Syrah and Shiraz. Two different names for the same grape variety, but also the name of two different styles of wine. Originally from France but spread around the world today, it has found its own identity in regions far away from the original origin.

The black grape Syrah comes from the French Rh&ocirc;ne valley and it&rsquo;s still very much planted there. Here, it&rsquo;s the only variety used in Hermitage and Cornas, and also used in blends with other local grapes in areas like Ch&acirc;teauneuf-du-Pape and C&ocirc;tes du Rh&ocirc;ne to mention a few. The grape name won&rsquo;t appear on the label though since in France, and in Europe in general, the origin is of more importance than the grape variety.

As France is writing the wine region instead of the grape on the label, countries outside of Europe favors writing the grape variety over the region. Due to this, the term Shiraz is commonly seen on wine labels as it&rsquo;s almost exclusively produced outside of Europe. The origin of the name Shiraz, instead of the French Syrah, is said to be Australian. When wine production here advanced, Syrah vines were sent from France to be planted, however the mistake of writing Scyras instead of Syrah was made and eventually that transformed to the Shiraz we know today. It&rsquo;s in Australia Shiraz has made a name for itself, just like with Syrah in Rh&ocirc;ne. The most premium area for Shiraz would be the Australian Barossa Valley, an area known by many today.

Even though the names are different it is still the same grape variety. They are made in different styles though, where Syrah often tends to be more austere with flavor of dark berries, black pepper, licorice and leather. A Shiraz wine on the contrary would be described as a more full-bodied style with riper fruit and berries, and often a higher alcohol due to the warmer climate the grapes grow in. Today, winemakers around the world choose to label their wine either as Syrah or Shiraz depending of the style they make and the image they want to convey. In either case it&rsquo;s a fantastic grape with different expressions, which will be your favorite?

Syrah and Shiraz. Two different names for the same grape variety, but also the name of two different styles of wine. Originally from France but spread around the world today, it has found its own identity in regions far away from the original origin.

The black grape Syrah comes from the French Rhône valley and it’s still very much planted there. Here, it’s the only variety used in Hermitage and Cornas, and also used in blends with other local grapes in areas like Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côtes du Rhône to mention a few. The grape name won’t appear on the label though since in France, and in Europe in general, the origin is of more importance than the grape variety.

Decoding the wine label: Syrah or Shiraz?

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 talks to Chris Phelps, winemaker and owner-operator of Ad Vivum in Napa Valley.

Josh Phelps on Ad Vivum

Robert Tas

Chris Phelps of Ad Vivum

Chris Phelps &ndash; Ad Vivum

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where, in each episode, we typically review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. But today I have a special guest.

I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Chris Phelps, founder and napa winemaker of Ad Vivum. He has an amazing wine pedigree. He studied viticulture and enology at both the University of Bordeaux and &amp; the University of CA at Davis. During the 1982 vintage, he lived and worked on the Right Bank (I was SUPPOSED to be at Petrus, which is part of the story. I returned during the 1984 harvest for 4 months, living &amp; working at Petrus...). In 1984 he became the founding winemaker at Dominus Estate in Napa, owned by Christian Moueix. Chris has worked at numerous notable wineries: like Caymus, Swanson, Inglenook, and consults throughout the west coast.

Chris, thank you for joining us here on CorkRules.

CP: &hellip;

So, Chris, let&rsquo;s start with talking about your wine Ad Vivum. I&rsquo;m super excited to try it. Can you share your story?

CP: Talk about the history, location, wine style, etc.

RT: How has your wine evolved from its first vintage to your latest release?

CP: &hellip;

RT: What&rsquo;s on the horizon? Where do you want to take it?

CP: &hellip;

RT: So, let&rsquo;s pivot a little to the state of the wine world. Where does CA wine-making stand today?

CP:

RT: There are some big challenges facing the wine world &ndash; climate, consumer changing habits, and distribution. Given where you sit, what are your thoughts?

CP:&hellip;

RT: How do you get your wine into the hands of new consumers?

CP:

RT: One of the challenges, I see how do we get younger people into wine? I read your parents, like mine, introduced you to wine at young age? What can the industry do to get your generation into wine?

CP:

RT:

RT: Chris, Thank you so this fabulous discussion about our restaurant (winemaking) 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 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.

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