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

Robert Tas interviews Erika Polmar, Executive Director and one of the founders of the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC), and Bobby Stuckey – a legend in the hospitality industry.

Current Challenges facing the Restaurant Industry in 2023

Robert Tas

Key Challenges Facing the Restaurant Industry 

IRC CorkRules Podcast

&nbsp;

Music Intro:

RT: Hello and welcome to Corkrules!&nbsp;

A podcast where,&nbsp;in each episode, we typically will review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. But today I have two special guests to talk about an important topic to all of us, the state of the restaurant industry.

I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with the legendary Bobby Stuckey from Frasca Hospitality and Erika Polmar executive director from Independent Restaurant Coalition.

Hello Bobby and Erika,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s a pleasure to have you both join us here on CorkRules.

BS: Hello Robert&hellip;

EP: Hello Robert&hellip;

So today, we are talking about the state of the restaurant industry, and I&rsquo;m pleased to introduce two people who are in the inner circle of advocating for restaurants. Let me start by introducing them:

<ol>
	<li>Erika Polmar &ndash; Executive Director and one of the founders of the independent restaurant coalition. She founded Plate and Pitchfork and has been a strong advocate in our industry.</li>
	<li>Bobby Stuckey &ndash; a legend in the hospitality industry. If you look up hospitality, you&rsquo;ll see Bobby&rsquo;s pic. He is a Master Sommelier who&nbsp;worked for the likes of Thomas Keller and has built his own hospitality group that includes the exceptional and renowned Frasca in Colorado.</li>
</ol>

It&#39;s great to have you both here today.

Let&rsquo;s start by defining a restauranteur, what&rsquo;s their mission? What drives them?

I love the experience of dining out, the experience it&rsquo;s what drove me to start CorkRules to help elevate experiences.&nbsp; What drives people into the hospitality business?

So let&rsquo;s turn to the current state of the restaurant world, it&rsquo;s good now, right? Covid is in the rearview mirror. People are back to eating out. I can&rsquo;t seem to get a reservation into the in a lot of places in (NY or SF) as examples. Am I right?

I&rsquo;ve talked with a lot of restauranteurs; can you help educate us on what are the challenges facing restaurants today?

<ol>
	<li>
	<ol>
		<li>Inflation</li>
		<li>Supply Chain</li>
		<li>Staff hiring/experience.</li>
		<li>Changing consumer habits
		<ol>
			<li>Drinking less wine</li>
			<li>Eating earlier</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>

Last year I read we are continuing to see restaurant closures. Where do you see the restaurant world heading? High-end and low-end, is there a middle? Can they survive? I saw a lot of restaurants pivot to ready-made products, moving away from service to products.

Let&rsquo;s talk about IRC, its Mission, Describe who&rsquo;s in, Goals, and success to date. Talk about the documentary.

What&rsquo;s next for the IRC?

What can I/consumers do?

<ol>
	<li>
	<ol>
		<li>Tip</li>
		<li>Reviews</li>
		<li>Empathy &ndash; is that really an answer?</li>
		<li>?</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>

What&rsquo;s the future? What does hospitality look like in 5 years?

<ol>
	<li>
	<ol>
		<li>What must change?</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>
	<ol>
		<li>Career pathing</li>
		<li>Training</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>
	<ol>
		<li>&nbsp;The role of tech</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>
	<ol>
		<li>Innovation</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>

RT: Bobby and Erika, Thank you for this fabulous discussion about our restaurant industry. It&rsquo;s inspiring to be a part of this community. &nbsp;&nbsp;

To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.

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.

We are looking forward to being with you on another CorkRules episode soon. In the meantime, please check out our website for all our latest episodes of your favorite restaurant wine lists and please download our app which has all your favorite restaurant wine lists, make&nbsp;personalized recommendations, and allows you to connect with your friends. &nbsp;&nbsp;

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

End

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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

Marenco is a family-owned winery that specializes in producing high-quality Moscato d'Asti wines in the Piedmont region of Italy. The winery has been in operation since 1925 and is known for its dedication to sustainable and environmentally-friendly winemaking practices.

Italian cooking in a contemporary space with a patio that hosts live bands weekly in summer.

Viva Garcia

Brera Osteria

Buddy V's

Yardbird

CHICA Las Vegas

Chica

Bar Zazu

Hell's Kitchen, Las Vegas

Brera

Jasmine

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

La Lanterna Restaurant & Beer Garden

Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi

Zinfandel NV

Zinfandel

California, USA

Rosatello

NV, Moscato Blanco, Italy NV

Moscato Blanco

Italy

Robert Mondavi Private Selection

Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Cabernet Sauvignon

California, USA

Robert Mondavi Private Selection

Chardonnay NV

Chardonnay

California, USA

Catena

Malbec NV

Malbec

Mendoza, Argentina

Nevio

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo NV

Montepulciano

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Italy

Cinta

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo NV

Montepulciano

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Italy

Rosatello

Rosso NV

Brachetto

Toscana, Italy

Ruffino

Lumina Pinot Grigio NV

Pinot Grigio

Italy

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines

Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Cabernet Sauvignon

Central Coast, California, USA

Salvalai

Pinot Noir NV

Pinot Noir

Delle Venezie, Italy

Ruffino

Prosecco NV

Glera

Prosecco, Italy

Ruffino

Chianti Superiore NV

Sangiovese

Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

Ruffino

Riserva Ducale Chianti Classico NV

Sangiovese

Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

Peter Yealands

Sauvignon Blanc NV

Sauvignon Blanc

Marlborough, New Zealand