With the exception of sommeliers and vintners, for most of us who love wine, no matter how many bottles you drink in your lifetime, and no matter how delicious, you rarely think of the terroir, the grape, or the growing process as you drink it.

That&rsquo;s all about to change. Listening to Chris Phelps talk about his first foray into making wine makes you appreciate his deep knowledge and consideration for the grape and the land.

In Episode 283 of CorkRules, Robert Tas talks to Chris about his background in wine, how his son encouraged him to start making wine, and origin story of&nbsp; <a href="https://www.advivumcellars.com/">Ad Vivum,</a> but throughout this interesting conversation, one thing is clear: Chris has an immense passion for the land, the grape, and, of course, the alchemy that happens when you bring the grape through fruition, fermentation, and finally wine.

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Wine for Body, Mind and Soul

Like so many passionate vintner&rsquo;s Chris&rsquo; path into the vineyard was shaped by fate. Originally enrolled in pre-med at Davis University, he spent a summer firefighting where he encouraged a friend, a passionate wine geek, to join him at Davis where they ran a viticulture/enology program. The tables turned when the friend later encouraged Chris to jump from medicine to wine.

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Fast forward a few years of studying and working in France and at various vineyards, including a wine ch&acirc;teau within the village of Puisseguin-Saint-&Eacute;milion in Bordeaux, and Chris is now a consultant for wineries, including Inglenook in Napa Valley, and Grounded Wine Company.

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For Chris, the joy of selecting a varietal that produces exceptional and original fruit is just the beginning. He talks passionately about finding those unique grapes, picking them at the right time, not an hour later or earlier, and how the moment of tasting the raw, as yet unfermented fruit, a few days after cold soaking, reveals the aromatics and top notes.

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Today, Chris produces small productions of select wines, usually just several hundred cases each year. The wines are selectively and directly distributed locally at wine shops and restaurants. He is the winemaker, and his son runs the business side of sales and promotion. The father-son team also run Coil Wines where they produce a Mendocino County Pinot Noir and a rare old-vine Napa Valley Chenin Blanc.

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Chris believes the secret to good wine lies in the love of the land. He spends time in the vines, getting to know them, watching how they grow so he knows when they should be harvested. Timing is key when picking grapes, the sugar content and ripe factor play a major role in the final product. And of course, good vintners know that the vitality of the terroir is, well, vital for the health, growth, and taste of the grape. He pays attention to which grapes do well in which area of the land. He takes note of the sun, water, wind, and minerals in the soil all of which play a role in the magical science that turns vine into wine.

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However, Chris also believes that wine is about more than selective wine tasting and the snobbery that may be encountered within the industry. Wine is about life, and his philosophy rings true with many wine lovers across the globe for whom the love of the juice reaches far beyond tasting notes: it&rsquo;s about sharing and pairing; it&rsquo;s about long conversations and enjoying an evening of&nbsp; convivial company.

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As Chris so eloquently states, &ldquo;Ad Vivum was the first single-vineyard wine to emerge from a unique name: Ad infers movement toward a goal with intention. Vivum is the synthesis of two Latin words &mdash; vivere (to live) and vinum (wine). Ad Vivum, is, therefore, where wine and life meet.&rdquo;

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Cheers to that, Chris, and may your wine glass be always half full.

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With the exception of sommeliers and vintners, for most of us who love wine, no matter how many bottles you drink in your lifetime, and no matter how delicious, you rarely think of the terroir, the grape, or the growing process as you drink it.

Chris Phelps on Wine and Life

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

Mariel

Samantha Hohl, certified sommelier and wine educator, and Robert Tas review the wine list at Mariel in Boston.

Wine List Review of Mariel, Boston

Sam Hohl

Mariel

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where, in each episode,&nbsp;we will review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Samantha Hohl, certified sommelier and wine educator.

Hello Sam,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to be back together for another episode.

SH: Hi Robert!

RT: Before we jump in, let&rsquo;s talk about CorkRules.

We created CorkRules to demystify wine lists 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.

RT:

Cork Rules&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Mariel 

Overview

Mariel is located in Boston, Massachusetts and features Cuban dishes, craft cocktails and a curated wine list to pair. It&rsquo;s all set in a beautiful dining area designed to transport you to Havana.

Where to start 
Mariel&rsquo;s wine list features wines from Spain, France and America which you can navigate by country and style. There&rsquo;s some great choices here to pair with their menu loaded with rich, spiced and flavorful plates.

