If wine is an expression of the terroir, soil that is heavily laden, or even lightly sprayed with pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers must surely affect the jus. Indeed, master sommeliers and renowned winemakers are turning to age-old organic practices in both growing the vines and making the wines. The goal is to rejuvenate the terroir and bring the art of winemaking back into the marketplace because as all savvy winemakers know, sustainable luxury is a growing trend that future generations of wine lovers are embracing. From the growing popularity of Pet Nat wines to wine is eco-friendly packaging, the next generation of consumers are asking for environmentally friendly solutions.

Many old-world wineries are quick to understand the benefits of sustainable practices in both the vineyard and the winery, and they are implementing sustainable growing, packaging, and delivery solutions.

A Green Deal Report on Wine

The European Union&rsquo;s Green Deal announced in 2020 has put sustainability firmly at the heart of the current and future policymaking in Europe. (1) And The study on the state of play of sustainability initiatives in the wine appellation sector attached &ldquo;provides insights and recommendations to the European wine appellation sector on potential future approaches to sustainability, taking into account the urgency to respond to the challenges posed by climate change, among others, and the ambitious targets set by the EU&rsquo;s sustainability agenda for agriculture and food production.&rdquo; (2)

Within the European wine appellation sector, the majority of PDO wine producer groups strongly agree that the definition of &lsquo;sustainable wine&rsquo; involves primarily efforts that are associated with the protection of the surrounding environment and local heritage and namely:

<ul>
	<li>&lsquo;Protect biodiversity and the landscape&rsquo; (68% of the respondents).</li>
	<li>&lsquo;Prevent harming the natural environment while producing the wine (e.g., reduction of pesticides, fertilizers, water, no in-row weeding etc.)&rsquo; (65%); and,</li>
	<li>&lsquo;Preserve regional or local heritage and traditions&rsquo; (57%). (3)</li>
</ul>

Consumers Are Asking for It

According to the study, the most prominent drivers pushing a PDO wine producer to develop or adhere to a sustainability initiative are that:

● &lsquo;Consumers are asking for it&rsquo; (93% respondents selected this driver as one of the five most important ones);

● &lsquo;They want to protect biodiversity and the landscape&rsquo; (88% respondents selected this driver as one of the five most important ones).

● &lsquo;They want to limit the impact of wine production on the environment&rsquo; (83% respondents selected this driver as one of the five most important ones); and,

● &lsquo;They feel it is the right thing to do&rsquo; (82% respondents selected this driver as one of the five most important ones and 34% respondents selected this option as the most important driver). (4)

A Sustainable Wine Industry

Floods. Fires. Famines. Once upon a time these national and international disasters were a once in a lifetime occurrence. Now they are the new norm for most countries across the globe.

Winemakers from California to Queensland have seen the seen the impact of climate change in their vineyards, and they have no choice but to rethink how they will manage the vineyard to cope with rising temperatures, increased or decreased rainfall, and nutrient-depleted soil.

In a recent podcast with wine author and educator Jane Anson, Robert Tas and Jane discuss how the wine industry is moving forward, how packaging plays a role, and how to change people&rsquo;s perception of what luxury is in a sustainable future.

&nbsp;

If wine is an expression of the terroir, soil that is heavily laden, or even lightly sprayed with pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers must surely affect the jus. Indeed, master sommeliers and renowned winemakers are turning to age-old organic practices in both growing the vines and making the wines. The goal is to rejuvenate the terroir and bring the art of winemaking back into the marketplace because as all savvy winemakers know, sustainable luxury is a growing trend that future generations of wine lovers are embracing. From the growing popularity of Pet Nat wines to wine is eco-friendly packaging, the next generation of consumers are asking for environmentally friendly solutions.

The Future of Wine - Sustainable Luxury

1803 is a Cajun restaurant that brings a little of New Orleans’ eclectic culture to the streets of New York. It’s a sexy, sultry space with a penchant for Deep South decadence and jazz. For a memorable culinary experience, this is the place to bring a date.

Pairing Wine with Cajun Food at 1803

Drops of God, the popular manga series by Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto, has been adapted into a television series by AppleTV and has some buzz in the wine world. The AppleTV series tells a story about a competition between Camille's (Fleur Geffrier) estranged daughter and Issei (Tomohisa Yamashita), the protégé after the death of Camille's father, a famous wine collector, to win his world-renowned wine collection valued at $100M+.

