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

Quality Italian

Camila Alvarez

Quality Italian

RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where we review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Camila ALVAREZ, wine sommelier and consultant.

Hello Camila,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to have you join our CorkRules Family!

CA: Hello Robert !

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 sometimes wine lists can be intimidating, and even a little daunting.

Our aim is to help prepare you to navigate that list, 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 are talking about Quality Italian a modern Italian-American steakhouse brought to you by folks who brought us Quality Meats located near midtown. I love this place and their chicken parm myself. It has a great energy and wine list to match.

Camilla, I can&rsquo;t wait to hear what do you think of their extensive wine list?

CA: Well, I think this list has a different approach to the client, a strong Italian wine list but at the same time, they have different types of champagne.

What caught my attention is the large selection of different types of pinot noir and chardonnay. The famous pinots from Oregon, California and the elegance and history of Burgundy.

On the other hand, there are sections called &ldquo;the section meat market&rdquo; with some wines selection different than the cabernet but that could be great pairings as well with steak. I think is a good idea for someone who wants to taste something different.

RT: What type of cabernets or similar grapes do you see?

CA: Type from Italy&hellip;Malbec.

RT: That&rsquo;s really great, as you looked the list did you see anything jump out at you?

Difficult to choose just one, it is a wine list where we can find all kinds of wines.

RT: Me too.

Some wines take my attention for example the Tenuta di Fessina &ldquo;Il Musmeci&rdquo; 2014 Etna Rosso Riserva, a blend of Nerello Masacalese and Nerello Cappuccio. The Etna volcano gives rise to a strain in the most prestigious form, with aromas of red fruits and flavors of black cherries, and violet flowers. Herbal and mineral notes due to the terroir of the Etna volcano. The 2014 has a great potential of ageing, and we can find balsamic and roses flavors. We can taste the earth in this wine very particular from the volcan.

RT: Ooohh those sound great.&nbsp; So, Camila, their list seems to have lots of ways we could go but was there anything that you would say is a &ldquo;must-try&rdquo;?

CA: There are several wines to try, I just have my focus on the section meat market, I have to say the Cheval des Andes 2013 is a must-try, why this because it is the perfect match between the new and old world, a blend from mostly malbec, some cabernet sauvignon and a touch of Petit Verdot that adds more peppery flavors.

RT: Wow that sounds interesting, more like a Bordeaux blend but tell us about Petit Verdot it&rsquo;s not a common grape folks know?

CA: Petit Verdot is a French grape variety from Bordeaux is a grape variety that is again appearing among many producers, due to its capacity to adapt to hot climates much more than cabernet sauvignon. It adds more structure to the wine, due to the amount of tannins.

RT: Thanks for the primer. So, the Cheval des Andes from Argentina sounds great.

CA: What more can be said about this wine, elegant with fine aromas of black fruits such as raspberry. Round tannins and a balanced level of acidity, soft and enveloping in the mouth. From Bordeaux to Mendoza a mix of elegant and fresh wine.

Could be paired with different types of meat and can be also a good pairing with smoked salmon, the level of acidity will match very well.

RT: Well, I usually like Red with fish, Argentina has some terrific wines and great value as well. I&rsquo;m very excited to try more and more from that region.

So, this list has so many great choices, what other wines would you suggest for our second or third course?

CA: &nbsp;Chateau Montelena 2018 is a great option with fish, this is a chardonnay with notes of vaNULLla and oak but at the same time, fruit flavors as anana&rsquo;s and green apple, the acidity is medium so this kind of wine matches with several types of dishes. Also, this is a good option for the first wine of the dinner.

RT: Ooh, Terrific.

Camila, speaking of price, sometimes people have a budget in mind.&nbsp; any other great value wines you&rsquo;d point us to?&nbsp;

CA: Of course, the Italian white wines have great value, I can recommend Paolo Bea &ldquo;Santa Chiara&rdquo; 2016 GRECHETTO BLEND from Umbria, it is a blend from Malvasia, Garganega, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay. If we want an aromatic and powerful aroma wine this is a great option for a very good price, from citrus, and smoked minerality to the elegant bouquet of white flowers and intense honey to some fruit flavors such as peach and nectarine

The freshness of this wine will rock your palate, price is very reasonable for a wine list this.

The balance of the different grape varieties is amazing, I strongly recommend this white wine.

&nbsp;

RT: Now Camila, what if I have a big client dinner or special occasion where I want to take it up a notch?

&nbsp;

CA: &nbsp;Of course, for special occasions, Bordeaux is always a great idea, I can recommend one that I really like to enjoy with a colleague at work, Ch&acirc;teau Calon-S&eacute;gur 1996 Grand Cru Class&eacute; from St St&egrave;phe, we rest into the classic wines with great aging potential, black fruits: cassis, black plum, violette, spices and vaNULLla aromas.

RT: Oh, that&rsquo;s great, it&rsquo;s has good age on it too!

CA: 1996 is one of the best years not only for the quality of the wines but also because of the quantity. High concentration of aromas especially the cabernet sauvignon and high tannins.

RT: Any other suggestions?

CA: Other option could be, Patriarch 2017 from Frank family vineyards in Rutherford, it is a full-body cabernet sauvignon with great structure, the black fruity flavors are there with long and extraordinary length.

RT: Cabs are always a good call for me, especially with meats/steaks. &nbsp;

CA: I 100 percent agree

RT: Camila Thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Quality Italian&rsquo;s wine list. I can&rsquo;t wait to go back and try your great suggestions. &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 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.&nbsp;

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

End

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BRAT

Bocca di Lupe

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Alba Restaurant

Alba

10 Greek Street

L'Auberge Chez Francois

Andrew Edmunds

Salt Seafood and Oyster Bar

Matteos Ristorante Italiano

Matteo's

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.

Contemporary restaurant with Italian cuisine & brick-oven pizzas, plus a lounge & sizable wine list.

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

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