Have you ever heard the word Xinomavro? Most have not. It is however a word on many sommeliers&rsquo; 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.

Xinomavro is an interesting grape. The name translates to &ldquo;sour black&rdquo;, and it&rsquo;s quite telling as the wine can have deep color and high acidity. It makes medium-bodied red wine with a marked astringency, red and black fruit aroma and can develop forest like notes, just like how the grape Nebbiolo would be described. In general, the Nebbiolo wines are less full-bodied though, as the climate where they&rsquo;re grown is slightly cooler. Nebbiolo is most famous from the Barolo region in northern Italy, and many are looking to find styles similar to it today, paving the way for grapes like Xinomavro.

Xinomavro is mainly planted in northern Greece with the region Naoussa making the best examples today. It can be planted elsewhere as well, and even some vineyards in other countries can be found nowadays. Some choose to blend the variety with softer grapes like Merlot, but the most prestigious ones are usually Xinomavro only and further aged in oak barrels. Many of these wines can age in the bottle for many years, just like Barolo, and usually shines the most when they do. Besides red wine, the grape is used for ros&eacute; and sparkling white wine as well, some of very good quality.

As the world of wine becomes more curious, and well-known wines like Barolo becomes more and more expensive, Greece and its wines is something everyone should keep an eye on.

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

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

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

Maria Valetta, wine educator, and certified sommelier, also known as Maria The Wine Blonde, and Robert Tas review the wine list at Lago restaurant in the Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas

Wine List Review of Lago in Las Vegas

Maria Valetta

Lago

Lago 

RT:&nbsp; Hi Everyone,&nbsp; welcome back to CorkRules! The wine podcast that&rsquo;s here to help YOU navigate all your favorite restaurant wine lists so you can learn to order wine with confidence.

I&rsquo;m Robert Tas, along with Maria Valetta, wine educator, and certified sommelier, also known as Maria The Wine Blonde. Welcome back Maria

MV: Hello Robert! I&rsquo;m excited to talk about this special Italian hot spot with Fountain views today

RT: That&rsquo;s right Maria, but before we get started, let&rsquo;s talk about CorkRules. CorkRules was created to help you navigate the wine list so you will always love the wine you drink. With CorkRules in hand, you can confidently and easily select wines from wine lists based on your preferences of flavor, style, region, and even price! Plus, you can check out which wines your friends ordered and try them yourself. Want to get started? Then check out our podcast wine list reviews, our Top Sommeliers are here to help you find those hidden gems, value wines, and those special celebration-worthy bottles.

Now Maria, let&rsquo;s talk about this Bellagio restaurant favorite.

MV: Let&#39;s get into it. Today we are talking about Lago Restaurant in the Bellagio Hotel and Casino by the James Beard award-winning chef, Julian Serrano. Get ready for your tastebuds to take a culinary tour of the many different regions of Italy. The menu features creative interpretations of innovative Italian small plates and handmade pastas that are perfect for sharing, while taking in the romantic view of the iconic Bellagio fountains.

RT: I bet this is a hot spot in Vegas. How does the wine list look Maria?

MV: It sure is, we have come here for a few celebrations, and the wine list has so many wonderful choices from all over the world. Plus the view really is one of the best!

RT: That&rsquo;s great to hear,&nbsp; so why don&rsquo;t you select a few options by the glass to kick off our meal.

MV: Yes, I would recommend if you wanted to start with something light, and as refreshing as those fountains, the Nino Franco,&#39;Rustico&#39;, Prosecco di Valdobbiadene, from the Veneto region of Italy. I&rsquo;m particular with my prosecco, some of them can honestly be boring, but the Nino Franco is one that I really like and it&rsquo;s the most reasonably priced bubbly on the by the glass list. It&rsquo;s going to be great with the oysters, or the fish Crudo options.

RT: Any still wines that would also pair with those dishes?

MV: yes, the Cordero de Montezemolo, Arneis 2020. &nbsp;Now Arneis is an indigenous Italian white grape from the piedmont region of Italy. This wine is pure expression of the fruit, this is not an oaked wine, I love this grape.

Now If you are a butter chardonnay drinker and would prefer a wine with oak influence then I would suggest the Patz &amp; Hall, &#39;Dutton Ranch&#39;, Chardonnay, Russian River Valley&nbsp;2018&nbsp;

RT: 2 great options, and how about some nice reds by the glass?

MV: I would order the Vajra, (*Viara)Barbera d&#39;Alba, Piedmont, Italy [3825855]&nbsp;2018&nbsp;

$20 Great producer that also makes killer Barolos but, loves their Barbera too because of the

Dark rich fruits like blackberries and black currants here, and this would be stellar with the mushroom risotto!

Another great option is the Edge, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 2019&nbsp;a luscious and smooth, wine that is lovable without breaking the bank.

