It is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to the legendary winemaker, Miljenko &quot;Mike&quot; Grgich. His passing marks an end of an era in the world of wine; his legacy, however, will continue to inspire generations.

Born and raised in Croatia, Mike found his passion for wine at a young age. His journey led him across oceans where he became instrumental in putting Napa Valley on the global viticulture map. In 1976, at what came to be known as The Judgement of Paris - one of the most pivotal moments in modern wine history - Mike&#39;s Chateau Montelena Chardonnay outshone its French counterparts. This monumental victory not only brought international recognition for California wines but also shattered preconceived notions about New World Wines.

Grgich Hills Estate was born soon after this historic event and quickly gained fame for producing some of America&rsquo;s finest wines like <a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/Grgich-Hills-Cabernet-Sauvignon-Napa-Valley-2018-w3230104mo">Cabernet Sauvignon</a>, Zinfandel and Merlot alongside their signature <a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/Grgich-Hills-Chardonnay-Napa-Valley-2020-w1289321q5">Chardonnay</a>. Each bottle crafted under Mike&#39;s meticulous supervision bore testimony to his commitment towards quality over quantity &ndash; a principle that won them numerous accolades including consistent 90+ scores from critics such as Wine Spectator and Robert Parker.

But even amidst all these achievements abroad, Mike never forgot his roots. He returned home to Croatia establishing Grgić Vina on the Pelje&scaron;ac Peninsula where he produced Posip (white) and Plavac Mali (red), bringing international attention back onto Croatian wines.

The impact left by Mike Grgich extends beyond just awards or high critic scores; it lies within every vineyard inspired by his sustainable farming practices; within every sommelier who appreciates the balance between tradition and innovation; within every sip savored by a connoisseur who recognizes quality when they taste it.

As we mourn this great loss today let us also celebrate what he stood for &ndash; a testament to the power of passion, hard work and an unwavering belief in one&#39;s craft. We raise our glasses to you, Mike Grgich - for teaching us that wine is not just about tasting notes or vintage years but about people, places and stories. Your life&rsquo;s work has forever changed the landscape of winemaking; your spirit will continue to inspire it.

Rest in peace, dear maestro. The world of wine is richer because of you.

It is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to the legendary winemaker, Miljenko "Mike" Grgich. His passing marks an end of an era in the world of wine; his legacy, however, will continue to inspire generations.

Legendary Winemaker Mike Grgich, Key Figure in the Judgement of Paris, Passes Away at 100, Leaving a Lasting Impact on the Global Wine Community

The world of sparkling wine is a vast one. While champagne has long been the reigning king, there's another contender that’s not only equally delicious but also offers great value for money - Cremant.

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Omakase is experiencing a surge in popularity, let’s dig into what it is and of course what wines to drink.



 Omakase, a term that translates to "I'll leave it up to you" in Japanese, is rapidly gaining popularity in the culinary world. This dining experience places your meal entirely in the hands of the chef, who meticulously crafts each course based on seasonal ingredients and their personal creative flair. It's not just about seafood; while sushi often features prominently due to its status as a cornerstone of Japanese cuisine, an omakase menu can include anything from Wagyu beef to seasonal vegetables.

Omakase and Wine Pairing: A Booming Gastronomic Journey

California Chardonnay: it's a name synonymous with sunshine, buttery richness, and maybe even a splash of white wine envy (looking at you, Bridget Jones). But how did this grape, originally hailing from France, become a Californian icon? Buckle up, because we're diving into the world of CA Chard, from its unexpected origins to the reasons it continues to reign supreme on wine lists.

Buckle up, because we're diving into the world of CA Chard!

Forget everything you think you know about sweet, syrupy wines. Lambrusco is a sparkling red wine from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region that’s as light and bubbly as a summer day.

Lambrusco: The Party in a Bottle You Need to Try under $25

As the days grow longer and warmer, it's time to trade in your full-bodied reds and crisp whites for a glass of refreshing rosé. This versatile wine is not only perfect for spring but also pairs beautifully with a wide variety of foods all year round.



