Chianti Classico, Valpolicella Classico, Soave Classico&hellip; 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&rsquo;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.

This development has not been historically exclusive to Chianti, leading to the creation of more than one Classico district. In general, the Classico wines tend to be slightly better as these regions are smaller and have stricter rules regarding plantings and winemaking. If not better, at least more traditional and typical of the region.

The most well-known Classico regions, apart from Chianti, would be Valpolicella Classico making red wine from Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara, also known as the grapes for Amarone. Valpolicella Classico is located within Valpolicella in the region Veneto, also home to two lesser known Classico regions: Bardolino Classico and Soave Classico. Bardolino Classico is located to the west of Valpolicella and produced from the same grapes, while Soave Classico, in contrast to the rest, makes white wine from the local Garganega. All great wines and certainly part of the Italian wine history.

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

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

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

Charlie Bird

Alexis Rogers

Charlie Bird&nbsp;

RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules!

I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Alexis Rogers, wine educator and&nbsp; restaurant sommelier

Hi Alexis, thanks for being back with us on another episode of CorkRules, - a podcast where we help simplify and demystify the wine lists at some of your favorite restaurants. We talk with certified sommeliers and wine professionals who point out interesting bottles, classic food and wine pairings, hidden gems,&nbsp; value wines, or splurge wines that will take your dining experience over the top.

AR: Always a pleasure, Robert. Thanks for having me back!

RT:&nbsp; Today we are taking a look at the list at the perennially hip Charlie Bird in Soho. It&rsquo;s a project from Chef Ryan Hardy and Sommelier Robert Bohn. Described as &ldquo;Italian Accented American&rdquo;, Charlie Bird has a solid reputation for excellent service, awesome pastas and a wine list that has been called &ldquo;a window into the NY wine zeitgeist&rdquo;. I can&rsquo;t wait to hear your take on it, Alexis.

AR: I can see why the wine list was described that way. It has all the wines that the people that talk about wine are talking about. This is a list that&rsquo;s showing off how wild the NYC wine market is. They&rsquo;re really flexing! Old World wines - especially France and Italy get the VIP treatment on this list. Every subregion in Burgundy and the Northern Rhone is well represented as well as every wine region in Italy, with a focus on barolos and barbarescos. I did find the Spanish Reds section interesting though.

&nbsp;

RT : Well, I think Spanish reds are always interesting but what specifically about it piqued your interest?

&nbsp;

AR: Most of the selections in the category come from one producer - Envinate. They focus on mostly native grapes especially coming out of Ribiera Sacra and the Canary Islands. Their wines are all hand-picked, grown without the use of any chemicals, crushed by foot and are made with minimal intervention - they are incredibly pure, honest Spanish wines. I&rsquo;ve selected the 2017 &lsquo;Migan&rsquo; Tinto from Tenerife in the Canary Islands. The grape here is Listan Negro and it produces medium-bodied, low tannin wines with relatively high acidity. We get red cherry and strawberry flavors with spicy, smokey notes and a curious distinctive banana flavor. These wines are similar to those coming out of Beaujolais and would be incredible with the Parma di Prosciutto small plate.

RT: I love opening a bottle of Beaujolais and sitting down to a charcuterie board so this pairing makes sense. I&rsquo;m going to have to swap that out with this wine!

AR: Spanish wines are really on the upswing right now and are slowly becoming more easily accessible to those of us outside Spain and I&rsquo;m here for it! Speaking of wines that are hard to get. I was really excited to see this next one on the list. It&rsquo;s the 2017 Miani Friulano from Friuli-Venezia Giulia. This bottling is one of the most coveted - and therefore most expensive- wines in the region. Miani makes 700 cases of wine a year and only 15% of that is Friulano (aka Sauvignon Vert). This grape gives us concentrated flavors of kiwi and antique rose, pear, peach, herbaceous tarragon, crushed gravel and a hint of bitter almond. Bitter almond is characteristic of a lot of white wines from Northern Italy. Pair this with the Local Burrato with Rhubarb Jam.

RT: Antique rose!? What an oddly specific descriptor!

&nbsp;

AR: I know! But when you taste it, you&rsquo;ll say &ldquo;that is EXACTLY what that is!&rdquo;

This last wine is one of my favorite grapes from one of my favorite places. Like most things in our world, wine is all about location, location, location. A grape from 2 different regions can taste nothing like each other.&nbsp; As you drink more wines from more places, you&rsquo;ll start to recognize which region&rsquo;s &ldquo;style&rdquo; you like across multiple varieties. The Riesling grape is one of the most location-specific grapes out there. I chose a bottle of Riesling from Austria by Weingut Jager.&nbsp; Austrian Riesling is not German Riesling with its rich fruit and delicate floral notes, and it&rsquo;s not NY Riesling that&rsquo;s all about that wild petrol - Austrian Riesling is tense and taught and precise - a ballerina on a tight line. They are super citrusy and minerally. Imagine a frozen lake of lime juice. The wines from Weingut Jaeger, especially those from the Steinriegl Terraces where this bottle is from, are characterized by tightness and minerality. This bottle would pair beautifully with the Cavatelli Campidenese. Dry Riesling and sausage are one of my absolute favorite pairings.

RT: They&rsquo;re a match made in Central European Heaven! Speaking of Central Europe, I saw a bottle on this list from the Czech Republic! Can you tell us a little bit about that?

AR: I saw that too! I was super stoked to see Czech Republic wines represented here. The region has been making wine since the 2nd century but like most countries in that region, being in the sphere of influence of the USSR destroyed their quality wine production. But after the fall of the USSR and with the establishment of modern wine laws in 1995, quality winemaking has returned in a big way! This bottle is from producer Milan Nestarec. The &ldquo;Podfuck Red&rdquo; is an elegant blend of mostly Blaufrankish with a small amount of PN. Blaufrankisch is a beautiful grape, producing elegant, medium-bodied wines with significant tannins and acidity. Our tasting notes here are blackberry and black cherry, black pepper, dark chocolate and spicy ginger and allspice. Wines from these recovering and lesser-known regions are a great value and usually drink way above their modest price tags. Pair this with the Garlic and Sesame Hangar Steak to moderate some of those tannins.

RT: What an interesting find! Alexis, thank you for talking about some of the hip, cool bottles on the list at Charlie Bird with us today! 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:

Info@corkrules.com 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 or wherever you get your podcasts.

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

&nbsp;

END

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