&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been holding these wines for years,&rdquo; my dad tells me excitedly as we hurry toward the basement to grab some liquid goodies for our Christmas dinner. &ldquo;1995. French,&rdquo; he assures me. Sounds promising. Images of Burgundy Corton or Bordeaux Latour dance like sugar plums in my head. He reaches into the bar and pulls out a bottle. It&rsquo;s a 1995&hellip; Beaujolais. My heart sinks. I know it won&rsquo;t be good but I humor him hoping for a Christmas miracle. Instead, we got Christmas vinegar.

You may be asking yourself, &ldquo;Why? Don&rsquo;t all wines get better with age?&rdquo; The answer, alas, is no. Only one percent (yes I said it, only one percent!) of wines age. The rest are made to drink in the first 3-5 years. And as producers scramble more and more to cater to consumer tastes, because who has patience anymore these days, the number could become even less. Don&rsquo;t worry, you and my father are not the only ones who didn&rsquo;t know this. I didn&rsquo;t know it myself until I began studying for my sommelier exams, where it was one of the first things they taught us because so few people do. So how do you avoid your own wine disaster and vinegar puckered face in the scene I described above? Read the following tips.

&nbsp;

Red Wines that Age

The skins of grapes contain tannins. Tannins cause a dry, astringent quality that sucks all the moisture out of your mouth when you drink certain wines. They are also the reason red wine often pairs with fatty meats. The fat makes the tannins feel less harsh, and the tannins make the fat feel less greasy. Tannins also contain natural preservatives so wines with a very high level of tannin age longer.

Cabernet Sauvignon is a very small grape so the skin to fruit ratio is much higher than other varieties. Therefore, it&rsquo;s a great grape to age. Merlot, Syrah, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, and Pinot Noir are other grapes that can age if (and this is a big IF) the winemakers choose to make the wine in a style of higher tannin. They can do this by picking the grapes earlier and letting the juice sit on the skins for prolonged periods.

The regions that usually have wines that age are: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Barolo, Chianti Classico, Super Tuscans, California Cabs from Napa, Sonoma, or Santa Cruz Mountains, and Australian Shiraz.

High end producers in these regions make wines that are extremely tight and tannic upon release. You do not want to drink them right away. If you taste a bunch of new release Bordeaux your tongue quickly feels like sand paper. Take my word for it, it is not a pleasant experience. These producers make wines specifically to age. The fascination is that only old wines develop tertiary notes of mushroom, cigar smoke, leather and deep earth. I know these may not sound intriguing on the page but in the glass an old Bordeaux is so beautiful it can make you cry. After tasting a 1982 Chateau Mouton Rothschild, I literally did.

High end producers chase this experience of beauty in a bottle. To do this, they buy the best land, pick only the best grapes, and use the most expensive oak barrels. Oak also contains its own tannins that help wine age. All of these things are expensive, however, so a good rule of thumb if you&rsquo;re aging a wine is to first check the region, then the price. If the region is correct, but the price is $25, it&rsquo;s not going to age. Stick to wines that are $50 and up when it comes to purchasing to age. $100 is even better.

White Wines that Age

Much fewer white wines age. This is because the wines are pressed right away and have less skin contact with tannins. The most likely white grape to age is Chardonnay, and a lot of this has to do with the fact it&rsquo;s often aged in oak. White Burgundies and California Chards often age well, or wines from the Jura in France because they are made in an oxidative style. This means they are intentionally exposed to oxygen during fermentation, something that is usually a huge no-no. Oxygen gives wines a nutty flavor that can be interesting and, when made in this manner are able to withstand the oxygen encountered over years of aging. Roussanne and Marsanne from the Rhone in France are other possible aging contenders, or Greco de Tufo from Italy.

Usually, whites will not age as long as reds, however. On average, I wouldn&rsquo;t let a white age for more than 20 years. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule but it&rsquo;s a gamble. I once had a 1972 Greco de Tufo by Mastroberardino that blew my socks off, but it tasted more sherry-like and nutty so be prepared. A lot of people like to experiment with very old Chardonnays from the 1970&rsquo;s. This is always interesting because some wines are still kicking, but a lot are nearing the grave. Hold these wines at your own risk.

&nbsp;

Price Point

I&rsquo;m going to hit this one more time. Wines at the grocery store do not age. This is what happened in the story at the top with my father. Someone probably picked him up a decent Beaujolais for $25, and if they had drunk it that night it would&rsquo;ve been great. But it&rsquo;s made from the Gamay grape that has very little skin contact or oak and is fashioned to be drunk young. (They even make a category called Beaujolais Nouveau that is meant to drink immediately after harvest).

A $40 Bordeaux will not age, either. In this case, the producer made a choice to cater to the crowd that wants to drink now, and made a lighter fruitier style with less oak or skin contact. There is nothing wrong with drinking these wines, they just can&rsquo;t age.

Here is a list of producers I recommend for aging. This is not an all-inclusive list, just a few I recommend.

