&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been holding these wines for years,&rdquo; my dad tells me excitedly as we hurry toward the basement to grab some liquid goodies for our Christmas dinner. &ldquo;1995. French,&rdquo; he assures me. Sounds promising. Images of Burgundy Corton or Bordeaux Latour dance like sugar plums in my head. He reaches into the bar and pulls out a bottle. It&rsquo;s a 1995&hellip; Beaujolais. My heart sinks. I know it won&rsquo;t be good but I humor him hoping for a Christmas miracle. Instead, we got Christmas vinegar.

You may be asking yourself, &ldquo;Why? Don&rsquo;t all wines get better with age?&rdquo; The answer, alas, is no. Only one percent (yes I said it, only one percent!) of wines age. The rest are made to drink in the first 3-5 years. And as producers scramble more and more to cater to consumer tastes, because who has patience anymore these days, the number could become even less. Don&rsquo;t worry, you and my father are not the only ones who didn&rsquo;t know this. I didn&rsquo;t know it myself until I began studying for my sommelier exams, where it was one of the first things they taught us because so few people do. So how do you avoid your own wine disaster and vinegar puckered face in the scene I described above? Read the following tips.

&nbsp;

Red Wines that Age

The skins of grapes contain tannins. Tannins cause a dry, astringent quality that sucks all the moisture out of your mouth when you drink certain wines. They are also the reason red wine often pairs with fatty meats. The fat makes the tannins feel less harsh, and the tannins make the fat feel less greasy. Tannins also contain natural preservatives so wines with a very high level of tannin age longer.

Cabernet Sauvignon is a very small grape so the skin to fruit ratio is much higher than other varieties. Therefore, it&rsquo;s a great grape to age. Merlot, Syrah, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, and Pinot Noir are other grapes that can age if (and this is a big IF) the winemakers choose to make the wine in a style of higher tannin. They can do this by picking the grapes earlier and letting the juice sit on the skins for prolonged periods.

The regions that usually have wines that age are: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Barolo, Chianti Classico, Super Tuscans, California Cabs from Napa, Sonoma, or Santa Cruz Mountains, and Australian Shiraz.

High end producers in these regions make wines that are extremely tight and tannic upon release. You do not want to drink them right away. If you taste a bunch of new release Bordeaux your tongue quickly feels like sand paper. Take my word for it, it is not a pleasant experience. These producers make wines specifically to age. The fascination is that only old wines develop tertiary notes of mushroom, cigar smoke, leather and deep earth. I know these may not sound intriguing on the page but in the glass an old Bordeaux is so beautiful it can make you cry. After tasting a 1982 Chateau Mouton Rothschild, I literally did.

High end producers chase this experience of beauty in a bottle. To do this, they buy the best land, pick only the best grapes, and use the most expensive oak barrels. Oak also contains its own tannins that help wine age. All of these things are expensive, however, so a good rule of thumb if you&rsquo;re aging a wine is to first check the region, then the price. If the region is correct, but the price is $25, it&rsquo;s not going to age. Stick to wines that are $50 and up when it comes to purchasing to age. $100 is even better.

White Wines that Age

Much fewer white wines age. This is because the wines are pressed right away and have less skin contact with tannins. The most likely white grape to age is Chardonnay, and a lot of this has to do with the fact it&rsquo;s often aged in oak. White Burgundies and California Chards often age well, or wines from the Jura in France because they are made in an oxidative style. This means they are intentionally exposed to oxygen during fermentation, something that is usually a huge no-no. Oxygen gives wines a nutty flavor that can be interesting and, when made in this manner are able to withstand the oxygen encountered over years of aging. Roussanne and Marsanne from the Rhone in France are other possible aging contenders, or Greco de Tufo from Italy.

Usually, whites will not age as long as reds, however. On average, I wouldn&rsquo;t let a white age for more than 20 years. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule but it&rsquo;s a gamble. I once had a 1972 Greco de Tufo by Mastroberardino that blew my socks off, but it tasted more sherry-like and nutty so be prepared. A lot of people like to experiment with very old Chardonnays from the 1970&rsquo;s. This is always interesting because some wines are still kicking, but a lot are nearing the grave. Hold these wines at your own risk.

