<a href="https://www.benoitny.com/">Benoit</a>&nbsp;is a Parisian-style bistro in midtown Manhattan where they provide an exceptional dining experience and a 28-page wine list with a stellar selection of bottles from every region in France.

So let&rsquo;s start with a region that has a long and rich history in winemaking and has produced some of the most expensive wines in the world: Burgundy.

Burgundy is a wine region&nbsp;that is renowned for producing quality wine, and it is the best-growing region for pinot noir and chardonnay. So it&rsquo;s no surprise that most Burgundy whites are produced with chardonnay and the reds from pinot noir. Burgundy or La Bourgogne to the locals, &nbsp;is in east-central France. This temperate region has dry summers and autumns and soil rich in clay and Jurassic limestone. It is these conditions that help chardonnay and pinot noir varietals thrive.

&nbsp;

Burgundy also has a highest number of appellations d&#39;origine contr&ocirc;l&eacute;e (AOCs). The vineyards in Burgundy are classified into four levels, which are rated on the quality of the terroir and climate. These designations are clearly labeled on the bottle and reflected in the price point.

Grand Cru tops the list and is reserved for only the best vineyards in Burgundy. These labels are highly coveted by wine collectors as only around two percent receive this classification. In fact, there are only 34 Grand Cru vineyards in Burgundy.

One step down is Premier Cru which is awarded to around 12 percent, or 345, vineyards. Now you understand why Grand Cru wines are so expensive.

If you are looking for a wine from Burgundy&nbsp;that doesn&rsquo;t break the budget, a Village Wine offers value without compromising quality. These vineyards may be positioned next to Premier or Grand Cru vineyards but are one step away from the top classification. &nbsp;And finally, Regional wines receive the lowest classification and are often created from a combination of vineyards instead of a single village. Often these wines will be labeled as a wine of Bourgogne instead of Burgundy.

While pinot noir and chardonnay are the two main varietals in Burgundy wine production, aligot&eacute;, pinot gris, gamay, and sauvignon blanc are also used. Aligot&eacute; is a white grape used to make dry white wines. Gamay is a cousin of pinot noir and is more well-known as a varietal grown in Beaujolais, which is south of Burgundy. It&rsquo;s a light-bodied wine, similar to pinot noir. Sauvignon blanc originates from Bordeaux but it grows well pretty much everywhere. However, in Burgundy, there is only one appellation that allows Sauvignon in the wines: Saint Bris. &nbsp;

But let&rsquo;s head back to Benoit&rsquo;s wine list, and if a 28-page list is too much to navigate, head on over to the CorkRules&rsquo; <a href="https://uat.corkrules.com/benoit/episodes/18">podcast with certified Sommelier Grace Hood</a>&nbsp;shares her quick recommendations on delicious bottles from the list.

Salut!

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About the CorkRules Podcast:&nbsp;Each week we pour a glass and share top restaurant wine lists picks, providing you with the knowledge to confidently navigate the wine list through sommelier recommendations, suggested food pairings and expert insights

About CorkRules:&nbsp;CorkRules, the first digital wine app experience, makes it easier for you to navigate the restaurant wine list, and provides you with personalized wine recommendations from your favorite restaurants. Through CorkRules you can find the perfect wine for every occasion based on your preferences. Connect with friends and wine experts to discover new wines to try and learn about wine. CorkRules makes it easier to discover and drink what you love. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Benoit is a Parisian-style bistro in midtown Manhattan where they provide an exceptional dining experience and a 28-page wine list with a stellar selection of bottles from every region in France.

Wines from Burgundy at Benoit

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

Ancora

Grant Wood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas visit Ancora in San Francisco where they kick off the review with a few highly recommended cocktails before discovering a fabulous selection of wines,

Wine List Review of Ancora in San Francisco

Grant Wood

Ancora

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 Grant Wood, wine educator and certified sommelier. Hello Grant,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to have you!

SH: Hi Robert! Great to be back.

