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

Bar Mezzana

Sam Hohl, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas talk wine, food, and wine producers as they explore the wine list at Bar Mezzana in Boston.

Wine List Review of Bar Mezzana in Boston

Sam Hohl

Bar Mezzana

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 Samantha Hohl, wine educator and certified sommelier. Hello Sam,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to have you!

SH: Hi Robert! Great to be back.

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&nbsp; 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, Sam and I are reviewing&hellip;

Overview

Bar Mezzana is located in the South End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. They feature Italian coastal cuisine with a focus on their crudo selection and homemade pasta.&nbsp;

Where to start

Bar Mezzana&rsquo;s beverage list has classic Italian cocktails and some interesting finds for wine bottles. This wine list is set up by sections that have titles like &ldquo;Cabernet Adjacent&rdquo; and &ldquo;Not Quite Chard&rdquo; so if you know what you usually like, find the section and experience something new in your preferred taste profile.

What stood out to me right away was their section from Chertok wines. These wines are made by Max Rose, who is originally from Boston and set out determined to make wines that are basically New England in a bottle. He&rsquo;s worked with fruit from vineyards all over New England before finding a farm in Vermont where he grows grapes and apples. He does the farming by hand and is deeply committed to the health of the farm&rsquo;s ecosystem and the products he creates. The bottle called &ldquo;Midrash&rdquo; is made from Marquette which is a hybrid grape varietal created for cold climate growing, ideal for Vermont. It tends to have a medium body with notes of cherry and dark berries and would make a great partner with pasta, like their Agnolotti stuffed with duck confit.

Value 

A bottle that would pair really well with a lot dishes on the menu that is also affordable would be the 2020 Kontozisis &ldquo;A-Grafo&rdquo; Assyrtiko. Assyrtiko is a classic Greek grape varietal and this bottle comes from the Kontozisis organic vineyards in the Thessaly region. A-Grafo means &ldquo;unchartered&rdquo; in Greek, and this bottle definitely stands out from other Assyrtikos. The grapes were fermented whole-cluster so it gives it more structure, it&rsquo;s got that shining acid the grape is known for, but also some lovely floral notes and refreshing citrus as well. It would be delicious with the PEI mussels, or the Paccheri pasta with Lobster, since it&rsquo;s so good with seafood and the acid would be a great palate cleanser to the lobster crema.

Celebratory 

So I just have to mention a few options for your shindig because there are some great choices. First, the Barolo and Barbaresco section can&rsquo;t be ignored. They have some really amazing options that you can get by the bottle or glass!! What an awesome opportunity to have some really beautiful Italian wines. I would go for the 2016 Erbaluna &ldquo;Rocche Dell&rsquo;Aannunziata&rdquo; Borolo. Erbaluna is a family-owned winery in La Morra known for their high-quality wines. The 2016 is a great vintage so this bottle is not going to disappoint. Notes of strawberry and delicate floral tones, soft on the palate with balanced tannins.

Maybe your night calls for some bubbles? The 1701 Franciacorta Sat&egrave;n is made from 100% Chardonnay from Lombardy in Northern Italy. This Franciacorta winey has been around for centuries and grows Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The current owners focus on preserving all of the rich history of the estate and want tradition and purity to shine in their wines. This bottle is aromatic with notes of roasted nuts and flower petals, and has beautiful bright flavors of apple and peach. It&rsquo;s got these delicate bubbles too, so it&rsquo;s elegant and fun to drink. Try it alongside one of the fish crudos, or it would be great with subtle sweetness in the seared scallops. Totally indulgent and delicious!

RT: Sam, thank you so much for helping us navigate the wine list at Bar Mezzana.&nbsp;

To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.&nbsp; If you would like Sam to review one of your favorite restaurants, please send us email to: <a href="mailto:Info@corkrules.Com">Info@</a><a href="mailto:Info@corkrules.Com">CorkRules</a><a href="mailto:Info@corkrules.Com">.Com</a> or visit our web website where we have a request form.

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 finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

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BRAT

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Catena is a renowned family-owned winery in Mendoza, Argentina that has been producing exceptional wines for over a century. Their expertise in high altitude winemaking has allowed them to craft some of the most sought-after wines in Argentina.

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Alexis Percival is a New York City based CMS certified sommelier, consultant and event planner who puts the art in party.

Certified sommelier Alexis Percival

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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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