&nbsp;

Price Point

I&rsquo;m going to hit this one more time. Wines at the grocery store do not age. This is what happened in the story at the top with my father. Someone probably picked him up a decent Beaujolais for $25, and if they had drunk it that night it would&rsquo;ve been great. But it&rsquo;s made from the Gamay grape that has very little skin contact or oak and is fashioned to be drunk young. (They even make a category called Beaujolais Nouveau that is meant to drink immediately after harvest).

A $40 Bordeaux will not age, either. In this case, the producer made a choice to cater to the crowd that wants to drink now, and made a lighter fruitier style with less oak or skin contact. There is nothing wrong with drinking these wines, they just can&rsquo;t age.

Here is a list of producers I recommend for aging. This is not an all-inclusive list, just a few I recommend.

<ul>
	<li>Bordeaux: Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Calon Segur, Cos d&rsquo;Estournal, Chateau Palmer, Chateau Haut Brion, Phelan Segur, Leoville Las Cases, Lynch Bages</li>
	<li>Burgundy: Domaine de la Romanee Conti, l&rsquo;Enfant Jesus by Bouchard Pere &amp; Fils, Hospices de Beaune, Georges Latour</li>
	<li>Rhone: Jean-Louis Chave, E. Guigal, Jaboulet, Beaucastel</li>
	<li>Super Tuscans: Sassicaia, Tignanello, Brancaia, Ornellaia, Le Macchiole, Luce</li>
	<li>Cabs from California: Bond, Harlan Estate, Diamond Creek, Mount Eden, Ridge Montebello, Stag&rsquo;s Leap</li>
	<li>Cabernet from Lebanon: Chateau Musar (a personal favorite of mine)</li>
	<li>Australian Shiraz: Penfold&rsquo;s Grange, d&rsquo;Arenberg</li>
</ul>

Not all wines are meant to age. Deciding on when to enjoy a wine often comes down to the region, varietal and price point.

Aging Wine: The Little Known Truth

Certified sommelier and CorkRules’ resident Somm, Michaela Quinlan shares her expertise on the wine list of il Buco. il Buco’s wine cellar holds a selection of over 400 wines and includes an exciting range of lesser-known, artisan wines from Europe. This restaurant has been called "one of the best and most exciting in America" by Gourmet magazine and the wine list has won Wine Spectator’s "Award of Excellence" several times.

Artisan Wines at Il Buco

Orange wine is made from white grapes, but the skin stays in contact with the juice longer during the maceration period, which increases the tannins and turns the normally white wine a more golden hue. The longer the contact,  the darker the hue, which increases the tannins and a stronger intensity. Pinot gris and malvasia are two common grape varieties used to make orange wine, but if you dig a little deeper, explore a little further, you can find some delightful orange wines along the border between northeastern Italy and Slovenia where orange wines are madefrom indigenous grapes on the region, including sauvignon vert (friulano), ribolla gialla, and pinot grigio.

Pairing Orange Wines at Pasquale Jones

The Lobster Club in the Seagram Building, New York City is a Japanese Brasserie that is renowned for its unique interpretation of Japanese cooking and Sushi, and what’s even more exciting is that it has an extensive wine list.

Fine Wines at The Lobster Club

Unless you are born into a vineyard, grow up in wine country, a career in wine is not a go-to profession for most graduates. But for some people, their love of wine and career path are intertwined. This is how it was for Jane Lopes, sommelier, co-founder of Legend Imports, and author of Vignette: Stories of Life and Wine in 100 Bottles.

Stories of Wine & Life with Jane Lopes, Sommelier, Author and Co-Founder of Legend Imports

CorkRules has been presented with the BMMA ‘Best New Mobile App” Platinum award, the highest award achievement in category.

CorkRules Wins the 2023 BMMA Platinum Award for "Best New Mobile App"

Pairing wine with Asian food is a common dilemma. Just what should you order with the Spicy Yellowtail Yu Sheng or the Mongolian Lamb Chops? How do we make palatable choices that cross cultures and bring out the best in each location’s use of herbs and spices?

Pairing Wine with Asian Food at Buddakan

With the exception of sommeliers and vintners, for most of us who love wine, no matter how many bottles you drink in your lifetime, and no matter how delicious, you rarely think of the terroir, the grape, or the growing process as you drink it.

