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 Primi

Josh Ardizzoni

BAR PRIMI

RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where&nbsp;we review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Josh Ardizzoni, Certified Sommelier and wine consultant.

JA: Hey Robert! Happy to be here :)

RT Before we jump in, let&rsquo;s talk about CorkRules.

We created CorkRules to demystify wine list&rsquo;s because we know from experience, that those lists can sometimes be intimidating and even a little daunting.

Our aim is to help prepare you to navigate that list with confidence, find those hidden gems, 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.

RT: Today we talk about one of the most fun Italian food and wine experiences in New York &ndash; Bar Primi.

JA: Robert, excited for this one &ndash; few things are closer to a Somm&rsquo;s heart than a small, eclectic wine list that&rsquo;s totally on-brand and full of discoveries.

RT: I hear that! Bar Primi is such a joyful little spot &ndash; co-owner Chef Andrew Carmellini is sort of the ambassador for exactly this kind of experience. It&rsquo;s focused on &ldquo;Primi&rdquo; which are the &ldquo;appetizer&rdquo; courses of the traditional Italian meal, including all the antipasti offerings and, of course, pasta.

JA: Who needs anything more in their life? Maybe a great steak once in a while&hellip; but I think I could eat and drink like this every night of the week and just be blissed out all the time.

RT: Hah, that&rsquo;s good. So, at a glance, what&rsquo;s the vibe on the wine list here?

JA: It&rsquo;s pretty immediately obvious that the theme here is casual and fun Italian wines, mostly from emerging regions and almost all representing tremendous value. The restaurant wants you to drink in a very specific way, which is in lockstep with the more convivial mood of the place.

RT: What do you mean when you talk about emerging regions?

JA: Well, in wine terms, Italy is a huge and diverse country &ndash; thousands of different indigenous grape varieties, varied climates from north to south and from the Mediterranean to the Adriatic coast, wines from the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, just so much to discover. Like, old school Chianti is classic and great in many ways, but there&rsquo;s so much more to see.

RT: Cool. What do you like?

JA: On this list there is representation from way up in Alto Adige near the Swiss border, like the subtle and inviting Schiava from Alois Lageder, one of northern Italy&rsquo;s greatest winemakers. There is also wine ranging from way down near the bottom of the boot in Basilicata &ndash; a robust Aglianico (that&rsquo;s the grape by the way) that is more full-bodied, rich and tannic, in this case from the Grifalco winery. Two great wines, two immensely different styles, and so affordable you can try them both side by side.

RT: What are some other highlights, maybe some under-the-radar bottles that can really deliver?

JA: For white &ndash; I&rsquo;m going with the Ronchi di Cialla Ribolla Gialla. It&rsquo;s a mouthful of Italian words to say but this wine is so darn good. It&rsquo;s from Friuli in the Northeast, and the Ribolla grape is sort of like Pinot Grigio&rsquo;s way more interesting cousin. Dry, racy, floral, but also complex and textural. Red wine &ndash; I&rsquo;m either thinking Girolamo Russo&rsquo;s Etna Rosso from Sicily, which has really striking fruit paired with a great cutting texture, sort of the hallmark for modern Sicilian reds. Or if I&rsquo;m in the mood for something more stately I&rsquo;d go with the San Polino Brunello di Montalcino. One of the most expensive tickets on the menu, but still really approachable as Brunello goes. They are an organic and biodynamic producer that gets it totally right.

RT: Sounds like plenty of different directions to take, even though the selection is concise.

JA: They are always featuring great little gems from these smaller Italian regions. This is the state of Italian wine today &ndash; it&rsquo;s more exciting than ever and you can literally never run out of new wines to try. I recommend Bar Primi as a place to do some more research.

RT: Josh Thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Bar Primi&rsquo;s wine list.

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: <a href="mailto:Info@corkrules.Com">Info@corkrules.com</a> 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.

&nbsp;

Thank you.

&nbsp;

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

Sharecropper's is a family-owned winery based in Columbia Valley, USA. They specialize in producing high-quality, affordable wines that showcase the best of the region's terroir. Founded in 2007, the winery has since grown to become a respected name in the industry, with a reputation for producing exceptional wines that are both approachable and elegant.

White-tablecloth environment for Argentinean empanadas & churrasco meats grilled over a wood fire.

Steak Frites

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

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

Graziano’s in the Gables

Raventós i Blanc

Montserrat Blanc Penedes NV

Xarel-lo

Penedes, Spain

Bela, Ribera del Duero NV

Ribera del Duero, Spain

Orben

Orben NV

Blend

Rioja, Spain

Exem

Bordeaux NV

Blend

Bordeaux, France

Domaine de Saje

Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge NV

Grenache

Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone, France

Pommery Pink POP Rose, Champagne NV

Champagne, France

Pulenta Estate X Gran Malbec, Alto Agrelo NV

Argentina

Familia Zuccardi, Serie A Torrontes, Salta NV

Salta, Argentina

Savian

Pinot Grigio NV

Pinot Gris

Venezia, Italy

Elena Walch

Pinot Grigio (Selezione) NV

Pinot Gris

Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

Viña Las Perdices

Extra Brut Rose NV

Blend

Mendoza, Argentina

Cruse Wine

Monkey Jacket Red Blend NV

Blend

California, USA

Kuentz-Bas Gewurztraminer Tradition NV

Alsace, France

Viña Las Perdices

Torrontes NV

Torrontes

Mendoza, Argentina

Cruse

Wine Co. Rancho Monkey Jacket Red NV

North Coast, USA