Rosé originates from France, specifically Provence - the world’s leading rosé region. It has been produced there since 600 BC when Greeks brought vines to southern France. Unlike its red and white counterparts, rosés are made using an array of grape varietals including Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault among others.

Spring into Rosé: The Perfect Wine for Warmer Weather

We are interested in understanding your dining and wine consumption habits to gain valuable insights into the wine and restaurant industry.

State of Wine and Restaurant Survey 2024

Aligoté: Burgundy's Unsung Hero Steps Out of the Shadows

For Chardonnay lovers seeking a refreshing, value-driven alternative, Aligoté, Burgundy's "other" white grape, beckons with its crisp acidity, subtle minerality, and undeniable charm. Often overshadowed by its more illustrious neighbor, Aligoté is finally gaining recognition for its unique qualities and exceptional quality-to-price ratio.

Aligoté: Burgundy's Unsung Hero Steps Out of the Shadows

A Hungarian Legacy: Imagine yourself in Tokaj, Hungary, a region steeped in winemaking tradition. For centuries, Furmint has thrived in its volcanic soil, basking in the warm sunshine. These grapes, loved for their thick skin and high acidity, became the cornerstone of Hungary's most famous wine: Tokaji. These sweet, honeyed treasures were once enjoyed by royalty and popes!

Furmint: Hungary's Hidden Gem for Wine Lovers

Check out these four whites wines under $24, from some great producers across various terroirs – France, Italy, Spain. Spring is in the air.

Four must try white wines for under $24 from France, Spain, and Italy

Falansai

Grace Hood

RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where&nbsp;(in each episode)&nbsp;we will review the wine list from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier. Hello Grace,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to have you!

GH: Xin choai robert! That&rsquo;s Vietnamese for Hello

RT Hahah yes I love it Grace Before we jump in, let&rsquo;s talk about CorkRules.

We created CorkRules to demystify wine list&rsquo;s because we know from experience, that sometimes when we get that list handed to us, well&hellip; 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:&nbsp;So, sit back and listen as we review your favorite wine list.

So to piggy back off of Grace&rsquo;s Vietnamese greeting, today we&rsquo;re going to be talking about Falansai, a Vietnamese - American restaurant in Brooklyn owned by Chef Eric Tran. Now, Grace, you used to live in Vietnam, is that correct?

GH: I did yes! I was living in HCMC in 2017/2018, and was immersed in Vietnamese cuisine and culture. I absolutely love Vietnamese food and was very excited when you sent over Falansai&rsquo;s menu.

RT: That&rsquo;s really great! I love your international experience. It really brings a unique viewpoint to not only wine lists but the podcast as well!

GH: Absolutely - and that&rsquo;s what it all comes down to is perspective. In the world of hospitality, it is the job of professionals to bring these amazing far-off flavors and tastes and experiences, to the domestic consumer. That&rsquo;s why I love wine education, bc even if we&rsquo;re sitting in our homes in New York and California, just by talking about the wine, the terroir, the wine-making style etc., you can be transported to a far-off place. Wine is like a magic carpet ride and I am Aladdin! A wholeeee new worlldddddd

RT: Omgosh you really are the singing sommelier!

MV: I&rsquo;m a woman of many talents Robert :) And speaking of Aladdin and Asia haha - back to Falansai. Since we&rsquo;re dealing with Vietnamese American fusion, we&rsquo;re going to have a bit of an easier time pairing wines b/c of all the hybrid flavors in the food. If we were pairing wines with traditional Asian cuisine we would go with more of that traditional gwetrz and Riesling route we&rsquo;ve been chatting about when it comes to pairing Asian food and wine.

RT: Totally - so since we have this American Vietnamese fusion cuisine, where do we start?

MV: So the first thing I noticed about the wine menu is that it&rsquo;s only 2 pages! Very approachable, reader-friendly, and also quite affordable. Out of the 40 wines they have, only 2 of them are over $100. This is a great tactic by their wine director to, as we say in the industry, move the juice! B/c the price points are in that $60 sweet spot, guests are going to be more inclined to get out of their comfort zone and try some new wines they have yet to experience, but maybe didn&rsquo;t feel totally comfortable dishing out a few hundred dollars for.

