For Chardonnay lovers seeking a refreshing, value-driven alternative, Aligot&eacute;, Burgundy&#39;s &quot;other&quot; white grape, beckons with its crisp acidity, subtle minerality, and undeniable charm. Often overshadowed by its more illustrious neighbor, Aligot&eacute; is finally gaining recognition for its unique qualities and exceptional quality-to-price ratio.

A Value Proposition: Compared to Chardonnay, Aligot&eacute; offers a compelling value proposition. The grape thrives in cooler climates, yielding wines known for their vibrant acidity and lighter body. This makes them perfect for enjoying young, without the need for extensive aging, which translates to lower production costs ultimately reflected in the price tag. Wine enthusiasts can experience the distinct terroir of Burgundy at a fraction of the price of a Premier Cru Chardonnay.

Critical Acclaim: The growing popularity of Aligot&eacute; is not going unnoticed by critics. Wine Enthusiast recently declared it &quot;Burgundy&#39;s Rising White Star,&quot; highlighting its increasing quality and potential to rival Chardonnay. Renowned wine critic Burghound remarked on the &quot;impressive depth and complexity&quot; found in certain Aligot&eacute; expressions, showcasing the grape&#39;s ability to produce wines beyond their entry-level reputation.

Food Pairings: Aligot&eacute;&#39;s bright acidity and subtle minerality make it a versatile food pairing companion. It shines alongside lighter fare like fish dishes, shellfish, salads, and creamy cheeses. The wine&#39;s refreshing character cuts through richness, making it a perfect partner for creamy sauces and even lighter cuts of meat.

Domaine Stars: While Aligot&eacute; is often produced by various cooperatives, two stand-out producers are leading the charge in crafting exceptional single-vineyard expressions:

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/Dominique-Lafon-Bourgogne-Aligote-2021-w41675088y">Dominique Lafon</a>&nbsp;- $37.99: This renowned producer, known for their exquisite Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet wines, also crafts a stunning Aligot&eacute; with depth and complexity, showcasing the potential of the grape when treated with respect and meticulous attention to detail.</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/Domaine-Sylvain-Cathiard-Bourgogne-Aligote-2022-w7631962na">Domaine Sylvain Cathiard</a>&nbsp;- $66.99: This family-owned estate in the village of Bouzeron, the only appellation dedicated solely to Aligot&eacute;, produces wines known for their purity, minerality, and aging potential. Their &quot;M&acirc;con-Villages&quot; Aligot&eacute; is a testament to the grape&#39;s ability to deliver exceptional quality and complexity.</li>
</ul>

Aligot&eacute; offers an exciting opportunity for wine enthusiasts to explore the hidden gem of Burgundy. Its affordability, refreshing style, and versatility make it a perfect addition to any wine lover&#39;s repertoire. So, next time you&#39;re looking for a delightful, value-driven white wine, consider giving Aligot&eacute; a try. You might just discover your new favorite Burgundy.

&nbsp;

Aligoté: Burgundy's Unsung Hero Steps Out of the Shadows

For Chardonnay lovers seeking a refreshing, value-driven alternative, Aligoté, Burgundy's "other" white grape, beckons with its crisp acidity, subtle minerality, and undeniable charm. Often overshadowed by its more illustrious neighbor, Aligoté is finally gaining recognition for its unique qualities and exceptional quality-to-price ratio.

Aligoté: Burgundy's Unsung Hero Steps Out of the Shadows

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

Grant Wood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas explore the wine list at Kokkari, 

Wine Review of Kokkari, San Francisco

Grant Wood

Kokkari

Kokkari

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where we review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Grant Wood, wine educator and certified

sommelier.

Hello Grant, great to have you back for another great wine list.

GW: Hello 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 wine lists can be intimidating, and even a little daunting.

Our aim is to help prepare you to navigate that list, find those hidden gems, 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.

Kokkari

&nbsp;

Kokkari is a very popular lunch and dinner spot right in the middle of the financial district, not too far from the Ferry Building. They offer excellent Greek fare with a fabulous wine list to match. I&rsquo;ve dined here multiple times and they always deliver.

