering the wine world?

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CF: &hellip;

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RT: I loved learning about your philosophy of wine. I hear you say, wine is about community, breaking bread with friends. CorkRules was born with the same premise to make wine accessible to all and elevate shared experiences. Tell us more about it.

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CF: &hellip;

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RT: Let&rsquo;s talk about diversity in the wine, you&rsquo;re a real inspiration to folks. What else should we the industry be doing? BTW we also meet at Roots fund Gala, we Fabulous event.

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CF: &hellip;

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RT: Alright this is wine podcast after all, so let&rsquo;s talk about your wines. Tell us about your juice? You have chardonnay, ros&egrave;, pinot&rsquo;s to Syrah&rsquo;s. Who are the partners you work with? How do you go about that?

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CF: &hellip;

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RT: Any other varietals on the horizon?

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CF:

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RT: Give us some insight into your wine making process and approach? You have an interesting model in making your wine and collabs? How do choose who to work with?

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CF: &hellip;

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RT: What are you most proud of with your wine making?

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CF: &hellip;

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RT: Which wine is your favorite?

 
CF:

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RT: Where is your wine available? How are you thinking about distribution? Any special offers for CorkRules listeners? What&rsquo;s the website?

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CF: &hellip;

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RT: Channing, Thank you so much joining us here on CorkRules sharing your Chosen Family Wines. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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VA: &hellip;

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RT:&nbsp; 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: <a href="mailto:Info@corkrules.Com">Info@CorkRules.Com</a> or visit our web website where we have a request form available.

&nbsp;

We are looking forward to being with you on another CorkRules episode soon. In the meantime, please download the CorkRules app that has over 40K restaurants that provides personalized recommendations, provides price transparency, and allows you to connect you&rsquo;re your friends. Order with confidence.

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And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

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Thank you.

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End

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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

Grgich Hills Estate is a family-owned winery located in the Napa Valley of California. Founded in 1977 by Croatian-born winemaker Mike Grgich, the winery is known for producing premium wines using sustainable and organic farming practices.

Select seafood & French fare in a chic setting with waves crashing against the windows at high tide.

Mandolin Aegean Bistro

The Surf Club

Itamae

Itamae Miami

Veranda

Boia De

Huertas

Kesté Pizza & Vino

Keste Pizzeria

Taverna di Bacco

Tavern on the Green

Leyland Brooklyn

Junoon

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

The Marine Room

Lloyd Cellars

Chardonnay NV

Chardonnay

California, USA

Lloyd Cellars

Chardonnay NV

Chardonnay

Los Carneros, USA

Failla

Syrah, Sonoma Coast NV

California, USA

Grgich Hills

Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Cabernet Sauvignon

California, USA

Elio Perrone

Sourgal Moscato d'Asti NV

Moscato

Moscato d'Asti, Piedmont, Italy

Taittinger

Brut La Francaise Champagne NV

Blend

Champagne, France

Orin Swift

Eight Years In The Desert NV

Zinfandel

California, USA

Pride Mountain, Claret, Napa Valley NV

California, USA

Grgich Hills Estate

Rose, Napa Valley NV

California, USA

Cobb Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast NV

Sonoma Coast, USA

Champy, Bourgogne, Signature Chardonnay NV

Bourgogne, Burgundy, France

Gemstone Vineyard Facets Estate Chardonnay, Napa Valley NV

Napa Valley, USA

Jean-Louis Trocard

Origine Lalande-de-Pomerol NV

Blend

Lalande de Pomerol, France

Cardinal Lalande

Lalande-de-Pomerol NV

Assemblage

Lalande-de-Pomerol, Bordeaux, France

Duckhorn

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Cabernet Sauvignon

Napa Valley, USA