Eric Asimov&#39;s recent article isn&#39;t just about the &quot;luxury&quot; of sommeliers vanishing from restaurants. It&#39;s a stark warning about the potential collapse of a vibrant corner of our social and cultural ecosystem: the world of wine.

Sommeliers are more than just walking wine encyclopedias. They are curators of experience, crafting journeys of discovery through food and beverage pairings, guiding us towards new flavors and enriching our understanding of the world. Their absence creates a domino effect, leaving restaurants bereft of expertise, consumers lost in a sea of choices, and the entire wine industry facing a potential downturn in sales and engagement.

Losing the sommelier isn&#39;t just about missing out on fancy wine recommendations. It&#39;s about:

<ul>
	<li>Diminishing the dining experience:&nbsp;Food and wine are meant to be enjoyed in conversation,&nbsp;not consumed in isolation.&nbsp;Sommeliers facilitate this dialogue,&nbsp;making connections between dishes and bottles,&nbsp;and creating memorable shared moments.</li>
	<li>Accessibility and education:&nbsp;Navigating the vast world of wine can be daunting.&nbsp;Sommeliers provide a bridge,&nbsp;helping customers discover wines they&#39;ll love,&nbsp;regardless of their prior knowledge.&nbsp;Without them,&nbsp;many might stick to their comfort zones,&nbsp;hindering wine exploration and growth.</li>
	<li>Hitting the industry where it hurts:&nbsp;Sommeliers are champions of wine.&nbsp;They promote specific bottles,&nbsp;regions,&nbsp;and producers,&nbsp;driving sales and fostering a healthy market.&nbsp;Their disappearance could lead to less diversity in wine consumption,&nbsp;impacting producers and retailers alike.</li>
</ul>

Asimov suggests &quot;hybrid roles&quot; as a solution, but what we truly need is a recommitment to wine education across the industry. Not everyone will become a Master Sommelier, but a broader base of knowledgeable staff could bridge the gap. We need more Bobby Stuckey and Carlin Karr who runs master wine and hospitality classes at Frasca Hospitality in Denver that demonstrate the incredible impact accessible training can have.

Here&#39;s how we can save the sommelier (and ourselves):

<ul>
	<li>Stop seeing them as a luxury:&nbsp;Invest in wine education for servers,&nbsp;bartenders,&nbsp;and even chefs.&nbsp;Basic skills like decanting and understanding varietals can make a world of difference.</li>
	<li>Embrace technology as a tool, not a replacement:&nbsp;Platforms like CorkRules allow customers to share preferences with restaurants,&nbsp;fostering personalized recommendations.&nbsp;But tech should empower,&nbsp;not replace,&nbsp;the human touch.</li>
	<li>Reimagine the wine list:&nbsp;Use data analytics to curate lists that are both approachable and exciting,&nbsp;and leverage tech to provide in-depth information at diners&#39; fingertips.</li>
	<li>Make education accessible:&nbsp;Partner with other restaurants,&nbsp;wine societies,&nbsp;and educational institutions to offer affordable training programs for all levels.</li>
	<li>Remember, it&#39;s about more than the wine:&nbsp;Sommeliers are the human connections that elevate the dining experience.&nbsp;We need to nurture their role as storytellers,&nbsp;educators,&nbsp;and guides to a world of flavor and community.</li>
</ul>

The wine industry has a choice: cling to an outdated vision of exclusivity or embrace the democratization of knowledge. By investing in education, innovation, and collaboration, we can ensure that the world of wine remains a vibrant, accessible, and enriching part of our lives. Let&#39;s raise a glass not just to the sommeliers, but to the future of a richer, more connected dining experience for all.

The consequences of inaction are too great to ignore. Let&#39;s raise a glass to saving the sommelier, and in doing so, saving the very soul of the wine experience.

Eric Asimov's recent article isn't just about the "luxury" of sommeliers vanishing from restaurants. It's a stark warning about the potential collapse of a vibrant corner of our social and cultural ecosystem: the world of wine.

Why the Decline of Sommeliers Is a Crisis for All of Us

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 review the delicious wine list at The Progress, a restaurant defined by the chef proprietors as: a vehicle for a completely local production. Innovative banquet-style meals served with memorable wines. 

Wine Review of the Progress, San Francisco

Grant Wood

The Progress

The Progress

RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules! 

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.&nbsp;

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.

&nbsp;RT: So, sit back and listen as we review your favorite wine list.

The Progress is part of the restaurant group behind State Bird Provisions and the Anchovy Bar in Sf and has a super passionate team that is dedicated to great, innovative food, fantastic cocktails and a very well-thought-out wine list. I&rsquo;m excited to take a look at what they have to offer as they&rsquo;re a favorite of mine in SF.

RT

Let&rsquo;s kick it off with some cocktails. I&rsquo;d go for the Last Voyage featuring Jamaican Rum, sesame, banana, almond and lime to be a nice way to ease into my evening but if you like something with a little more depth then go for the Alter Ego with Japanese whisky, lapsang, and amaro.

