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

WSET Diploma Graduate and Michelin restaurant sommelier Tina Johansson and Robert Tas review the wine list 10 Greek Street located in Soho, London. 

Wine List Review of 10 Greek Street

Tina Johansson

10 Greek Street

Cork Rules Script

10 Greek Street

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Music Intro

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RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules!

I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Tina Johansson, WSET Diploma Graduate and Michelin restaurant sommelier.

&nbsp;

Hi Tina, 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, value wines, or splurge wines that will take your dining experience over the top.

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TJ: Thank you, Robert, great to be here.

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RT: So today we&rsquo;re back in London at 10 Greek Street, a neighborhood restaurant in Soho. Here, they serve smaller dishes based on seasonal produces and the wine list is short, but you can get most wines by the glass as well! That always makes a place extra welcoming to me.

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TJ: Yeah, that&rsquo;s always a plus! Also, I know they have a so called little black book, it&rsquo;s their hand written list with special bottles. I would ask for that one for sure, and so should all wine lovers.

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RT: So, what do you think about the food? I see some really tasty dishes in there.

&nbsp;

TJ: Well, I do to! It strikes me as a typical modern London restaurant with the local produces mixed in with classic ingredients from the rest of Europe. I&rsquo;m really intrigued by the buttermilk fried cod cheeks and the n&rsquo;duja on toast. And of course they serve chicken liver parfait with pickles, one of my favorite wine bar snack.

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RT: That all sounds amazing. And the wine list then, what&rsquo;s the focus here?

&nbsp;

TJ: The list is short, but like you said almost all listings are available by the glass which is a great idea. And if you&rsquo;re looking for something special, once again, their black book is a good place to dive into. But in general the list is very varied with wines from most European countries with a few New World bottles as well. Even though the list is short, there are many different styles of wine, so something for every wine drinker. My eyes goes directly to the 2021 Ministry of Clouds Grenache from McLaren Vale in Australia. Beautiful and elegant Grenache filled with red fruit aromas.

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RT: Oh how fun! Don&rsquo;t mind if I do. Sounds like a treat together with many of the smaller dishes here. And on the white wine side, anything unique a wine lover must try?

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TJ: Yeah, if you&rsquo;re in the mood to try something special I&rsquo;ll recommend the 2021 Johanneshof Reinisch Rotgipfler, it&rsquo;s from Austria and the grape variety, Rotgipfler that is, is hard to come by. It&rsquo;s almost exclusively grown in the Thermenregion just south of Vienna. It&rsquo;s quite aromatic and fruit driven and a wine you can drink as it is &ndash; no food needed.

&nbsp;

RT: Sounds like a fun bottle, not a grape variety you see on a wine list often. 10 Green Street really sounds like a creative place to visit. So, if we&rsquo;re finishing with something a bit more extravagant to celebrate a birthday or anniversary, what would be your bottle of choice?

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TJ: How about with an English sparkling wine while we&rsquo;re here? They have the 2012 prestige Cuvee from Nyetimber called 1086, and it&rsquo;s called the first prestige cuvee ever made in England. I&rsquo;d say that&rsquo;s perfect for celebrating! A bit richer than many other sparkling wines from here but still with the characteristic fresh and sharp acidity.

&nbsp;

RT: Definitely! British Fizz is really coming along and are very good these days. Well, thank you for being back with us Tina. To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.

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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.

&nbsp;

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 wherever you get your podcasts.

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And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

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END

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