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.

Alto means high, referring to altitude when talking about wine, in both Spanish and Italian. Recently higher altitude locations have been planted more and more. A few decades ago, these areas were not seen as suitable for growing quality grapes as the climate back then was too cool. Today, with many producers witnessing a rising temperature, and a lot of new techniques in the vineyard, these areas are finally becoming viable. The higher you plant the cooler the temperature will be, but you will also receive more sun which in turn helps ripen the grapes. The temperature will be quite warm during the day, but very cool at night. This leads to ripe fruit aromas developing during the day, followed by a cool nighttime keeping the fresh acidity in the grapes, the best of both worlds for the grapes.

In Italy this development has been very prominent in northern Piemonte in the last decade. There is now talk about an area called Alto Piemonte, comprised of a few different wine regions. They are all located higher up in the mountains, and like the most famous wines from Piemonte many are based on the Nebbiolo grape. The most well-known wine regions would be Ghemme, Gattinara, and Boca.

But Alto Piemonte is not the only area where the term is used. In quite a few cases, in both Italy, Spain, Argentina and Chile the term can be seen used as part of a producer name or even as the name of a specific wine, sometimes to convey the wine is from a high planted vineyard. It is not uncommon however for winemakers to use the term to show it&rsquo;s their highest quality wine, not a wine from high altitude.

More wine growers have shown interest in high altitude vineyards lately, and the record of the highest planted one is something a few are trying to beat. It&rsquo;s safe to say the positive effects the altitude has on the growing grapes mean these vineyards are here to stay, and terms as alto may be used in more languages soon.

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

Bottega Louie Restaurant & Gourmet Market

Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas head downtown Los Angeles to Bottega Louie where they review the wine list. 

Wine List Review of Bottega Louie, Los Angeles

Grace Hood

Bottega Louie

Bottega Louie

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 Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier. Hello Grace,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to have you!

GH: Bongourno Roberto!

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 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. So, Grace what are we reviewing today?

GH: Today we are chatting about LA hot spot Bottega Louie. They have 2 locations &ndash; one in West Hollywood and one in the downtown district. I had the pleasure of dining at their downtown location the other night and had a fabulous time! The ambiance and food were both lovely and delicious &nbsp;

RT: Sounds like a great time Grace. What did you think of their wine list?

GH: Very easy to navigate! It&rsquo;s just one page broken down by style etc. we ended up getting the oldest red on the list &ndash; the 2013 Barbaresco Nebbiolo blend from Castelle de Nieve and once it had time to open up, it was real tasty &nbsp;

RT: Oh nice. Love a Barbaresco with some age on it. Would love to get some of your other hot takes on the Bottega Louie list!

GH: Totally! If you were thinking of starting with bubbles, I would go with the Nicolas Fuelliant Rose, or the Tattinger Prelude Grand Cru. &nbsp;

RT: Can&rsquo;t go wrong with either of those! How are they looking in the whites?

GH: They&rsquo;ve got a nice mix of French Italian and American. A few that caught my eye for the lighter Styles were the 2021 Pinot Gris from Kings Estate in Oregon, as well as the 2020 pecorino from Abruzzo. It&rsquo;s not just the name of a cheese, ya know!

RT: Yum. And I can only assume they have some chardonnays on the menu &ndash; I feel like Governor Newsome makes it mandatory for California restaurants

GH: Hahahah he probably does! For my California Chardonnay drinkers they have either Kistler or Gary Farrell, and then for my fellow White burgundy drinkers they have Domaine Michel Gros or a la Chablisienne

RT: All sound delicious. Thanks for that Grace. So since we&rsquo;re at an Italian restaurant, I can only imagine they have a killer red selection.

GH: Oh they absolutely do. Starting with some lighter styles. They have two 2017 Barolos from two of the most prestigious and well-known Italian wineries &ndash; Vieta and Pio Cesare &ndash; either of which would be spectacular. Or if you wanted to go the pinot noir route &ndash; they have two 2019 vintages &ndash; 1 from the Four Graces in the Willamette valley, as well as a one from Faille out of Sonoma coast

RT: Very nice. Any of those would be a great choice. Now what about some bigger bolder reds for our tannic earthy drinkers out there. &nbsp;

GH: Well to start with on the Italian side, they have a 2019 Gaja Red Blend from Tuscany that I am super curious about. But if you wanted something tried and true they have a 2018 Brunello di Montalcino from Piancornello, as well as a 2019 Rosso di Montalcino, both out of Tuscany

RT: I&rsquo;ll take one of each hahah what about some California cabs?

GH: They&rsquo;re reppin Napa real hard at Bottega Louie haha They&rsquo;ve got the 2018 Elizabeth Spencer Special Cuvee, as well as a 2018 Stags Leap. But if it&rsquo;s me choosing, I&rsquo;m going with the 2016 Opus One. And done!

RT: I love it &ndash; Grace, thank you so much for helping us navigate the wine list at Bottega Louie. &nbsp;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 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. Follow us on social media @CorkRules and @wineswithgrace

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

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End

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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

Conte Zandotti is a small, family-owned winery located in Italy. We specialize in producing high-quality wines that reflect the unique terroir of our vineyards. Our winemaking philosophy is centered around traditional techniques and minimal intervention, allowing the natural flavors and aromas of the grapes to shine through in our wines.

Eddy V's Prime Seafood Restaurant

The View

Il Capriccio

Clarity

Bellissimo Restaurant

Bellissimo

Sandbar

Mirabelle Restaurant & Tavern

Mirabelle at Three Village Inn

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

Fritz's Frau Franzi

Mertes

Riesling Kabinett NV

Riesling

Rheinhessen, Germany

Schloss Lieser

Niederberg Helden Riesling Kabinett NV

Riesling

Mosel, Germany

Robert Weil

Weingut, Riesling QBA Trocken, Rheingau NV

Riesling

Rheingau, Germany

Chavet

Menetou-Salon Blanc 2020

Sauvignon Blanc

Menetou-Salon, France

Meyer-Nakel & Klumpp, Hand Hand Spatburgunder, Baden NV

Baden, Germany

Domaine Loew, Pinot Gris Cormier 2018

Alsace, France

Weingut Schatzel Naturweiss, Rheinhessen NV

Rheinhessen, Germany

Conti Costanti

Rosso di Montalcino NV

Sangiovese

Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy

Haut-Medoc 2017

Medoc, Bordeaux, France

Remelluri

Rioja Reserva 2014

Blend

Rioja, Spain

Domaine Thibert

Pouilly-Loche 'En Chantone' 2016

Chardonnay

Burgundy, France

Suertes del Marqués

El Chibirique 2017

Listan Negro

Orotava Valley, Spain

Weingut Lassak Steige Lemberger, Wurttemberg NV

Wurttemberg, Germany

Baron

Chateau Pichon-Longueville au, de Pichon-Longueville NV

Pauillac, France

San Giusto a Rentennano

Chianti Classico Le Baroncole Riserva NV

Sangiovese

Chianti, Tuscany, Italy