&nbsp;

Calling all curious wine drinkers! Let&#39;s raise a glass to Furmint, a captivating white grape from Hungary with a fascinating history and an impressive range of styles. Buckle up, as we delve into the world of this intriguing grape variety.

A Hungarian Legacy: Imagine yourself in Tokaj, Hungary, a region steeped in winemaking tradition. For centuries, Furmint has thrived in its volcanic soil, basking in the warm sunshine. These grapes, loved for their thick skin and high acidity, became the cornerstone of Hungary&#39;s most famous wine: Tokaji. These sweet, honeyed treasures were once enjoyed by royalty and popes!

Furmint&#39;s Versatility: But Furmint is no one-trick pony. Besides the world-renowned dessert wines, it can also be vinified in a variety of dry styles, ranging from light and refreshing to full-bodied and complex. Think of it as a chameleon, adapting to different winemaking techniques to offer a spectrum of flavors &ndash; from citrusy and mineral to floral and even slightly smoky.

Comparing Furmint: If you&#39;re familiar with Sauvignon Blanc, you might find some similarities in Furmint&#39;s crisp acidity and zesty citrus notes. However, Furmint often boasts a richer texture and can develop intriguing honeyed or almond-like aromas with age. Compared to Chardonnay, Furmint tends to be lighter-bodied and less oaky, making it a great choice for those who prefer a more refreshing white wine.

Food Pairings: Furmint&#39;s versatility extends to food pairings. Lighter styles go beautifully with seafood dishes, while richer Furmints complement creamy pastas or grilled chicken. For the adventurous foodie, try pairing a dry Furmint with spicy Thai cuisine or Hungarian goulash &ndash; the acidity cuts through the richness, creating a harmonious symphony of flavors.

Ready to Explore? Now that you&#39;ve peeked into the world of Furmint, here are 4 renowned producers to get you started:

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://bevmo.com/products/34547">Royal Tokaji:&nbsp;</a>Experience the legacy of Tokaji with their classic dessert wines.</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.winemadeeasy.com/wine/white-wine/disznoko-tokaji-dry-furmint-2021-750-ml-60182.html">Diszn&oacute;kő Tokaj:</a>&nbsp;Discover their range of dry Furmints, showcasing the grape&#39;s versatility.</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.plummarket.com/store/2019-vega-sicilia-oremus-tokaji-furmint-dry-mandolas.html">Oremus:&nbsp;</a>Explore their award-winning dry and sweet Furmints, produced with meticulous care.</li>
	<li><a href="https://con-nois-seur.ca/products/furmint-2021">Patricius Winery:</a>&nbsp;Delve into their single-vineyard Furmints, each reflecting the unique terroir.</li>
</ul>

So, the next time you&#39;re at the wine shop or restaurant, don&#39;t be shy &ndash; ask for Furmint! This Hungarian gem is waiting to introduce you to its captivating world of flavors and history, one sip at a time.

&nbsp;

A Hungarian Legacy: Imagine yourself in Tokaj, Hungary, a region steeped in winemaking tradition. For centuries, Furmint has thrived in its volcanic soil, basking in the warm sunshine. These grapes, loved for their thick skin and high acidity, became the cornerstone of Hungary's most famous wine: Tokaji. These sweet, honeyed treasures were once enjoyed by royalty and popes!

Furmint: Hungary's Hidden Gem for Wine Lovers

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

Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas review the wine list at The Belvedere located in the Peninsula Hotel in Los Angeles. 

Wine List Review of The Belvedere in Los Angeles

Grace Hood

The Belvedere

The Belvedere

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where, in each episode, we will review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier. Hello Grace,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to have you!

GH: Just another great day to talk about wine! &nbsp;

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 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. Grace what are we chatting about today?

GH: We are going to be looking into the wine list at the Belvedere which is located in the Peninsula Hotel in Los Angeles. &nbsp;

RT: This place looks great. Very elegant. I&rsquo;m sure they have a wine list to match. Where would you like to start? Bubbles I presume?

GH: Most certainly Robert! If you&rsquo;re in the mood for traditional champagne, you could go with the Petrous LeBrun Grand Cru or if you love Brut Rose, the Laurent Perrier would be a great choice. But if you wanted a vintage champagne, they have a 2009 Cristal Brut or their 2013 Brut Rose which would be lovely.

RT: Champagne for everyone I love it. Now how about some nice aromatic whites? I know that&rsquo;s one of your favorite styles.

GH: You know me too well Robert. For lighter-style whites, I would go with this 2014 Gwetrz&rsquo; Pinot Gris Riesling blend from one of my favorite Oregon boutique producers Big Table Farms. Another delish floral white would be this 2016 Pouilly Fume from Jean Claude D&rsquo;Aganeau from the Loire valley. 

RT: I can smell the bouquets from here ha-ha alright since we&rsquo;re talking about a California restaurant, I assume their chardonnay collection is going to be out of this world.