RT: Fantastic! What about the list of bottles.. so much to choose from, what caught your eye that our listeners should try?

MV: Well Robert they have some great champagnes and I think that a bottle of champagne is a perfect way to kick off an evening in Vegas.

Delamotte, Blanc de Blanc, Le Mesnil sur Oger 100 % chardonnay grapes a multi vingtage option and for vintage, the Piper-Heidsieck, Rare, Reims 2008&nbsp;

The top cuvee they make also called Tete du Cuvee This bottle is beautiful!! Just stunning!

Also loving that they have some Greg Linn wines. They are always awesome. I love their motto, which is &ldquo;whatever it takes&rdquo; because quality is the most important thing for them.

RT: Any of those fall in the value category?

MV:Yes actually, the Greg Linn 2019&nbsp;Langhe Nebbiolo, he produces great Barbaresco and Barolos, this is the same grape, Nebbiolo, so basically a declassified, lighter structured Barbaresco is what you get and&nbsp; a much more reasonable price point comes with it.$180

RT: That&rsquo;s a great&nbsp;find Maria, what else falls into the value category?

MV: The Planeta, Eruzione 1614, Nerello Mascalese &nbsp;2018&nbsp;from Sicily. 

$102 This is a lighter-bodied red that I often recommend to those that favor a lighter-bodied like Pinot Noir. There&rsquo;s some similarities here and get this 1614 correlates to the eruption of the Etna volcano which in year erupted and lasted for a legendary 10 years, And get this

The vines which produce this wine grow on actual lava Flow

RT: that is just super cool, now I do see a lot of seafood on the menu so a white would also be a&nbsp; nice recommendation here.

MV: For sure, I can give you 2 Italian whites, the Reva, Grey, Langhe 2018&nbsp;

$ This is a white from the piedmont region 50% SB and 50% Sauvignon Gris organic, vegan-friendly, a medium-bodied, mineral-driven fresh white, perfect with seafood pasta grilled vegetables or pesto. And the Poggio al Tesoro, Solosole, Vermentino, Bolgheri a Tuscan white 2020&nbsp; that would be lovely with the mixed seafood Grill.

RT: Now we need 2 final&eacute; wines! Something as spectacular as those fountains!

MV: haha! Love that, they are spectacular! The Dominique Lafon, &#39;Les Champs Gains&#39;, 1er Cru 2017&nbsp;Puligny Montrachet white burgundy from French is the origin of course. vines averaging 50+ years in age. Hard to find, this is chardonnay at a whole other level. INCREDIBLE balance with the oak here.

And a lovely red worthy of a special celebration I would say definitely go Italian, given the menu&hellip; I&rsquo;m eyeing that Veal Osso Bucco with the Saffron Risotto that, and the Valdicava 2017&nbsp;Brunello di Montalcino is going to be amazing!!!

And just a side tip since we are talking about Valdicava, when we were last there we had a bottle of their Rosso di Montalcino which is also a really nice option without being too spendy! SO there you go!

RT: Yes! The rosso&rsquo;s are always a good buy and I would say those from the top producers are quite impressive. But that Valdicava Brunello and Veal Osso Bucco &hellip; that&rsquo;s where you had me!

MV: HAHA! I knew you would love that pairing Robert!

RT: well Thank you Maria for taking us through the Wine list at Lago Restaurant Las Vegas In the Bellagio Hotel.&nbsp; You gave our listeners a lot of great wines to try.

Thank you, everyone, for joining us today. You can find more wine tips from Maria on Instagram @Mariathewineblonde. Remember the only rule in wine is &ldquo;drink what you LOVE&rdquo;.

MV: Have a favorite wine List? Let us review it here. Send us your requests at <a href="mailto:info@corkrules.com">info@CorkRules.com</a> You can find previous episodes on your favorite podcast platform and on

The CorkRules website. Be sure to follow @CorkRules on Instagram for episode and app updates. Prices and selections subject to change, please drink responsibly.

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&nbsp; The dynamic modern space of bright uplifting colors and an outdoor patio with views of the iconic Bellagio fountains make it the perfect spot for a date night, a leisurely leisurely lunch or weekend brunch.

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BRAT

Bocca di Lupe

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Alba Restaurant

Alba

10 Greek Street

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Andrew Edmunds

Salt Seafood and Oyster Bar

Matteos Ristorante Italiano

Matteo's

Josef Lust is a small, family-owned winery located in the Niederosterreich region of Austria. They have been producing high-quality wines since 1968, using organic and biodynamic practices in the vineyard and minimal intervention in the winery. Their wines are known for their purity and expression of the terroir.

Intimate wine bar with options from boutique wineries, plus craft beer & food pairings.

28-50 Wine Workshop & Kitchen

28-50

Bleu Provence

KOCHINYC

Kochi

Wally's

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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

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