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

Cecconi's

Cecilia Bonet

Ceconni's Dumbo

CECCONI&rsquo;S DUMBO 

An Italian Eatery in Brooklyn with great views of NYC

Top Level View

Cecconi&rsquo;s Dumbo has a short, easy reading wine list, which will make it easier to choose a wine. They present a nice offer of aperitifs to start with, refreshing house tonics and some beers, but their excellence are the Italian wines and twenty-two references by the glass to choose from.

Unique Stuff

Before starting to eat, Italians have the custom of beginning with an aperitif. A high acidity, as well as a bitter base, are the characteristics that an aperitif must have to whet our appetite.

To do so, we can start with a Classic Negroni or a glass of the 2020 Piedmontese Gavi di Gavi, it is always crispy, citrusy, and very elegant. The Broglia winery has the oldest vineyards of the Gavi region, dating from 972 AD.

Going for a bottle, I would suggest the Far Niente Estate 2019 Chardonnay. This Chardonnay has earned its reputation as one of the great white wines worthy of aging. The Coombsville vineyards protected by the hills east of downtown Napa are home to this wine. They&rsquo;re cool with deeper soils of gravel and volcanic ash, giving the wine a bright acidity, tones of crisp citrus and green apple, well complemented with the spicy oak.

Wonderfully paired with their Kale Pesto Fusilli or the Salmon with broccolini.

Value Wines

I&rsquo;d love to recommend the 2016 Barolo by Cascina del Torcc, paired with their Filet mignon, potatoes and mushroom sauce.

Barolo is the king of Italian wines which grows in the heart of the Piemonte region, north of Italy. Here the grape is Nebbiolo develops wonderfully, giving a multilayered experience of sour and black cherries, cigar box, and violets, with a firm structure and tannins that will cleanse your palate after every bite.

2016 was actually a pretty good year for Barolo!

Bigger budget/Special Occasion

A great white wine for a special occasion would be the 2019 Chardonnay Les Noisetiers, from the emblematic Kistler winery. &nbsp;Kistler Vineyards remains one of the absolute benchmark producers of great Sonoma Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

This is a delicious wine full of complexity, with lemon, honeysuckle and stone fruits notes, that enjoys a full body structure with a mouthwatering mineral backbone. And let me say that this minerality, more likely find in Burgundy, is rare in new world Chardonnay.

A perfect pairing with the Agnolotti del Plin with sage brown butter and Parmigiano.

On the other hand, if your goal is a red one, our Bigger Budget wine is the Chateau Pontet-Canet, produced in Pauillac, left bank of the Girone river in Bordeaux, France. The 2005 vintage is definitely a Pauillac year.

With incredible silky tannins and perfect balance, this has everything you could ever want from a Bordeaux wine. Creamy blackberries, earth, graphite, and saddle leather notes all emerge from this wonderful wine. Tasting this wine is one of those unique experiences in life.

I would enjoy it with the Cavatelli Lamb Ragu with Fava Beans.

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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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