RT: That&#39;s a great point Grace. So, what are some interesting wines you&rsquo;d recommend for people now that money is off the table?

MV: So, starting with bubbles - I immediately gravitated towards the Bodegas Clandestina Xarelo from Penedes in Spain, also known as Cava! Cava is the overall term for Spanish sparkling wine - it&rsquo;s like what cremant is to France and what Prosecco is to Italy. And I personally LOVE Cava. One of my first sommelier positions was at Casa Mono in Union Square, which is an amazing Spanish restaurant with an all-Spanish wine list. I fell in love with Spanish wines, and cava is no exception. It is super delicate and aromatic, with these hints of white peaches and gardenias. I always order Cava if it&rsquo;s an option, and again, almost always at an affordable price point.

RT: Ooh, delicious. I love a good cava. What else caught your eye Grace?&nbsp;

MV: Ok so in the whites, we have a very rare and special white wine varietal - Orangetraube from Zahel. Now just to clarify, it is NOT, I repeat NOT an orange wine - however, we will get to those a little later. Orangetraube is a white grape indigenous to Austria, and only ONE producer in the entire country makes it, so this is a very very special bottle.

RT: Wow that is so cool! I&rsquo;ve never even heard of that varietal. What a unique Austrian experience to have at a Vietnamese shop in Brooklyn!

MV: Totally! Wine is an international experience no matter where you are in the world

&nbsp;&nbsp;RT: Now you mentioned Orange wine Grace&hellip;.what exactly IS orange wine? It seems to be a hot topic in the wine world right now.

GH: It totally is Robert. The Falansai list has an entire section labeled &ldquo;Contact&rdquo; so I definitely wanted to elaborate on that for our listeners. So there are basically 2 ways you make regular table wine, excluding sparkling and fortified wines. When a white or red grape gets harvested from the vineyards and comes into the winery, you basically have 2 things you could do with it. One - you could put it whole berry or whole cluster into a fermentation tank - that means the grapes and sometimes the stems are all going to go through the fermentation process together. As opposed to the second process you could do with grapes when they arrive - which is called direct press. And that is when you put the grapes in a big cylinder machine called a press, close it up and then slowly over a few hours, the machine with press or essentially squeeze those grapes together, getting out all the delicious, sweet juice, which drips out the bottom of the press and gets transferred right into a fermentation tank. So, the main difference between the two processes is that the press doesn&rsquo;t see any what we call skin contact, meaning we only want to make wine with the juice of the grapes rather than the skins and stems. The direct press process is how we get white wine and rose. And the open-top fermentation process is how we get red wine and orange wine. Orange wine is just a white wine grape that goes through the fermentation process with their skins, giving it a darker color and richer flavor.

RT: Oh wow that&rsquo;s a much easier way to think about wine! It&#39;s 4 grapes done 2 ways. Now just to round out the list, what red wine caught your eye on the Falansai list?

GH: Oh you know I did Robert! I saw that they have a wine from the Baja region of Mexico, the Aborigen Piel de Luna. And now you might be thinking &ldquo;grace&hellip;.Mexico isn&rsquo;t known for their wine&rdquo; and to be fair, they are not, currently! When we think of Mexico we obviously think of tequila and mezcal, but just like the rest of the west coast, Mexico has been producing wine for hundreds of years! The grapes were brought over from Europe during the age of exploration, and they&rsquo;ve been making lovely wines in the northern Baja near Tijuana just a little south of San Diego. Viva la Mexico!

RT: Incredible. Grace, thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Falansai.

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 and we will do our best to get it in the cue as quick 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. Follow us on social media @corkrules and @wineswithgrace

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

End

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Pommery is one of the oldest and most renowned champagne houses, known for its exceptional quality and innovation. The house is famous for its unique winemaking philosophy, which combines traditional methods with modern techniques to craft exceptional champagnes that truly capture the essence of the region.

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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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