Drops of God: The AppleTV Series That Could Save the Wine Industry

Certified sommelier and CorkRules’ resident Somm, Michaela Quinlan shares her expertise on the wine list of il Buco. il Buco’s wine cellar holds a selection of over 400 wines and includes an exciting range of lesser-known, artisan wines from Europe. This restaurant has been called "one of the best and most exciting in America" by Gourmet magazine and the wine list has won Wine Spectator’s "Award of Excellence" several times.

Artisan Wines at Il Buco

Orange wine is made from white grapes, but the skin stays in contact with the juice longer during the maceration period, which increases the tannins and turns the normally white wine a more golden hue. The longer the contact,  the darker the hue, which increases the tannins and a stronger intensity. Pinot gris and malvasia are two common grape varieties used to make orange wine, but if you dig a little deeper, explore a little further, you can find some delightful orange wines along the border between northeastern Italy and Slovenia where orange wines are madefrom indigenous grapes on the region, including sauvignon vert (friulano), ribolla gialla, and pinot grigio.

Pairing Orange Wines at Pasquale Jones

The Lobster Club in the Seagram Building, New York City is a Japanese Brasserie that is renowned for its unique interpretation of Japanese cooking and Sushi, and what’s even more exciting is that it has an extensive wine list.

Fine Wines at The Lobster Club

Unless you are born into a vineyard, grow up in wine country, a career in wine is not a go-to profession for most graduates. But for some people, their love of wine and career path are intertwined. This is how it was for Jane Lopes, sommelier, co-founder of Legend Imports, and author of Vignette: Stories of Life and Wine in 100 Bottles.

Stories of Wine & Life with Jane Lopes, Sommelier, Author and Co-Founder of Legend Imports

CorkRules has been presented with the BMMA ‘Best New Mobile App” Platinum award, the highest award achievement in category.

CorkRules Wins the 2023 BMMA Platinum Award for "Best New Mobile App"

Pairing wine with Asian food is a common dilemma. Just what should you order with the Spicy Yellowtail Yu Sheng or the Mongolian Lamb Chops? How do we make palatable choices that cross cultures and bring out the best in each location’s use of herbs and spices?

Pairing Wine with Asian Food at Buddakan

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

Alexis Rogers

Kochi

Kochi

RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where (in each episode) we will review a

wine list from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Alexis Rogers, wine educator and restaurant sommelier

Hello Alexis, Welcome back to another episode!

AR: Hi Robert! Thanks for having me!

RT:&nbsp;Before we dive into the wine list at Kochi, a little bit about us. CorkRules was created to demystify and simplify ordering wine at restaurants - an experience that can be intimidating for most people.

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.

Today we are discussing Kochi. This Hell&rsquo;s Kitchen eatery boasts an 8-course tasting menu of mostly skewered dishes (kochi means &ldquo;skewer&rdquo; in Korean) as well as other Korean-inspired menu items. Both menu and concept are inspired by the Korean Royal Court&rsquo;s culinary traditions of smaller multi-course meals.

So, Alexis, tell us a little bit about the wine list at Kochi

AR: This wine list is very Franco-centric - which I love. It is basically organized into &ldquo; French&rdquo; and Everywhere Else within the Grape Heading. But hey, credit where credit is due! One bottle in particular that I got super hyped about was the 2019 Nicolas Joly &ldquo;Coulee De Serrant&rdquo; Savieneres. Coulee de Serrant is a single vineyard from which a single producer makes wine - aka as a &ldquo;monopole&rdquo;. This particular vineyard has gained such recognition that it was awarded its own separate AOC within Sauvenieres with even stricter production regulations. It&rsquo;s a magical parcel of land giving a famed producer incredible fruit. This highly aromatic wine made from 100% Chenin Blanc gives us notes of grapefruit, pear, honey, chamomile, fresh straw, and candied lemon. Also, look for the skin-contact version of this wine under the orange wine section!

RT : I think that, for a layman, French wine is the most difficult to comprehend and therefore order or buy.