RT

There is a great BTG selection as well so I&rsquo;d go for the 2020 Hammerling Gamay/Pinot noir brut rose which is a really cool sparkling producer over in Berkeley doing a great job with bubbles. A fun white btg is the 2020 Maison des Ardoiseres Silice from Savoie in the Alpine eastern part of France making clean, crystalline whites like Jacquere that is always great value for buck. For an interesting red btg I&rsquo;d get a glass of the 2017 Stumpf Pinceszet Kekfrankos from Hungary which is medium to lighter body red that is really easy and fun to drink and definitely out of the box thinking.

Let&rsquo;s move on to by the bottle, shall we? For bubbles, I&rsquo;d go for the Pierre Peters Grand Cuvee de Reserve from Le-Mesnil sur Oger in Champagne. Piere Peters is an iconic grower producer that makes benchmark sparkling wine of distinction and age-worthiness. Another great option is 2016 Under the Wire sparkling pinot noir from Hirsch in Fort Ross Seaview. Under the Wire is the sparkling passion project from Chris and Morgan from Bedrock Wine Co. so of course, I must make a shout-out for this wine. It&rsquo;s very rare to see this wine anywhere so this is a great chance amazing domestic bubble.

Moving on to whites, I love the Orxite Sotelo &lsquo;Nebola&rsquo; from Monterey and is a blend of Arinto and Albarino which is super bright, fresh, and easy drinking and a great value. If you want to splurge a bit then the 2015 Dagueneau Silex from Loire&rsquo;s Pouilly-Fume is an iconic SB from a legendary producer and is packed with minerality, drive, and focus which is also a fun wine to play around with food pairings as well. I would also point out the 2018 Von Winning, Kalkofen GG from the Pfalz as another great wine to match with various courses on their menu as well.

There is a great selection of white burgundy and a lot of interesting wines from else ware as well but we don&rsquo;t have too much time to get into the other great options on this list.

On that note, let&rsquo;s move on to reds. There is a very good selection of California Pinot noir but one that stands out to me is the 2018 Radio-Coteau Direke vineyard on the Sonoma Coast which is an organically farmed hillside just off of the Bodega highway. This is a beautiful Pinot Noir with lots of structure, perfume, and lift in the glass and would be an ideal wine with food. If you&rsquo;re looking for Burgundy, though, then a great splurge would be the 2016 Bruno Clair 1er cru Clos du Fonteny from Gevery Chambertin. Talk about another benchmark producer from one fo my favorite villages in Burgundy. These wines are some of the best expressions of Pinot Noir in the world and are made with such distinction and care for a love of place.

For you Robert, I&rsquo;d go for the 2016 Brandini Resa 56 Barolo which is a fabulous year for Barolo and I love the wines of Brandini for the weight and intensity while still maintaining perfume and grace and a truly wines to be an extension of the table.

One other honorable mention for me is the 2018 Bucklin Ancient flied blend Zinfandel from Old Hill Ranch in Sonoma Valley. I think Will Bucklin is such a thoughtful grower and winemaker. His vineyard is one of the oldest vineyards in Sonoma planted around 1885 and these wines age beautifully as well.

Lastly, I&rsquo;d cap off my evening with a nice glass of Amaro Montenegro to serve as the perfect chef&rsquo;s kiss to a wonderful evening at the Progress.

Cheers!

Grant , Thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate The Progress&rsquo; 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 to review one of your favorite restaurants, please send us email to: Info@CorkRules.com 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.

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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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

Italian Wine Merchants

Antinori

Castello della Sala Bramito Chardonnay NV

Chardonnay

Umbria, Italy

Loimer

Lois Gruner Veltliner 1970

Gruner Veltliner

Niederosterreich

Magana

Anza Diego NV

Rioja, Spain

Marchese Antinori Montenisa Brut Rose, Franciacorta DOCG NV

Franciacorta, Italy

Antinori

Tenuta Montenisa 'Marchese Antinori' Donna Cora 2016

Blend

Franciacorta, Italy

Comando G

'La Bruja de Rozas' Sierra de Gredos NV

Spain

Dominio Aguila, Ribera del Duero, Picaro Aguila Vinas Viejas NV

Tempranillo Blend

Castilla y Leon, Spain

Antinori (Montenisa), Donna Cora Saten, Franciacorta NV

Lombardia, Italy

Antinori

Tenuta Tignanello 'Marchese Antinori' Chianti Classico Riserva NV

Sangiovese

Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

Eulogio Pomares

Penapedre NV

Blend

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Beronia, Vinas Viejas, Rioja 2019

Rioja, Spain

Antinori

Tenuta Montenisa Franciacorta Blanc de Blancs Dizero NV

Chardonnay

Lombardia, Italy

Enric Soler

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Xarel-lo

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Vieux Château Certan

La Gravette de Certan Pomerol NV

Merlot

Pomerol, France

Dominio del Águila

Reserva NV

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