<ul>
	<li>Bordeaux: Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Calon Segur, Cos d&rsquo;Estournal, Chateau Palmer, Chateau Haut Brion, Phelan Segur, Leoville Las Cases, Lynch Bages</li>
	<li>Burgundy: Domaine de la Romanee Conti, l&rsquo;Enfant Jesus by Bouchard Pere &amp; Fils, Hospices de Beaune, Georges Latour</li>
	<li>Rhone: Jean-Louis Chave, E. Guigal, Jaboulet, Beaucastel</li>
	<li>Super Tuscans: Sassicaia, Tignanello, Brancaia, Ornellaia, Le Macchiole, Luce</li>
	<li>Cabs from California: Bond, Harlan Estate, Diamond Creek, Mount Eden, Ridge Montebello, Stag&rsquo;s Leap</li>
	<li>Cabernet from Lebanon: Chateau Musar (a personal favorite of mine)</li>
	<li>Australian Shiraz: Penfold&rsquo;s Grange, d&rsquo;Arenberg</li>
</ul>

Not all wines are meant to age. Deciding on when to enjoy a wine often comes down to the region, varietal and price point.

Aging Wine: The Little Known Truth

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

Bacchanalia

Samantha Hohl, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas explore the wine list at Bacchanalia, an award-winning restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia

Wine List Review of Bacchanalia, Atlanta

Sam Hohl

Bacchanalia

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. Hello Sam,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to be back together for another episode.

MQ: 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

Bacchanalia

Overview

Bacchanalia is located in Atlanta, Georgia and is known for their inspired takes on American cuisine. You&rsquo;re invited to settle in and create your meal from their 4 course prix fixe menu while indulging in some of their incredible wine selections.

Sam, I can&rsquo;t wait to hear what you think of their wine list?

Where to start

This wine list accompanies the theme here perfectly, with large selections of American wine and French wine. They also have some great choices from other new and old world regions too, and so many options to pair with their four-course menus. This experience is a lot of fun because you get to really customize what direction your meal is going in, which could sway your wine choice too if you didn&rsquo;t already have something in mind! They also have a sommelier to assist with choosing wine that goes with the selections you&rsquo;ve made from the menu, but there&rsquo;s absolutely some bottles from their list we can dive into as well!&nbsp;

To start off I&rsquo;d go for the 2020 Fourneaux 1er Cru from Samuel Billaud. Samuel is from a family of winemakers who&rsquo;ve been producing wines in the Chablis region for years and are well known for their production standards and exceptional wines. In 2009 Samuel set off to craft wine on his own, and using the knowledge he gained from his father and grandfather he has made his own name for being a master at creating these beautiful wines and really representing all the terroir has to offer- he&rsquo;s now known as one of the best winemakers in the Chablis region.This bottle is going to have persistent and refreshing acidity, citrus notes and a streak of salinity as well, all coming together for a really complex sip and a long finish to savor. This would be great paired with some oysters to really compliment the briny qualities in each.

The 2016 Pinot Noir from Day Wines in Oregon would be a wonderful red to start with. Grapes are sourced from Momtazi Vinyards in the Willamette Valley, which are farmed biodynamically. 30% of the Pinot Noir grapes are fermented with the whole cluster of grapes, which means the stems are included and it adds structure and tannic qualities to the wine. The wine is aged in 90% neutral French oak, so it&rsquo;s not going to have heavy notes of vanilla or spice from the oak aging. This bottle is going to have great dark fruit flavors, black cherry, earthy soil tones, all balanced by mineral qualities. Try it with the steak tartare with sesame and kimchi- the acid and light body of the wine would be great with the delicate quality of the raw steak and umami from the sesame, making for a really playful way to start the meal.

Value

The 2018 Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec would be a great value bottle. Grapes for this Malbec were sourced from Luj&aacute;n de Cuyo located in the Mendoza province of Argentina, an area famous for their Malbec wines.This bottle is juicy with both dark fruit and raspberry notes, flavors of crushed stone and some pepper and spice from oak aging.It has tannins that are present without being too grippy on the palate.Great richness balanced by acidity so it&rsquo;s fun to drink and even more fun with some food! It would be a good pair with the lamb with artichoke and aioli and would stand up to the fatty and bright notes in the dish.&nbsp;

Celebratory 

The 2014 Bollinger, Grande Ann&eacute;e Brut would be a celebration all its own! The Bollinger family has been producing wines since 1829 and their House of Champagne is located in &Auml;y, France. They have 179 hectares of vines, and pride themselves on their Pinot Noir grapes, which take up 60% percent of their vineyard, which they refer to as the backbone of their House. The common blend for Champagne is usually 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay but for Grande Annee they use a slightly different ratio of 61% Pinot Noir to 39% Chardonnay, striking harmony between depth and freshness. This bottle will have delicate bubbles, some citrusy tones, stone fruit, roasted nuts and some salinity on the finish. So much going on, super fun to drink and definitely a food-worthy bottle too! If you&rsquo;re feeling like you need a luxury overload, you could go with the Foie Gras Terrine, or maybe their triple cream cheese with honey and Sourdough? Or if you&rsquo;re on to the second course the duck with eggplant and pole bean would be lovely. Either way, this bottle is sure to elevate your evening!

RT: Sam Thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Bacchanalia&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 Sam 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.

&nbsp;

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

Weyand is a small, family-owned winery located in the picturesque Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region of Germany. Since its founding in 1970 by Karl Weyand, the winery has been dedicated to producing exceptional wines that reflect the unique terroir of the region.

Sustainable Italian food is served at this warm, intimate wine bar with sidewalk seating.

Craft

Craft L.A.

Barbrix

Wally's

The Belvedere

Spago Las Vegas by Wolfgang Puck

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

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