Chris Phelps on Wine and Life

Felice is an Italian restaurant located on Manhattan’s upper east side. Owner Jacopo Giustiniani opened this establishment in 2007 and it has been a popular spot where diners can experience authentic Tuscan cuisine while sampling Italian wine from the extensive Italian-focused wine list. Italy has 20 wine regions each with unique characteristics in climate and terroir, and this list is inspired by the spirit of the Italian countryside and the wines of Jacopo’s family’s vineyard.

Italian Wine Regions Explored at Felice

The San Francisco Giants have upped their wine game by offering a curated selection of wine for fans at games. In fact, serving wine at Giants’ games is so popular with fans that, in 2022 they hired their own Master Sommelier, Evan Goldstein. The goal is to enhance the gameday experience and we at CorkRules wholly agree.

San Francisco Giants' Master Sommelier, Evan Goldstein is Upping the Wine Game

Spruce

Grant Wood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas take a trip to San Fan where they review the wine list at Spruce. 

Wine List Review of Spruce, San Francisco

Grant Wood

Spruce

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 be back together for another episode.

GW: Hi 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.

Spruce SF

Opened in 2007 In Laurel Heights, Spruce is dedicated to California inspired cuisine and has been critically celebrated for their impeccable hospitality, wine program, and connection to the land and where they source their ingredients. They have an impressive sommelier team that curates a list with over 3,500 selections so buckle in for what is sure to be an exciting vinous adventure. With a team like this, you don&rsquo;t really need me to tell you what to drink since they are all so on top of it and I encourage you to have dialogue with them about what excites them in the moment.

As you all know by now, I love a great cocktail and here they have a nice split between the classics as well as their own modern creations. Right away I see one of my all-time favorite classics, A Vieux Carr&eacute; which is a New Orleans cocktail which is French means &lsquo;old square&rsquo; after the city&rsquo;s French Quarter. Their version includes Bisquit &amp; Dubouche Cognanc, rye, sweet vermouth, Beneditcine, and bitters. Beautiful! Otherwise, I love a good Corpse reviver #2 which features Gin, Lillet blanc, lemon, and absinthe. 

There is a lovely BTG program as well so if that is the preferred route then I would start with a glass of the Gosset Grande reserve which is always a solid choice from Champagne and priced well. For a white, I would go for the 2020 Gr&uuml;ner Veltliner by Hiedler in the Kamptal which is racy, fresh, peppery and will match well the sunchokes on the menu or even the crudo. For red I would go for the 2020 Hirsch Pinot Noir, Bohen-Dillon from the Sonoma Coast. I always love Hirsch and I&rsquo;ve been to this vineyard, which is quite the journey to get to, but the wines are always stunning and will match well with the California inspired menu.

Moving on to Champagne, and there is quite a list of it to consider in a short amount of time, this is my short list&hellip; First, for value and overall drinking pleasure, Agrapart is truly a favorite for me and their Les 7 Crus brut is no brainer for me for the price point. Stepping it up a bit more, I would go for the B&eacute;r&ecirc;che &amp; Fils A&yuml; Grand Cru brut which is a beautiful village that I&rsquo;ve been to and this is a stunning wine. Don&rsquo; t pass up the likes of Pierre Peters or even Jaques Selosse if you&rsquo;re not footing the bill. If you really want to ball out, then I absolutely love Krug so why not splurge with the 08 which was a banner year for Champagne.

Moving on to whites. If you want great California Chardonnay, then there is cool producers that I love like Arnot-Roberts but I think a great classic here would be the 2019 Ramey Chardonnay from the Hyde vineyard which would tick a lot of boxes for me and have a great balance of richness and freshness and match well with food.

Moving to the whites of Europe I always love Clemens Busch, their 2016 Marienburg Falkenlay from the Mosel is beautiful, and laser focused. All of his wines are stunning and a dear friend of mine just worked harvest there last year and was super impressed how focused they are, they are German though. Another banger is the 2021 Joh Jos. Pr&uuml;m Wehlener Sonnenuhr also from the Mosel that though young, is a beautiful wine. There is no shortage of benchmark Riesling from throughout Germany and Austria on their list as well so don&rsquo;t limit yourself by any means.

