Have you ever heard the word Xinomavro? Most have not. It is however a word on many sommeliers&rsquo; 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.

Xinomavro is an interesting grape. The name translates to &ldquo;sour black&rdquo;, and it&rsquo;s quite telling as the wine can have deep color and high acidity. It makes medium-bodied red wine with a marked astringency, red and black fruit aroma and can develop forest like notes, just like how the grape Nebbiolo would be described. In general, the Nebbiolo wines are less full-bodied though, as the climate where they&rsquo;re grown is slightly cooler. Nebbiolo is most famous from the Barolo region in northern Italy, and many are looking to find styles similar to it today, paving the way for grapes like Xinomavro.

Xinomavro is mainly planted in northern Greece with the region Naoussa making the best examples today. It can be planted elsewhere as well, and even some vineyards in other countries can be found nowadays. Some choose to blend the variety with softer grapes like Merlot, but the most prestigious ones are usually Xinomavro only and further aged in oak barrels. Many of these wines can age in the bottle for many years, just like Barolo, and usually shines the most when they do. Besides red wine, the grape is used for ros&eacute; and sparkling white wine as well, some of very good quality.

As the world of wine becomes more curious, and well-known wines like Barolo becomes more and more expensive, Greece and its wines is something everyone should keep an eye on.

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

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

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

Hanna Lauerman,  General Manager of Haley.Henry Wine Bar and Robert Tas review the wine list and talk about Pet Nat wines. 

Wine List Review of Haley.Henry Wine Bar in Boston

Robert Tas

Haley.Henry

CorkRules Script

Haley Henry

&nbsp;

RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules!

I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Hanna Lauerman General Manager of Haley Henry Wine Bar in Downtown Boston.

&nbsp;

Hi Haley, thanks for being here on CorkRules, - a podcast where we help simplify and demystify the wine lists at some of our favorite restaurants and wine bars. We talk with certified sommeliers, wine/food professionals who point out interesting bottles, classic food and wine pairings, hidden gems, value wines, or splurge wines that will take your our experience over the top.

&nbsp;

HL: Thank you so excited to be here.

&nbsp;

RT: Before we get started, please tell us a little about you?

 
HL: I&rsquo;ve worked in restaurants for about ten years. I actually used to come to Haley Henry as a guest while I was working at Yvonne&rsquo;s around the corner, and I was so impressed with how they presented these really unique natural wines and told the winemaker&rsquo;s stories in such an engaging way. Haley told me she was opening another restaurant in the Fenway and I asked if I could join the team. Four years later here I am back at HH.

&nbsp;

RT:&nbsp; Haley Henry Wine Bar has been requested by one of our listeners. Thank you, Allison. As I was checking you guys out, I loved your description:

it is a magical place, where laughs are had, plans are made, and neighbors come together to toast one another&#39;s health. It is meant to educate, to inspire &amp; to introduce new wines and experiences to whomever walks through the door.

&nbsp;

Not to mention you all curate responsibly sourced/natural/small production wine producers.

&nbsp;

So, Hanna, tell us a little about Haley Henry Wine bar.

&nbsp;

HL: So, we are super small, twenty-two seats, which makes the bar really intimate. One thing I love about Haley Henry is we have so many regulars, sometimes it starts to feel like a dinner party. We might be playing Biggie or Cardi B depending on the day. Our goal is to find the balance between bringing knowledge and expertise to every table without it feeling stuffy or boring. When you told me about the idea behind your podcast, I thought we had a lot in common!

&nbsp;

RT: Sounds fantastic, my kind of place. Let&rsquo;s pivot to your every changing wine list. As I looked at your list you have some very cool stuff. Tell us about it.

&nbsp;

HL: So, with the list we always want to have a balance of really interesting nerdy stuff and things that are approachable for folks who might be new to the world of natural wine. I think it&rsquo;s important to show that natural wine can also present in a really classic and elegant way. Someone might come in looking for a Sauvignon Blanc because that&rsquo;s what they&rsquo;re used to ordering and they see we don&rsquo;t have one. Well maybe they try the Bodegas Albamar Albarino, and they realize they also love Albarino. Or alternately maybe they decide to try something they&rsquo;ve never had before, like the Koukos Sidiritis. That&rsquo;s an orange wine from Greece, so for many people who come in it&rsquo;s a whole bunch of things they&rsquo;ve never had before, but it&rsquo;s light and floral and really approachable, so then they get to leave thinking, Wow, I like orange wine and I like Greek wine and I learned something new about myself today.

