If fine French dining is your raison d&rsquo;etre, <a href="https://uat.corkrules.com/le-coucou/episodes/21">Le Coucou</a>&nbsp;is the place for you. Internationally acclaimed chef Daniel Rose made his name in Paris with his flair for French cuisine, and he brought his culinary creativity to New York where he established an elegant restaurant and exceptional dining experience.

And what better way to complement French fare than with a spectacular French wine? Bring on the Cru and let the fun begin.

But wait, should you splurge and opt for a grand Cru or will a simple cru do, and what&rsquo;s the difference anyway?

Let&rsquo;s demystify the terminology and move on to enjoyability.

Quite simply, the term &lsquo;cru&rsquo; is used within classifications of French wine to indicate a high-quality vineyard or group of vineyards. Cru literally means growth, and this term has been adopted in classification as a nod to the importance of the terroir.

Grand Cru is the recognized designation of higher quality wine. Grand Cru refers to the quality of a particular vineyard and the terroir in which the grapes grow. The terroir of the region that gains this accreditation is known to produce consistently high-quality vintages. Grand cru literally means great growth. The term is first found to be used in the region of Burgundy in the middle ages when the Cistercian monks and the Catholic Church classified each vineyard according to quality. In Burgundy, grand cru wines must be made with only grapes from villages that fall under a grand cru region.

Fast forward and move over to Bordeaux in 1855 when the term is officially recognized as a classification of the Left Bank Bordeaux (thanks to Napolean). The classification in Burgundy is all about the vineyards and terroir, but in Bordeaux, the classification of grand cru can be given to a winery that holds the status.

Premier cru wines are a step down from grand cru, however, since a premier cru vineyard could be literally next door to a grand cru vineyard, the difference in the quality of the wine may be negligible. Premier cru or 1er cru accounts for no more than 5% of the total Burgundian production, and grand cru makes up a tiny and exclusive 1% of production in Burgundy.

But if these high-status wines are outside of the budget, consider opting for village wines. These wines are from the same classified regions, but the yield allowed per hectare is more, allowing more of the grapes to grow, the vines themselves may be younger (old vines add complexity to wine). There are plenty of quality village wines on the market, and this is a great place for finding delicious wine at a good price.

If a white Burgundy is on your mind or you are looking for a grand cru wine, click over to the CorkRules <a href="https://uat.corkrules.com/le-coucou/episodes/21">wine review podcast</a>&nbsp;with certified sommelier Grace Hood. She&rsquo;s identified a few good bottles on the wine list at Le Coucou.

Cheers!

&nbsp;

About the CorkRules Podcast:&nbsp;Each week we pour a glass and share top restaurant wine list&rsquo; picks, providing you with the knowledge to confidently navigate the wine list through sommelier recommendations, suggested food pairings and expert insights

About CorkRules:&nbsp;CorkRules, the first digital wine app experience, makes it easier for you to navigate the restaurant wine list, and provides you with personalized wine recommendations from your favorite restaurants. Through CorkRules you can find the perfect wine for every occasion based on your preferences. Connect with friends and wine experts to discover new wines to try and learn about wine. CorkRules makes it easier to discover and drink what you love. &nbsp;

If fine French dining is your raison d’etre, Le Coucou is the place for you. Internationally acclaimed chef Daniel Rose made his name in Paris with his flair for French cuisine, and he brought his culinary creativity to New York where he established an elegant restaurant and exceptional dining experience.

Premier Cru & Grand Cru at Le Coucou

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

The Palm - Beverly Hills

Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas bring a little Hollywood glamor to the airwaves with a review of the wine list at The Palm, a Beverly Hills hotspot

Wine List Review of The Palm, Beverly Hills

Grace Hood

The Palm

The Palm

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: Hey hey Robert !Happy to be here as always

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. Today we will be chatting about Beverly Hills hot spot The Palm

GH: Robert I was very excited to chat about this location, as it&rsquo;s one of those old school Los Angeles classic locations! It&rsquo;s rumored that Fred Astaire once tap danced across the bar, and boy would I have loved to been a fly on the wall for that! &nbsp;

RT:&nbsp;You would have got up there and joined him in a duet! &nbsp;

GH: You know me so well Robert hahaha &nbsp;

RT: Besides old Hollywood royalty, what else should we know about the Palm and the wine list? &nbsp;

GH: They&rsquo;re keeping it simple! Highlighting both the wine and the cocktail list. Straightforward and user friendly. It&rsquo;s all about the ambiance and the people watching here

RT: I love it. Shall we start with some bubbles then?