GH: You got that right Robert! If we&rsquo;re talking domestic, I would do either the 2017 Ma Belle Gille from Peter Micheal out of Sonoma, or the 2012 from one of my favorite central coast producers, Au Bon Climat. And we can&rsquo;t forget about my favorite place &ndash; Oregon &ndash; they&rsquo;ve got 5 stellar vineyards represented, but it&rsquo;s going to have to be 2015 Sigrid from Bergstrom

RT: Love those West Coast picks. How about some choices from Burgundy?

GH: &nbsp;You can&rsquo;t go wrong with any of these honestly. If you want something crispy, the 2020 Chablis from Domaine Larocher would be delish. But if you want something a little richer, it&rsquo;s gonna have to be the 2015 Puligny Montrachet from Domaine Laflaive

RT: Oh, those both sound amazing. I can taste the terroir now ha-ha Now I assume a place like the Belvedere brings in some serious red wine drinkers. What would you recommend for those folks?

GH: Oh man well they have a page and a half of just domestic pinot noir which you know I am loving. My picks for American pinot would be the 2014 Cristom estate from the Eoal Amity Hills in the Willamette Valley. And if you are more of a California pinot person, I would go with the 2016 Radio Coteau from the Russian River, or if you love the central coast like yours truly &ndash; they have a 2013 from Melville out of the Santa Rita Hills. 

RT: Oh, yum can&rsquo;t go wrong with any of those? How about something for our Burgundian fans out there?

GH: Oh la la they have so much to choose from. They have a few Joseph Drouhins which I personally love - You could do their 2013 Grand Cru Musigny or 2011 Nuits St George 

RT: Great calls on the Joseph Drouhin selections. How about something more medium bodied?

GH: Oh absolutely. One that really stuck out to me was this 2003 variation one from arietta out of napa, which is an incredible merlot/syrah blend. &nbsp;Also can&rsquo;t go wrong with this 2005 Vina Tondonia Rioja from Lopez Heredia

RT: Oh wow those both sound delicious and I know right up your alley Grace ha-ha now how about something big and bold for our cabernet fans?

GH: Got some real treats coming up for our cabernet drinkers. They have some heavy hitting classics on the menu &ndash; it was hard to choose just a few. Starting with napa, they have a 2004 Pillar Rock from Stags Leap as well as a 2009 Rudd out of Oakville

RT: I&rsquo;ll get the decanter ready ha-ha. What about some Bordeauxs for our French fans?

GH: Oh man they have a ton of older vintages which I am geeking out over ha-ha. You could do this 2001 Chateaux Margaux, a 2002 St. Emillion from Chateaux Cheval Blanc, or this 2000 Saint Julien from Ch&acirc;teau Talbot. 

RT: Wow those are come iconic bottles. Love to see it on the Belvedere menu. Alright Grace &ndash; what would you recommend to our friends who are looking for some great wine, but want to stay within a certain price point?

GH: Budget bottles coming up &ndash; for a white I would do this 2017 Vinho Verde from Adego de Monaco. And for a red I would do this 2009 Barbaresco &nbsp;

RT: Good call Grace. And what about if we&rsquo;re coming to the Belvedere to celebration a special occasion?

GH: Gonna have to be the 2008 Dom Perignon Brut Rose. And for a red? I spy a 2003 Grand Cru Vosne Romanee from Domaine Romanee Contee.

RT: 2 classic choices - I love it. Grace, thank you so much for helping us navigate the wine list at The Belvedere. &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: <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. Follow us on social media @CorkRules and @wineswithgrace

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

&nbsp;

End

&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

Château Dereszla is a historic winery located in the heart of the Tokaj wine region in Hungary. With a history dating back to 1406, Château Dereszla is one of the oldest and most respected wineries in the region. The winery is known for its exceptional quality wines, which are produced using a combination of traditional and modern winemaking techniques.

Hip pub & diner with an atmospheric brick-walled interior serving burgers, pizzas, & light bites.

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

Pierce Tavern

Charles Smith

Band of Roses Rose NV

Pinot Gris

Washington, USA

Sean Minor

California Series Sauvignon Blanc NV

Sauvignon Blanc

California, USA

Cline

Farmhouse Red NV

Blend

California, USA

La Prendina

Merlot Garda NV

Merlot

Lombardia, Italy

Folie à Deux

Chardonnay NV

Chardonnay

Russian River Valley, USA

Zaha

Malbec NV

Malbec

Mendoza, Argentina

Substance

Cabernet Sauvignon (Cs) NV

Cabernet Sauvignon

Washington, USA

Kim Crawford

Sauvignon Blanc NV

Sauvignon Blanc

South Island, New Zealand

Meiomi

Pinot Noir NV

Pinot Noir

California, USA

Firesteed

Pinot Noir Oregon NV

Pinot Noir

Oregon, USA

The Prisoner

Blindfold White Blend NV

Blend

California, USA

1000 Stories

Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Cabernet Sauvignon

California, USA

Cass

Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Cabernet Sauvignon

Paso Robles, USA

1000 Stories

Zinfandel 2000

Zinfandel

California, USA

Ruffino

Prosecco NV

Glera

Prosecco, Italy