For Chardonnay lovers seeking a refreshing, value-driven alternative, Aligot&eacute;, Burgundy&#39;s &quot;other&quot; white grape, beckons with its crisp acidity, subtle minerality, and undeniable charm. Often overshadowed by its more illustrious neighbor, Aligot&eacute; is finally gaining recognition for its unique qualities and exceptional quality-to-price ratio.

A Value Proposition: Compared to Chardonnay, Aligot&eacute; offers a compelling value proposition. The grape thrives in cooler climates, yielding wines known for their vibrant acidity and lighter body. This makes them perfect for enjoying young, without the need for extensive aging, which translates to lower production costs ultimately reflected in the price tag. Wine enthusiasts can experience the distinct terroir of Burgundy at a fraction of the price of a Premier Cru Chardonnay.

Critical Acclaim: The growing popularity of Aligot&eacute; is not going unnoticed by critics. Wine Enthusiast recently declared it &quot;Burgundy&#39;s Rising White Star,&quot; highlighting its increasing quality and potential to rival Chardonnay. Renowned wine critic Burghound remarked on the &quot;impressive depth and complexity&quot; found in certain Aligot&eacute; expressions, showcasing the grape&#39;s ability to produce wines beyond their entry-level reputation.

Food Pairings: Aligot&eacute;&#39;s bright acidity and subtle minerality make it a versatile food pairing companion. It shines alongside lighter fare like fish dishes, shellfish, salads, and creamy cheeses. The wine&#39;s refreshing character cuts through richness, making it a perfect partner for creamy sauces and even lighter cuts of meat.

Domaine Stars: While Aligot&eacute; is often produced by various cooperatives, two stand-out producers are leading the charge in crafting exceptional single-vineyard expressions:

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/Dominique-Lafon-Bourgogne-Aligote-2021-w41675088y">Dominique Lafon</a>&nbsp;- $37.99: This renowned producer, known for their exquisite Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet wines, also crafts a stunning Aligot&eacute; with depth and complexity, showcasing the potential of the grape when treated with respect and meticulous attention to detail.</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/Domaine-Sylvain-Cathiard-Bourgogne-Aligote-2022-w7631962na">Domaine Sylvain Cathiard</a>&nbsp;- $66.99: This family-owned estate in the village of Bouzeron, the only appellation dedicated solely to Aligot&eacute;, produces wines known for their purity, minerality, and aging potential. Their &quot;M&acirc;con-Villages&quot; Aligot&eacute; is a testament to the grape&#39;s ability to deliver exceptional quality and complexity.</li>
</ul>

Aligot&eacute; offers an exciting opportunity for wine enthusiasts to explore the hidden gem of Burgundy. Its affordability, refreshing style, and versatility make it a perfect addition to any wine lover&#39;s repertoire. So, next time you&#39;re looking for a delightful, value-driven white wine, consider giving Aligot&eacute; a try. You might just discover your new favorite Burgundy.

&nbsp;

Aligoté: Burgundy's Unsung Hero Steps Out of the Shadows

For Chardonnay lovers seeking a refreshing, value-driven alternative, Aligoté, Burgundy's "other" white grape, beckons with its crisp acidity, subtle minerality, and undeniable charm. Often overshadowed by its more illustrious neighbor, Aligoté is finally gaining recognition for its unique qualities and exceptional quality-to-price ratio.

Aligoté: Burgundy's Unsung Hero Steps Out of the Shadows

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

Frasca Food and Wine

Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas tune in to Frasca in Boulder, Colorado where they explore wine for all occasions including hanging in the mountains or after skiing down the slopes.

Wine List Review of Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder Colorado

Grace Hood

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where, in each episode,&nbsp;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: Hey hey Robert

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. Alright, Grace &ndash; what fabulous spot are we chatting about today?

GH: Well, we are diving into a wine list that came as a request from one of our listeners. Today we&rsquo;ll be chatting about the selections at Frasca in Boulder Colorado.

RT: Sounds great. Now I know you spent some time working in the wine scene of Colorado, correct?

GH: That is correct Robert! I was a sommelier in Vail for the 2018 ski season. And I&rsquo;ve spent time in lots of other parts of Colorado &ndash; Fort Collins, Boulder, Denver Aspen, Steamboat etc. they might not be able to grow grapes, but Colorado people definitely love to drink good wine.

RT: Love the sound of that. Sancerre in the snow. Merlot in the mountains.

GH: Amen to that Robert!

RT: Hahah alright should we jump into the Frasca list?

GH: Let&rsquo;s do it! They have a lovely international mix of wines, but they specialize in the &aacute;rea of Fruili in Italy. So, we&rsquo;ll def be seeing some unique Italian wines on the list.

RT: Bellisima &nbsp;

GH: Prego Roberto haha starting off with bubbles. If you&rsquo;re feeling a classic champagne, you could go with the Chartogne Tallier Brut Rose or the 2016 Bereche et File Beaux Regards. And if you wanted an Italian sparkling, they have the Scarpetta Brut Rose from the owner of Frasca himself, Bobby Stuckey&nbsp;

RT: Oh yeah Bobby is famous in Boulder, correct?

GH: &nbsp;Indeed Robert! He kind of put Boulder on the map as a foodie town. And has since added winemaker onto his resume.

RT: He sounds like you Grace &ndash; having your hand in every part of the wine industry.

GH: Totally! Knowledge is power as they say.

RT: Alright moving on from sparkling. What are you thinking for some light white selections?

GH: Well we definitely have to highlight from Fiuili wines. My picks would be the 2019 Borgo de Tiglio Fruiliano. As well as the 2018 Kante Malvasia.

RT: Mmm I can taste the acid and the citrus from all the way here in Connecticut. Wine really does transport you all over the world, doesn&rsquo;t it?

GH: It certainly does Robert. It&rsquo;s so simple yet so complex.

RT: What else is looking tasty in the whites section?

GH: Well, it&rsquo;s not an Italian list without some pinot grigio. I&rsquo;m digging the look of 2020 Foradori from Alto Adige. Also interested in this 2020 Vintage Tunia from the classic Italian producer Jermann.

RT: Yum both of those sound great. Now how about some Italian chardonnay?

GH: Reading my mind Robert! I would go with either the 2019 from Borgo de Tigli, or the 2020 from Ronc Platat

RT: Great choices Grace. Thanks for that. Alright, have we come to the main event? Italian reds?

GH: Ain&rsquo;t nothing to it but to do it! Starting off with some light pinot nero, I would go with the 2017 from Fruili Colli Oreientalli. And then if you wanted something with a bit more weight on it, they have a 1999 le Macchiole Syrah from Bolgeri.

RT: Oh, wow we don&rsquo;t drink nearly enough Italian syrah. Move over France haha

GH: I know right? I&rsquo;m super curious about that one. And speaking of curious, I wouldn&rsquo;t turn down this 2001 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d&rsquo;Abruzzo, or this 2006 Isole e Olena Chianti Classico Gran Selectzione.

RT: Oh, wow neither would I. Those both sound killer. Thanks for pointing those out, Grace. Alright what are you thinking for our listeners who like something big bold and tannic?

GH: Oh man they have a 1994 San Leonardo from Gonzaga, or a 2004 Brunello di Montelcino from Cerbaiona.

RT: Grazi Mille! Grace - thank you so much for helping us navigate the Italian wine list at Frasca. &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.

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End

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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.

Big cuts of meat, seafood & cocktails keep it classic at this veteran, old-school institution.

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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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