Let&rsquo;s start with their wines by the glass shall we? First, I&rsquo;d go for the 2019 Troupis, rose of Moschofilero from Arcadia in Greece which is a perfect wine to go with their watermelon and feta salad. A nice white to by the glass is the 2020 Hatziyiannis, Assyrtiko from Santorini which offers bright, clean, mineral driven flavors with a briny character that is perfect for a warm Mediterranean day

but if you&rsquo;re feeling something red then I&rsquo;d go for the 2019 Limerick Lane, Russian River Zinfandel which focuses on old vines that go back 100 years and definitely is not the typical super ripe, jammy, and somewhat sweet character that California can be known for.

Let&rsquo;s take a look at the wines by the bottle.

Starting with bubbles as we always do, I was surprised to see some English fizz which is becoming more and more of a thing and after my trip to London earlier this year, I have to say there is some impressive sparkling wine coming from the Uk. Thank you climate change? Anyway, the a 2015 Gusbourne, Brut Reserve based on Chardonnay, PN, and PM coming from Kent is a fun take on the wines of Champagne. A more traditional choice, however, would be the 2015 Pierre Paillard, Grand cru Les Mottelettes from Bouzy.

Moving on to whites and rose, I love the wines from Hatzidakis, here they have their 2017 Nykteri from Santorini is awesome otherwise the 2019 Robola of Cefalonia by Gentilini would e a great value as well. Something from California that is always a favorite is the 2019 Arbe Garbe white blend of Italian varieties from Sonoma which is fresh and textural.

I also love 2020 Mellineaux, Kloof St. Old Vine Chenin from Swartland, They&rsquo;re an awesome South African producer focusing on old vines. Lastly, the 2019 white blend from Matthiason is always a food-friendly wine from Napa.

Moving on to reds, a great Greek wine to shift gears to is the 2018 Diamontakos, Xinomavro from Naoussa is awesome. Xinomavro is considered the Nebbiolo of Greece with is high acid and high tannins, the grape name translates to &lsquo;acid black&rsquo; which gives you an idea of what to expect. I know you like the bigger reds, Robert, so I&rsquo;d point you towards the 2010 Molettieri, Vigna Cinque Querce from Taurasi which is 100% Aglianico with some age on it would be a great wine for their bigger cuts of meat.

Moving to wines from the new world, the 2016 Hope &amp; Grace Doctor&rsquo;s vineyard Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands is great. I used to work in their tasting room in Yountville years ago and they do a great job with Pinot Noir.

Another great wine and a shout out to my bosses dad, Joel Peterson (the godfather of Zinfandel) is the 2018 Once &amp; Future Oakley Road Mataro from Contra Costa County is awesome. Yet another shout out to the Bedrock crew, Cody Rasmussen their associate winemaker and his wife Emily have their own label called Desire Lines and the 2018 Griffin&rsquo;s Lair Syrah is a banger and a very famous vineyard for cool climate Syrah here in California.

Overall, I think this is a well thought out list and their food is amazing so definitely put Kokkari on your radar for the next time you&rsquo;re in SF.

Cheers!

Grant, thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Kokkari&rsquo;s_wine list. I can&rsquo;t wait to go try your great suggestions.&nbsp; &nbsp;

To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.

If you would like Grant&nbsp;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;

BRAT

Bocca di Lupe

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Alba Restaurant

Alba

10 Greek Street

L'Auberge Chez Francois

Andrew Edmunds

Salt Seafood and Oyster Bar

Matteos Ristorante Italiano

Matteo's

Sharecropper's is a family-owned winery based in Columbia Valley, USA. They specialize in producing high-quality, affordable wines that showcase the best of the region's terroir. Founded in 2007, the winery has since grown to become a respected name in the industry, with a reputation for producing exceptional wines that are both approachable and elegant.

Renowned chef Gary Danko's fixed-price menus of American cuisine in an elegant but unstuffy setting.

Popina

The Atlantic Grill

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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

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