Semi-sweet Riesling, a type of wine falling out of style. It&rsquo;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.

One of the most well-known countries for high quality sweet, and partly sweet, wines would be Germany. This is based on old climatic factors since it used to be a very cold country, sometimes struggling to fully ripen the grapes. Unripe grapes will result in a wine with a very high and sharp acidity. To solve this and make the wines more drinkable winemakers resorted to keeping part of the sugar in the wine to balance the acidity.

This style of wine has had quite a bad reputation as they once were made in large volumes from lesser grapes, resulting in a low quality product. Today, the production is very different and the semi-sweet wines are often very good and there are a number of styles to explore, often made from Germanys most iconic variety, Riesling.

In Germany wines are sorted into different quality levels depending on the sweetness of the grape must before fermentation. The riper the grapes, the better the quality was the device when the system was born. Even though that might not be true today, the system is still in place. The six different levels existing today are called pr&auml;dikat, the first one being kabinett. Kabinett is the driest style, though in reality often off-dry or even sweeter. Great with dishes like ceviche with a slight chili heat to them. Next up is sp&auml;tlese and auslese, both of which could technically be dry wines, but almost always end up as semi-sweet or sweet. The following three are all dessert style wines called beerenauslese, trockenbeerenauslese or eiswein depending of the production method. These are all great, but designed for dessert pairings only.

If you&rsquo;ve tried these styles and would still prefer a style without sweetness, look for the term trocken on the label as it translates to dry in german. Despite the high quality of sweet wines Germany also produces some exceptional dry white wines, regarded as some of the best in the world. In other words, a country with many talents.

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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

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

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

Grant Wood

Antique Garage

Antique Garage

RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where&nbsp;we review a Wine List from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Grant Wood, Wine Educator and Certified Sommelier. Hello Grant,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to have you back.

GH: Hey Robert! Happy to be here :)

RT 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 those lists can sometimes be intimidating and even a little daunting.

Our aim is to help prepare you to navigate that list with confidence, find those hidden gems, 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, Grant today we are talking the Antique Garage.&nbsp; They are located down in Soho with an amazing ambience with a wonderful collection of antiques that just add to the&nbsp;experience.

Grant, the menu here is pretty diverse, can&rsquo;t wait hear where do you think we should start?

GW: Starting with their cocktails, being a big gin guy myself, the Little Tenderness features Hendrick&rsquo;s gin, St-Germain, and grapefruit which sounds absolutely refreshing!

RT: Nice call with summer on the horizon, how about some juice to get us going?

GW: Moving to bubbles, the Laurent-Perrier&rsquo; La Cuv&eacute;e Sur-Marne Champagne is a true classic but the Francois Montrand from the alpine region of the Jura offers great value and will satiate any wine lover at the table.

RT: What about something on the lighter side to kick us off?

GW: A really fun white by the bottle is the Pecorino by Ciavolich in Italy&rsquo;s Abruzzo is textural, mineral, and fresh on the palate which is fun to pair with all sorts of dishes on their menu. I actually just had this bottle with some friends the other day at a little wine bar that I frequent in Napa.

RT: What if I&rsquo;m looking for something for my second course or so but easy on the wallet?

GW: On to reds, I love the Barera D&rsquo;Alba by Vietti Tre Vigne coming from Piedmont in Italy. Barbara is always a budget friendly, yet approachable red that is soft, fruit-forward, and ever-so food-friendly. As for something bigger and more celebratory, I have to make a shout out to my hometown of Napa and recommend the Cabernet Sauvignon from Groth, located in Napa Valley&rsquo;s premium sub-AVA of Oakville. These Luxurious wines are powerful with fine-grained tannins and a rich full body mouthfeel that craves fatty meats and a big meal. For a wine like this, I would ask your server or sommelier to decant the wine before service to ensure the wine can &ldquo;open-up&rdquo; and soften those tannins and release more aromatics.

RT: Great call. I love those big cabs myself. Anything else on the menu catch your eye?

GW: Lastly, Antique Garage has Turkish Raki on their menu which is twice distilled spirit using grapes and anise as their base. This is a fun and unique spirit that will promise to ease your appetite and bring your evening to a close.

RT: Grant Thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Antique Garage&rsquo;s wine list.

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.

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

&nbsp;

End

&nbsp;

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

San Giorgio is a family-owned winery located in Puglia, Italy. It was founded in 1962 by Giovanni De Falco and has been producing high-quality wines ever since. The winery is known for its commitment to sustainable winemaking practices and for producing wines that reflect the unique terroir of Puglia.

Glossy, upscale venue serving Michael Mina's wood-fired steaks, seafood & inventive sides.

Delfina Restaurant

Delfina

AFICI

Afici

Ancora

Muller & Lux

The Morris

Spruce

Chez Panisse

Bar Sprezzatura

Sprezzatura

Rich Table

The Progress

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

StripSteak

Alain Graillot

Crozes-Hermitage Blanc 2019

Blend

Crozes-Hermitage, Rhone, France

Delamotte

Brut Champagne Grand Cru 'Le Mesnil-sur-Oger' NV

Chardonnay

Champagne, France

Château d'Issan

Blason d'Issan Margaux 2015

Blend

Bordeaux, France

Veuve Clicquot

Brut Rose Champagne NV

Blend

Champagne, France

Banfi

Brunello di Montalcino 2017

Sangiovese

Brunello di Montalcino, Italy

Shafer

Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Cabernet Sauvignon

California, USA

Ghost Block 'Morgan Lee Vineyard' Sauvignon Blanc 2021

Yountville, USA

Château d'Esclans

Whispering Angel Rose 2021

Grenache

Provence, France

Nino Franco

Rustico Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore NV

Glera

Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, Italy

Altocedro

Ano Cero Malbec 2019

Malbec

La Consulta, Argentina

Barton & Guestier

Chablis Chardonnay 2020

Chardonnay

Chablis, France

Santa Margherita

Pinot Grigio Alto Adige 2020

Pinot Grigio

Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

Tintero Elvio

Sori Gramella Moscato d'Asti 2021

Moscato Bianco

Moscato d'Asti, Italy

Aleanna, El Enemigo Cabernet Franc, Mendoza 2018

Cabernet Franc

Mendoza, Argentina

Jean-Marc Brocard

Chablis 2020

Chardonnay

Chablis, Burgundy, France