&nbsp;

RT: Very cool. I look getting exposed to new, smaller producers. Anything on your list that&rsquo;s a must try?

&nbsp;

HL: One thing I really love right now is the Forlorn Hope Abandoned Bicycle. This is from Matthew Rorick in California, Calaveras County. It&rsquo;s 100% Muscat, hand-picked and foot stomped and aged on neutral oak for a year. Then the winemaker cellared it for five years, from 2017 to 2022. He compares it to an abandoned bicycle chained to a fence that someone already stole the wheels and seat off of. It&rsquo;s less floral and aromatic than typical Muscat and more acid- and mineral-driven. They only made 47 cases so it does feel kind of extra-special to me, and I love the Forlorn Hope story.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

pause

I also have to mention the Ellison Estate Vin de Table. This is from Stowe, Vermont, and I always want to talk up these East Coast wineries that are making cool and notable stuff. This bottle is a blend of wines hybridized for Vermont, which is why they&rsquo;re calling it a table wine, but it&rsquo;s so much more than that. The winemakers, Kendra and Rob Kapnik, were mentored by Deirdre Heekin of La Garagista, which is like THE success story of natural wine in Vermont. Ellison Estate was founded in 2018 when the two of them bought an abandoned vineyard in Grand Island. Previous to winemaking, Kendra was a veterinary oncologist and Rob was a particle physicist. This wine is earthy and moody with herbal forest floor notes alongside ripe cherry. More East Coast wine!&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

RT: Awesome. How about something off the beaten path. Help push me palate?

&nbsp;

HL: Oh, for winter I am so excited to be serving the PANK pet-nat. I know it&rsquo;s not exactly pet nat season but that winemaker is all about doing things his own way. They have these very cool graphic labels that invoke a punk rock aesthetic, and the winemaker Atilla Palffy cites that as part of his inspiration. So, this is an unfined, unfiltered pet nat from Hungary, 100% pinot noir. It&rsquo;s super cloudy in the bottle and you can expect your last glass to be a totally different color from your first. Despite its appearance it&rsquo;s super crushable, strawberry, cranberry, and a softer bubble. If you order a sparkling Pinot Noir expecting Blanc de Noir Champagne, this is really going to be a surprise at the table.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

RT: Fabulous. How about if I&rsquo;m celebrating something special?

&nbsp;

HL: For winter and for the holidays I guess I have to talk about some reds! We just received a case of the L&rsquo;Incaunais from Claude and Etienne Courtois. It is 100% Gascon from the Loire Valley. Gascon is actually another name for Mondeuse and at Haley Henry we have a saying, &ldquo;Bye Mondeuse,&rdquo; as in something so delicious it&rsquo;s going to walk itself out the door. This is definitely a baller wine; the production is super limited and we were only able to get one case. Claude is the father and has never used any type of chemical pesticide, fertilizer, or herbicide in his vineyard. His son is taking over now as he is getting older. The Gascon is light-bodied but very complex with a higher acid and lots of strawberry, cranberry, slightly tart notes. I&rsquo;d recommend this to anyone who likes Pinot Noir but wants to explore something new.

&nbsp;

RT: Those are fabulous suggestions. Hanna, it has been a pleasure to talk with you about Haley Henry&rsquo;s wine bar and its fabulous wine list. I will be definitely stopping by on my next visit to Boston.

&nbsp;

To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.

&nbsp;

If you would like us 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.

&nbsp;

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 or wherever you get your podcasts.

&nbsp;

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

&nbsp;

Cheers

&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

Sycamore Lane is a popular wine brand that offers a range of varietals, including Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and others. The wines are known for their consistent quality and affordability.

Outpost of the upscale steakhouse chain offers classic American fare & a clubby, refined setting.

28-50 Wine Workshop & Kitchen

28-50

Bleu Provence

KOCHINYC

Kochi

Wally's

Hav & Mar

Bern's Steakhouse

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

The Capital Grille

Available Wines
Total Wines - 6

Dom Perignon 2006

Champagne, France

Perrier-Jouët

Belle Epoque Brut Champagne 2007

Blend

Champagne, France

Lapostolle

Casa, Clos Apalta, Colchagua Valley NV

Central Valley, Chile

Joseph Phelps

Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley NV

California, USA

Castello del Poggio

Moscato d'Asti NV

Moscato

Moscato d'Asti, Piedmont, Italy

Etude

Estate Pinot Noir NV

Pinot Noir

Los Carneros, USA