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?

When talking about sparkling wine, most tend to think about Champagne. Champagne is a wine region in northern France, exclusively making sparkling wine. The method used here is even called the champagne method, meaning the wines ferment a second time in the bottle with added yeast and sugar, creating bubbles captured in the bottle. When the fermentation is done, the bottle will be opened to remove the yeast sediment, creating a beautiful and clear wine. At the same time, dosage will be added. Dosage is a mix of the same wine as well as sugar. The more sugar used in the mix, the sweeter the final wine will be. This method evolved due to the cool climate in this region, creating wines with a very sharp acidity. By adding a bit of sugar, the acidity will be perceived as softer, making the final wine more balanced.

The most common labelling term for dosage is Brut. This is a dry Champagne that is allowed a few grams of sugar to achieve this balance. Dry wines could also be labelled as Brut Nature or Zero Dosage, indicating that no sugar at all has been added providing an even crisper style of bubbly. Extra Brut is the term in between, with just a tad of added sugar, even lower than Brut. This scale is used for most sparkling wines around the world when made with the same method as Champagne, for instance in wine regions for Cava in Spain and Franciacorta in Italy.&nbsp;

However, other scales of measuring the sugar level and the sweetness in the wine can be used. For the sparkling wine Prosecco, made in northeast Italy, the labelling terms are a bit more confusing. Brut is still used for a dry wine, but the term Extra Dry means the wine will have a bit of added sweetness and Dry tells you that the wine is actually semi dry, containing up to 32 grams of sugar per liter. That is four times more than a common Brut usually have today. Misunderstandings can therefore be quite common!

A wine with more sweetness will appear more flavorful and with riper fruit aromas, while a dry wine will be crispier with citrus aromas. Which style is the best is up to personal taste, so get to tasting!

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

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

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

Tina Johansson, WSET Diploma Graduate and Michelin restaurant sommelier, and Robert Tas review the wine list at Bern’s Steakhouse in Tampa.

Wine List Review of Bern's Steakhouse

Tina Johansson

Bern's Steakhouse

Cork Rules Script

Bern&rsquo;s Steak House

RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules!

I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Tina Johansson, WSET Diploma Graduate and Michelin restaurant sommelier.

Hi Tina, thanks for being back with us on another episode of CorkRules, - a podcast where we help simplify and demystify the wine lists at some of your favorite restaurants. We talk with certified sommeliers and wine professionals who point out interesting bottles, classic food and wine pairings, hidden gems, value wines, or splurge wines that will take your dining experience over the top.

TJ: Thank you Robert, great to be here.

RT: Today we&rsquo;re talking about a real Tampa classic, Bern&rsquo;s Steak House. It was opened by Bern and Gert, a married couple, in the 1950&rsquo;s and it&rsquo;s run by their son today. It started as a small, intimate restaurant, and today they have several different dining rooms to welcome 350 guests. One of these rooms is the infamous Harry Waugh Dessert Room, serving dessert and matching beverages only, like fortified wine and spirits. The room is named after the director of Chateau Latour in Bordeaux at the time, and it&rsquo;s truly an excellent way to end a dinner in.

TJ: And what a wine list! This one really is one of the heavier I&rsquo;ve seen. Page after page with amazing wines, and even though many of them are classics there are bottles from places like Hungary and China as well. And of course, there is a separate list just for the dessert wine and digestifs.

RT: Yes, Bern&rsquo;s really is an institution today. So what are your gems in the list?

TJ: Well since it is a steak house, I&rsquo;m in the mood for red. The 2019 Clonakilla Shiraz from Canberra in Australia would be my pick. It has the classic ripe fruit flavor of Shiraz but it&rsquo;s a bit lighter and fresher than the regular Shiraz. A great bottle with the less heavy meat servings like dry-aged carpaccio or Elk loin.

RT: Quite the bottle. But say I want to spoil myself with a truly special wine that you don&rsquo;t see on a list often, a wine list of almost 200 pages must have something unique? What would you drink that&rsquo;s something out of the ordinary?

TJ: Yes, they have quite a few exciting bottles actually. If you&rsquo;re into Burgundy wine they have bottles form basically all different areas and crus, but I would probably pick a wine from the northern Rh&ocirc;ne instead. I think that&rsquo;s a better fit for the food here. Why not go for the 1985 Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, one of the best Syrah&rsquo;s in the world and a back vintage that can be hard to find!

RT: Wow, yes that&rsquo;s a bottle hard to say no to! Not a wine most people get to drink in their lifetime.

TJ: Yes, and the two bottles are also fun to compare. As you might know, Shiraz and Syrah are two names for the same grape variety just made in different styles where Shiraz tends to be more fruit driven, and Syrah a bit leaner and more spicy in general.

RT: Yeah, two great examples of the diversity of the variety! And now, since we are in Bern&rsquo;s, we have to finish the meal with dessert and fortified wine in the Harry Waugh Dessert Room. I&rsquo;m sure there&rsquo;s plenty of fortified bottles to choose from as well, but which one do you think we should end the evening with?

TJ: I would go for Tawny Port, a fortified wine made from black grapes in Portugal. A fortified wine is made by blending a fermenting wine with grape spirit to stop the fermentation and keep the natural sugars and aromas of the grape juice. That means the wine has quite a high alcohol at about 20% and also that it&rsquo;s sweet. A perfect way to end an evening and a fantastic companion with dessert. They have the Graham&rsquo;s 30-year-old tawny port, which has a perfect balance between dried fruit and more nutty and dark chocolate notes. Perfect match with the salted caramel bread pudding on the menu!

RT: I agree with you, fortified wine is great and most of us drink it way too seldom. It&rsquo;s very good with dessert, or as a dessert on its own. Or even with a nice cigar! So, thank you Tina for being back with us and sharing more of your favorite bottle.

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, 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 wherever you get your podcasts.

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

&nbsp;

END

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

Pietre del Sole is a family-owned winery located in the heart of Provincia di Pavia, Italy. The winery is known for its commitment to sustainable and organic farming practices, which help to create wines that are expressive of the region's unique terroir. Pietre del Sole produces a range of red, white, and sparkling wines that are enjoyed by wine lovers around the world.

High-end Italian steakhouse with an extensive menu & wine list, plus a refined bar.

GlenArbor

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

Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse - Seaport

Edition

Krug, Brut Rose, Champagne NV

Champagne, France

Veuve Clicquot

Yellow Label Brut NV

Champagne, France

Jordan

Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

Cabernet Sauvignon

California, USA

Alexander Valley Vineyards

Estate Merlot 2018

Merlot

California, USA

Silver Oak

Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Cabernet Sauvignon

California, USA

Domaine Vocoret et Fils

Vaudesir Chablis Grand Cru 2020

Chardonnay

France

Cleto Chiarli e Figli

Vecchia Modena Premium, Lambrusco di Sorbara NV

Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Poggio Al Tesoro

Solosole Vermentino 2021

Vermentino

Bolgheri, Italy

Rombauer Vineyards

Chardonnay 2021

Chardonnay

Los Carneros, USA

Charles Krug

Chardonnay 2020

Chardonnay

California, USA

Ascheri

Barbera d'Alba Fontanelle NV

Barbera

Barbera d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy

Ascheri

Barbera d'Alba Fontanelle 2020

Barbera

Barbera d'Alba, Italy

Livio Felluga

Pinot Grigio 2020

Pinot Gris

Colli Orientali del Friuli, Italy

Château Moncontour

Vouvray Brut 2020

Chenin Blanc

Loire, France

Allegrini

Valpolicella 2020

Corvina

Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy