The holiday season is a time for celebration, and champagne is a popular beverage of choice for many. Whether you&#39;re looking for a high-end champagne to mark a special occasion or a more approachable option for casual gatherings, there are plenty of choices to consider.&nbsp;

By the way, we love champagne with all kinds of food (seafood, fried chicken, spicy food, etc) and is more than just for a quick toast at midnight.&nbsp;

High-End Champagnes:&nbsp;

When it comes to high-end champagnes, names like <a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/MoA-t-and-Chandon-Dom-Perignon-Brut-2013-w87575582p">Dom Perignon</a> and Krug often come to mind. These prestigious champagnes are typically reserved for special occasions and are known for their exceptional quality and craftsmanship. <a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/MoA-t-and-Chandon-Dom-Perignon-Brut-2013-w87575582p">Dom Perignon</a> is produced by Moet &amp; Chandon and is named after the Benedictine monk who is often credited with discovering the champagne-making process. Krug, on the other hand, is known for its rich and complex flavors, thanks to its unique production methods, including fermentation in small oak barrels. These won&#39;t disappoint! Yum!!&nbsp;

More Approachable Options:&nbsp;

If you&#39;re looking for a more approachable champagne that still offers great quality, there are plenty of options to consider. <a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/Ruinart-Brut-Rose-w2136832vx">Ruinart Rose</a> and <a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/Charles-Heidsieck-Brut-Blanc-De-Blancs-w1263779l4">Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blanc</a> are two examples of champagnes that are well-regarded but are often more affordable than their high-end counterparts. <a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/Ruinart-Brut-Rose-w2136832vx">Ruinart Rose</a> is known for its delicate, fruity flavors, while <a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/Charles-Heidsieck-Brut-Blanc-De-Blancs-w1263779l4">Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blanc</a> is a type of champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes, resulting in a crisp and elegant taste. Solid choices!&nbsp;

Blanc de Blanc:

Blanc de Blanc is a term used to describe champagnes that are made exclusively from white grapes, typically Chardonnay. This style of champagne is known for its light and crisp flavors, making it a popular choice for those who prefer a more delicate taste. Blanc de Blanc champagnes are often a great option for pairing with seafood or light appetizers.&nbsp;

Lower-End Examples and Spanish Cava:

If you&#39;re looking for lower-end champagne options, there are plenty of choices to consider. <a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/Piper-Heidsieck-Brut-Cuvee-w504046291">Piper-Heidsieck&#39;s Brut Non-Vintage</a> is a great affordable option that still offers great quality and flavor. This champagne is known for its fresh and lively taste, making it a great choice for casual gatherings. In addition to champagne, <a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/Gramona-Brut-Corpinnat-Imperial-2017-w91087350j">Spanish Cava</a> is another great option to consider for all budgets. Cava is a sparkling wine that is produced in Spain using the traditional champagne method, and it offers great quality at a more affordable price point.&nbsp;

Whether you&#39;re looking for a high-end champagne to mark a special occasion or a more approachable option for casual gatherings, there are plenty of choices to consider. From prestigious names like <a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/MoA-t-and-Chandon-Dom-Perignon-Brut-2013-w87575582p">Dom Perignon</a> and Krug to more affordable options like <a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/Ruinart-Brut-Rose-w2136832vx">Ruinart Rose</a> and <a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/Gramona-Brut-Corpinnat-Imperial-2017-w91087350j">Spanish Cava</a>, there&#39;s a champagne out there for every taste and budget.&nbsp;

Cheers to the holiday season! #drinkwhatyoulove #bubbles

The holiday season is a time for celebration, and champagne is a popular beverage of choice for many. Whether you're looking for a high-end champagne to mark a special occasion or a more approachable option for casual gatherings, there are plenty of choices to consider.

Bubbles for the Holidays!!

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

Sazon

Samantha Hohl, certified sommelier, and Robert Tas review the wine list at Sazon, in Santa Fe New Mexico. 

Wine List Review of Sazon, Santa Fe

Sam Hohl

Sazon:

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 Samantha Hohl, certified sommelier.

&nbsp;

Hello Sam,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to be back together for another episode.

&nbsp;

MQ: Hi Robert!

&nbsp;

RT: Before we jump in, let&rsquo;s talk about CorkRules.

We created CorkRules, which is now available in the Apple App store to demystify wine lists because we know from experience that sometimes when we get that&nbsp; list handed to us, well&hellip; it can be intimidating, and even a little daunting.

&nbsp;

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.

&nbsp;

RT:&nbsp;So, sit back and listen as we review your favorite wine list.

&nbsp;

Cork Rules

Saz&oacute;n

&nbsp;

Overview

Saz&oacute;n is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico and features modern takes on classic Latin American dishes made by their James Beard Award winning chef. They also offer an award winning cocktail and wine program to accompany their carefully curated menu.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Where to start

This is definitely a special spot- along with their delicious Mexican-inspired cuisine they also feature an extensive range of spirits, with a focus on tequilas and mezcals. You can do tasting dinners here as well with featured wine and spirits which sounds like a blast. The wine list here is categorized into 5 sections and one is for Mexican wines, which is so exciting to be able to explore what Mexican wines have to offer!