GH: That&rsquo;s what Marilyn Monroe would do! If you&rsquo;re wanting proper champagne, then I would choose a classic &ndash; Piper Heidsieck Brut Champagne. However, if you wanted a smaller producer, the 2020 rose Prosecco from Italian winery, Riodo, would be a really fun choice.

RT: Fantastic. And I assume they have some delicious white and rose choices as well?

GH: Oh for sure. If you&rsquo;re thinking rose all day, they have the aptly named Hamptons Water which is a staple in most trendy restaurants these days. Or if you&rsquo;re feeling a light white and wanted an unusual varietal, you could go with the 2020 Toscolo Vernaccia di San Gimignano out of Italy. And then of course I won&rsquo;t forget my chardonnay drinkers &ndash; the 2020 from Hartford court in the Russian River Valley would do the trick.

RT: Something for everyone here. I love it. How are we looking for reds?

GH: Looking tasty Robert! If you&rsquo;re wanting a light red, they have the 2020 Argyle Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley or this 2020 Renato Ratti Barbera d&#39;Asti from the Piedmont, Italy.

RT: Delish. Do they have anything a little juicer and more lush?

GH: They sure do! Getting into Sonoma, you could do 2019 merlot from Alexander Valley Vineyards, or this 2020 zinfandel from Cline 

RT: Oh yum. merlots and zins don&rsquo;t get nearly enough love. Thanks for the reminder, Grace. Now of course, it wouldn&rsquo;t be a California restaurant without California cabs.

GH: I know that&rsquo;s right! They&rsquo;re def holding it down for Napa Valley here at The Palm. If you wanted a single vineyard cab experience, the 2018 Butcher&rsquo;s Choice Vineyard is looking pretty tasty. Or if you wanted to do a big bold red blend, they have the 2018 Stags Leap Hands of Time red, or the 2020 Fabric of the Land from Quilt Vineyards.

RT: Awesome Grace, thank you so much for helping us navigate the list at The Palm Beverly Hills. 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.

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

Chiarli is a historic family-owned winery in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. With over 150 years of experience, they specialize in producing high-quality Lambrusco wines using traditional methods. Their commitment to quality and innovation has earned them a reputation as one of the top Lambrusco producers in the world.

Buzzy eatery/nightclub with small, shareable plates of Pan-Asian cuisine, cocktails & weekend DJs.

Eddy V's Prime Seafood Restaurant

The View

Il Capriccio

Clarity

Bellissimo Restaurant

Bellissimo

Sandbar

Mirabelle Restaurant & Tavern

Mirabelle at Three Village Inn

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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

Straits - Santana Row

Goldeneye

Anderson Valley Pinot Noir NV

Pinot Noir

California, USA

Centorri

Moscato di Pavia NV

Moscato Bianco

Lombardia, Italy

Tiamo Prosecco, Veneto NV

Veneto, Italy

Honey Bubbles

Sparkling Moscato NV

Muscat Blanc

Vino d'Italia, Italy

Tiamo

Prosecco Rose, Veneto NV

Veneto, Italy

Santa Cristina

Pinot Grigio delle Venezie NV

Pinot Grigio

Delle Venezie, Italy

Tiamo

Rose NV

Montepulciano

Terre di Chieti, Italy

Raeburn

Pinot Noir NV

Pinot Noir

Russian River Valley, USA

Avalon

Cabernet Sauvignon (CAB) NV

Cabernet Sauvignon

California, USA

CHANDON California

Brut NV

Blend

California, USA

Château d'Esclans

The Beach Whispering Angel Rose NV

Cinsault

Provence, France

Cape Mentelle

Georgiana Sauvignon Blanc NV

Sauvignon Blanc

Margaret River, Australia

La Crema

Monterey Pinot Noir NV

Pinot Noir

California, USA

Château d'Esclans

The Palm Whispering Angel Rose NV

Cinsault

Provence, France

Château d'Esclans

Whispering Angel Rose NV

Grenache

France