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&nbsp; 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. Today Grant and I are reviewing

Ancora SF

Ancora is a new seafood restaurant right in the middle of the Mission district brought to you by Chef Nick Anichini and Joe &amp; Andi Conte. They focus on the freshest bounty of the ocean with an Italian lens on cooking. They offer prefix and a la carte and have a wonderful wine list to match. Let&rsquo;s take a look at what they have to offer!

Let&rsquo;s get right into it! Being a seafood focused place, I&rsquo;m going to lean into bubbles and whites but want to take this opportunity to talk about great reds that will go with seafood as well.&nbsp;

For bubbles I love the 2016 Caraccioli Brut Cuvee coming from the SLH and is a wine that bursts with bright acid, mineral flinty goodness and classic toasty aromatics that follows. Their winemaker spent time at Roderer estate in Mendo and is making very exciting domestic sparklers.&nbsp;

If you want classic Champagne then I&rsquo;d go for the Mark Herart BdB Extra Brut which is a style that works great with seafood but a great rose is the Burt rose from R.H Coutier which is a favorite of mine for the price.&nbsp;

Next let&rsquo;s talk about white wines. Right away you have to have a good muscadet on your menu if you have good seafood and here I love the 2018 Ch De Chasselas from Muscadet Sevre et Maine in the Loire which is perfect with oysters. I also love Albarino with fresh seafood so the 2021 Do Ferreiro from Val do Salnes in Rias Baixas which this sub region is closest to the ocean and has a fresh saline character to the wines which is perfect with this menu.&nbsp;

Another great option is Chenin blanc to which I&rsquo;d go for the 2020 Dom Aux Moines which is a producer I&rsquo;ve recommended a few times on here and for good reason. A great Italian white to look to here is the 2018 Mariotti Campi, Salmarino from Castelli de Jesi Classico Riserva which is verdicchio at it&rsquo;s best and is a great selection on their list.&nbsp;

If you want some domestic chard then I&rsquo;d go for the 2019 Radio Coteau from the Sonoma coast. They&rsquo;re an awesome producer that makes great zin and syrah but their chard is killer as well and a great wine for this list. Another nice domestic wine is as always the 2021 Arnot-Roberts rose of Touriga Nacional just because it&rsquo;s so crushable and food friendly.&nbsp;

Moving on to reds I&rsquo;d go for the 2020 Jean Claude Lapalu, Cuvee des fous from Brouilly which is bright and fresh and is a red that is soft enough to match well with the black cod on their menu as well. A great Italian alternative would be the Frappato by Paola Cali, Mandragola in Sicilia which is also a wine that&rsquo;s light on its feet and is just so joyful and fun.&nbsp;

For a bigger red but that still has fines and bright aromatics is the 2020 Pax Sonoma Coast Syrah. Pax is one of the best Syrah winemakers in Sonoma and his wines are always so distinct and easy to enjoy.&nbsp;

Lastly, I would finish with a nice glass of Madeira and btg they have the Rare Wine Co NY Special Reserve Malmsey which is a great wine and is versatile with food as well. Rare wine co makes a few fun Madeiras named after different American cities as a nod to what was very popular with our founding fathers.&nbsp;

RT: Grant, thank you so much for helping us navigate the wine list at Ancora.&nbsp;

To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.&nbsp; If you would like Grant to review one of your favorite restaurants, please send us email to: <a href="mailto:Info@corkrules.Com">Info@</a><a href="mailto:Info@corkrules.Com">CorkRules</a><a href="mailto:Info@corkrules.Com">.Com</a> or visit our web website where we have a request form.

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 finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

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Thank you.

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End

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BRAT

Bocca di Lupe

Gap Weekend: A Film Shoot in Wine Country

Alba Restaurant

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Andrew Edmunds

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Matteos Ristorante Italiano

Matteo's

Sutter Home has been producing wine for over 70 years and is known for its approachable and flavorful wines. They are committed to sustainable farming practices and have implemented many environmentally friendly initiatives.

Seattle-based coffeehouse chain known for its signature roasts, light bites and WiFi availability.

Viva Garcia

Brera Osteria

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Chica

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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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