&nbsp;

The 2019 Bruma &lsquo;Ocho Blanco de Carignan&rsquo; would be a really great start to the night. This is from Bruma winery located in the Valle de Guadalupe wine region, which is where a majority of Mexican wine is produced. This bottle is unique in that it&rsquo;s a Blanc de Noir, so they use a red grape to make a white wine, like the method usually used for Champagne. The red skins don&rsquo;t have contact with the wine so it&rsquo;s just the juice used to make the white wine. This bottle will have notes of lemon, peach and melon. It&rsquo;s going to be creamy on the palate with zippy acid, making it wonderful with shellfish and cream based dishes, so you could try it paired with the shrimp enchiladas.

&nbsp;

If you&rsquo;re looking for a red you could try the 2019 Solar Fort&uacute;n Petit Verdot. Solar Fart&uacute;n winery is also in Valle de Guadalupe where the vineyards are made up of Southern Rhone and Bordeaux grape varietals. 2019 was a great vintage for this Petit Verdot and it brings beautiful blueberry notes along with violet and hints of savory herbs. It&rsquo;s a natural pair with this menu since it&rsquo;s so good with rich meats or dishes with lots of spices and flavor.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Value

There&rsquo;s some wonderful range on this list, and the 2021 Casa Magoni, &lsquo;Manaz&rsquo; is an exciting choice at a great value. Camillo Magoni is the winemaker behind Casa Magoni and he is from Italy but has been making a name for Mexican wines in Baja California for over 50 years. This bottle is half Friano and half Viognier. You&rsquo;ll get really lovely floral qualities from the Viognier, along with notes of green apple and grapefruit. There&rsquo;s some subtle tropical fruit flavors as well.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Another value find would be the 2020 Casa Jipi Nebbiolo. Casa Jipi is located in the San Vicente Valley region of Baja California. This Nebbiolo is going to be full of blueberry and blackberry fruit along with hints of pepper and chocolate. It&rsquo;s aged in stainless steel so it&rsquo;s going to be a bit more fruit forward than a Nebbiolo aged in oak. This is a bigger wine that has nice tannins so it&rsquo;s definitely a food wine and it will hold up to something like the Black Pepper Crusted Tenderloin on the menu.

&nbsp;

Celebratory

There are some really nice options on here to make your night special. First, the &lsquo;Heredad Reserva&rsquo; from Segura Viudas would be a beautiful choice for some bubbles. They&rsquo;re located in the Pened&egrave;s wine region located about an hour from Barcelona. This Cava is made from 75% Macabeo and 25% Chardonnay. This bottle will have notes of pastry, honey and delicate citrus. It&rsquo;s going to be a really refreshing and uplifting choice to celebrate with!

&nbsp;

There&rsquo;s also a Reserve Selection where you can find some really stand-out higher end bottles. One that caught my eye was the &nbsp;2015 Dominio del &Aacute;guila, &lsquo;Pe&ntilde;a Aladas&rsquo; Gran Reserva. This would be a gorgeous red to celebrate with. It&rsquo;s from the Ribera del Duero region and is a blend made primarily with Tempranillo. It gets barrel aged for four years and has flavors of silky dark fruit along with tobacco and chalk. It&rsquo;s full bodied with a long finish to savor. This is just a beautiful vintage and under 2300 bottles made so it&rsquo;s a special one to find.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

RT: Sam Thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Sazon&rsquo;s wine list. I can&rsquo;t wait to go try them myself.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

To our audience, Thank you all for Joining us here on CorkRules.

&nbsp;

If you would like Sam 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 cue as quick as possible.

&nbsp;

Also please download the CorkRules app where we have all your favorite restaurants, and you can get personalized recommendations and connect with your friends.

&nbsp;

We are looking forward to being with you on another CorkRules episode soon. Please check out our the app or website for all our latest episodes of your favorite restaurant wine lists.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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

Emmolo is a family-owned winery located in the heart of Napa Valley. Their wines are known for their rich, bold flavors and their commitment to sustainable farming and winemaking practices.

Family-owned, strip-mall eatery specializing in traditional Thai fare in casual surrounds.

Frenchette

Le Bernardin

Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels

La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels

Charlie Bird

Becco

Buddha-Bar Restaurant New York

Buddha Bar

Franks Wine Bar

Frank's

Maison

Maison Premiere

Pastis

Aldo Sohm Wine Bar

Aldo Sohm

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

Similan Thai Cuisine

Available Wines
Total Wines - 5

Frisk

Prickly Riesling NV

Riesling

Victoria, Australia

E. Guigal

Condrieu NV

Viognier

Condrieu, Rhone, France

Spellbound

Petite Sirah NV

Shiraz/Syrah

California, USA

Le Domaine

Brut California Champagne NV

Blend

California, USA

Seghesio Family Vineyards Pagani Zinfandel NV

Alexander Valley, USA