AR: You&#39;re totally right. French wines are labeled by their Point of Origin - or AOC, so understanding French Wine law STARTS by memorizing which grapes are grown in which village. But even if you don&#39;t remember that Sancerre is Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley, you WILL remember the electricity and grassy citrus-y flavors and that you loved it and that it paired fabulously with goat cheese. So while French wIne law can feel alienating and gratuitously pompous, the wines themselves and the experience of drinking them is a universal pleasure,

RT: Haha, that was quite a love song to French wine! But it&rsquo;s these hard to comprehend rules that are the reason we are sitting here - we need someone to decode them!

AR: And it&rsquo;s my pleasure to do so!

RT: So now I think it&rsquo;s time we look at the menu and do some pairing! The Spanish Mackerel definitely caught my eye&hellip;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

AR : Mine too! And I knew exactly where to go for pairing! Spanish Rosada - or rose. Specifically, the incredibly affordable 2019 Muga Rosado from Rioja. Mackerel is an oily fish that needs a bright fresh wine but also something with a little body and structure to stand up to it. Rose is the perfect agent for this mission. This bottling is made from Grenache and Viura with a smattering of TempraNULLlo for some structure. This bottle would probably actually do very nicely with a good portion of this menu and might be a good bet if you were thinking of the tasting menu

RT: I think that Rose is the unsung hero of food pairing and rarely gets the credit it deserves.&nbsp; I noticed a pretty large selection of half bottles on this list, did any of those stand out to you?

AR: Yes, actually! The first bottle my eyes really landed on was the 2017 Royal Tokaji Lare Harvest Furmint from Tokaji Hungary. This region and its wines date back to the 12th century but really came into prominence in the 7th century when the world - and especially its royal courts- caught on to the pleasures of the sweet, concentrated elixir. Tokaji wines featured prominently in a lot of the geopolitical tussles of the day - their sales funded the wars of independence against the rule of Transylvania by the Austro - Hungarian empire, The royal Russian Romanovs maintained a colony there to ensure their supply and almost went to war over Poland&rsquo;s sticky-fingered tax on the wines traveling through on their way to Russia. But they all had to compete with Louis the 14th court at Versailles after he declared the wines to be The King of Wines and the Wine of Kings. Today, many styles of Furmint are made - from dry table wines to sweeter Late Harvest, to the botrytis-affected Aszu, to the extremely rare and expensive Eszencia - which is so rich and concentrated and expensive that one drinks it from a crystal teaspoon.

RT: What a fascinating history! Here is a fun fact, I&rsquo;m actually Hungarian. My parent immigrated and I was raised by staunch Hungarian parents.&nbsp;

Alexis, thank you so much for being here and the dive into some of the great stories wine tells and the list at Kochi! 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:

Info@corkrules.Com or visit our web website where we have a request form available&nbsp;

&nbsp;

We are looking forward to being with you on another CorkRules episode soon. In the meantime,

please check out our website for all our latest episodes or on your favorite podcast service for all your favorite restaurant wine lists.

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

&nbsp;

END

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Meson

Dear Annie

Rossoblu

Lago

High-end chain eatery serving seafood & steakhouse fare in a classy setting with views.

The American Express Centurion Global Lounge Network

homepage

Join us each week as we pour a glass and share top restaurant ‘wine list’ picks, providing you with the knowledge to confidently navigate the ‘wine list’ through somm recommendations, suggested food pairings and masterclass insights.

Chart House

Haute Couture

French Bubbles Rose NV

France

Banfi

Rosa Regale 2014

Brachetto d'Acqui, Italy

Korbel

Brut 2012

California, USA

Duckhorn

Napa Valley Merlot NV

Napa Valley, USA

Viberti Giovanni Langhe Nebbiolo La Gemella, Italy, Piedmont NV

Piedmont, Italy

Beringer Main & Vine

White Zinfandel 2021

California, USA

Chateau Montelena

Chardonnay NV

California, USA

Goldeneye

Anderson Valley Pinot Noir NV

California, USA

Château Lassègue

Saint-Emilion Grand Cru NV

Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux, France

Rodney Strong

Symmetry Meritage Red 2014

Alexander Valley, USA

Rodney Strong

Symmetry Meritage Red NV

Alexander Valley, USA

Prunotto

Barbaresco 2014

Barbaresco, Piedmont, Italy

Hogue

Late Harvest Riesling 2015

Columbia Valley, USA

Alexander Valley Vineyards

Cyrus 1964

California, USA

Château Lassègue

Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2015

Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux, France