Let&rsquo;s start off with the 2020 Rafael Palacios Godello from Valdeorras, Spain. This small winemaking region is known for this native varietal called Godello, a white wine grape well known in Galicia, Spain but is also grown in parts of Portugal. Palacios started acquiring old plots and making wine under his own label back in 2004. This bottle is going to be medium-bodied with bright citrus notes, along with some pear and peachy tones too. Try it with the Yuca Cheese Puffs or Chicken Tots to balance those tasty fried flavors.&nbsp;

Another great bottle to kick off the evening would be the 2017 Pintia Toro. This is 100% Tempranillo from the small Toro region in northwestern Spain. The Pintia vineyard is located on the banks of the River Duero and the climate can be intense with hot summers and very cold winters. There&rsquo;s also very little humidity so all of these conditions make for some really beautiful grapes. This bottle will be silky with ripe blackberry flavors balanced with earthy notes along with hints of leather and vanilla. Delicious to sip on and would pair wonderfully with something like the meatballs Havanera.

Value

This list has a really nice range so there are some great options no matter your preference for the evening and I have a couple to mention. A lovely light red to sip on would be the 2018 Marcel Deiss Saint Hippolyte Pinot Noir. Marcel Deiss is one of France&rsquo;s well-known wine producers loved for their expression of terroir. The estate is located in Alsace and the vineyards are farmed biodynamically. The Pinot Noir vines are planted in infertile soil, which means the roots need to work harder and ultimately more nutrients get sent to the grapes making for really delicious wine. This bottle is going to have those juicy red fruit flavors that we love in pinot noir, along with delicate floral tones and zippy acidity. The acid and fruity tones in this would be so good with the pork sticky ribs!

Another awesome value bottle would be the 2018 Suertes Del Marques &lsquo;Trenzado&rsquo;. This white wine is from the Canary Islands and primarily made from the Listan Blanco varietal, also known as Palomino which is often used to make sherry. The grapes grow on vineyards located on steep hillsides and are exposed to ocean influences, so it adds some super nice salinity to the wine. It&rsquo;s going to bring some serious lemon flavor, hints of peach, almond and delicious minerality. This bottle would be so tasty with the ham and cheese croquette baked oysters to complement the salinity in the dish and cut through the richness.&nbsp;

Celebratory 

A bottle to take your night over the top would be the 2007 Mas Del Serral. Located in Penedes, Spain, the Raventos family has been living and farming the Clos de Serral estate since 1497! So we&rsquo;re talking about some serious history here. This bottle of bubbles was made with a white blend including Xarel&middot;lo grapes that were planted in 1954. It&rsquo;s popping with green apple, pear, some flower petals, along with creamy and toasty notes. Only about 2700 bottles were produced so this is an awesome find!

RT: Sam Thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate MARIEL&rsquo;s

wine list. I can&rsquo;t wait to go try them myself. &nbsp;

To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.

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 queue as quickly 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.&nbsp;

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

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BRAT

Bocca di Lupe

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Matteos Ristorante Italiano

Matteo's

Treveri Cellars is a family-owned sparkling wine house that produces some of the finest handcrafted sparkling wines in the Pacific Northwest. They specialize in traditional method sparkling wines, using only the finest grapes from the Columbia Valley. Treveri is known for its high-quality sparkling wines, which showcase the unique character of the region.

Trendy take on an Old Hollywood chophouse offering classic surf 'n' turf plus a raw bar & cocktails.

Craft

Craft L.A.

Barbrix

Wally's

The Belvedere

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Spago

Jeune Et Jolie

Cucina Urbana

Rossoblu

Petit Trois

Cowboy Star

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

Butcher and Singer

Estrella del Norte Vineyard Founders Blend, New Mexico NV

New Mexico, USA

Saracco

Moscato d'Asti 2019

Moscato Bianco

Moscato d'Asti, Piedmont, Italy

Faust

Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Cabernet Sauvignon

California, USA

Frog's Leap

Sauvignon Blanc 2020

Sauvignon Blanc

California, USA

Varvaglione

Papale Primitivo di Manduria 2016

Primitivo

Primitivo di Manduria, Italy

Loupiac Gaudiet

Chateau, Loupiac 2010

Loupiac, Bordeaux, France

Schug

Pinot Noir Carneros 2021

Pinot Noir

California, USA

Andes

Terrazas de los, Torrontes, Mendoza 2019

Mendoza, Argentina

Sobon Estate

Rose 2017

Blend

Amador County, USA

Scarbolo, Sauvignon, Friuli Grave 2019

Sauvignon

Graves, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy

Luisa

Tenuta, Friulano Friuli Isonzo 2020

Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Giulia

Tenuta Luisa Sauvignon Friuli Isonzo, Friuli-Venezia 2020

Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Terrabianca

d'Oro Moscato d'Asti 2020

Moscato Bianco

Moscato d'Asti, Italy

Sandy Cove

Sauvignon Blanc 2020

Sauvignon Blanc

Marlborough, New Zealand

Selbach-Oster

Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Kabinett 2018

Riesling

Mosel, Germany