We can spend all day walking through this list so to make things a bit short and sweet, all the classic, benchmark French Loire and Burgundy are available here with names like Dagueneau, Raveneau, Coche-Dury (truly amazing by the way) Roulot, PYC, I mean, the gangs all here! Since the high end is well covered here, let me just mention a few fun value whites that will complement the food well while still delivering a great dining experience. One of my favorite Spanish whites is by Zarate, their 2021 Albari&ntilde;o from R&iacute;as Bixas which is a great wine for the price, is fresh, briny, round, complex and is such a delectable wine with food. Another fun, alternative French white to go with is the 2020 Dom Tempier blanc from Bandol which is another great value but from an amazing producer that I always love.

Let&rsquo;s go on to reds, shall we? For a solid domestic Pinot Noir, I likw the 2014 Vocal vienyards &lsquo;Lilo&rsquo; reserve from the Santa Cruz mtns. I find anything from SC to be such aromatically unique wines with great acid and age potential. I also love the 2018 Racines PN from the Sta. Rita Hills for its tension, high tone fruit, and overall balance. They&rsquo;re a relatively new name in the central coast but I love their Chardonnay and their PN&rsquo;s.

Moving into classic Napa Valley cabs, I go for the 2004 La Jota from Howell Mtn. I used to work for that family of brands which includes Cardinale and Lokoya and I&rsquo;ve always loved the age ability of the wines from Ja Jota and the 04 should be in a great window right now. But if I was dining with you, Robert, I&rsquo;d flex a little bit and order the 1992 Dalla Valle which as you know is my birthyear so if you&rsquo;re in town come July for my birthday, let&rsquo;s make a reservation at Spruce and hope it&rsquo;s still on the menu.

Looking to the classic wines of Europe, if you want one of the best examples of Cabernet Franc then try the 2015 Clos Rougeard from Saumur-Champigny. Clos Rougeard is a benchmark for Loire and their wines are truly special to me.

If you want Burgundy, I love the village of Chambolle-Musigny and the 2018 Dom Dujac is priced well and will be a please any Burgundy lover at the table. Another great alternative is 2018 Dom Des Comtes Lafon from Volnay and priced well for their list but there is plenty more and pricy options if you really want to ball out.

Moving on to bigger reds, I love the Rhone, as many Sommeliers do and if you want syrah with age then here, you can party like it&rsquo;s 1999 with the Dom Jamet&rsquo;s 99&rsquo; and experience Syrah with age, at its best. If you want to head a little further south than 2018 Dom Du Vieux Telegraphe &lsquo;La Crau is classic CDP which a lot of weight and structure to back the heartier dishes on the menu.

I know you love Barolo, Robert, so for you I would suggest the 2016 Elvio Cogno, Vigna Elena, Ravera Riserva which is young but a killer year for Piedmont. Another fun Italian wine to look out for on their list is the 2012 Giuseppe Quintarelli &lsquo;Primofiore from the Veneto. I always love their wines for their depth, personality, and their ability to match with all sorts of dishes.

There is so much more to this list and we could be here all day but I&rsquo;ll wrap it up with a little dessert by ordering the 1993 Royal Taokaji Aszu Essencia which is one of the sweetest styles of Tokaji and will serve to be a real treat.

Cheers!

RT: Grant Thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Spruce&rsquo;s wine list. I can&rsquo;t wait to go try them myself.&nbsp;

To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.

If you would like Grant 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 all our episodes of your favorite restaurant wine lists and of course please download the CorkRules app to help you navigate all your favorite restaurants.

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

&nbsp;

End

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Join us each week as we pour a glass and share top restaurant ‘wine list’ picks, providing you with the knowledge to confidently navigate the ‘wine list’ through somm recommendations, suggested food pairings and masterclass insights.

Sushi Oishii

Available Wines
Total Wines - 5

Clean Slate

Riesling NV

Mosel, Germany

Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio Trentino, Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige NV

Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

Clos du Bois

Cabernet Sauvignon NV

California, USA

Folie a Deux

Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast NV

California, USA

Sterling Vineyards

Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley NV

California, USA