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?

When talking about sparkling wine, most tend to think about Champagne. Champagne is a wine region in northern France, exclusively making sparkling wine. The method used here is even called the champagne method, meaning the wines ferment a second time in the bottle with added yeast and sugar, creating bubbles captured in the bottle. When the fermentation is done, the bottle will be opened to remove the yeast sediment, creating a beautiful and clear wine. At the same time, dosage will be added. Dosage is a mix of the same wine as well as sugar. The more sugar used in the mix, the sweeter the final wine will be. This method evolved due to the cool climate in this region, creating wines with a very sharp acidity. By adding a bit of sugar, the acidity will be perceived as softer, making the final wine more balanced.

The most common labelling term for dosage is Brut. This is a dry Champagne that is allowed a few grams of sugar to achieve this balance. Dry wines could also be labelled as Brut Nature or Zero Dosage, indicating that no sugar at all has been added providing an even crisper style of bubbly. Extra Brut is the term in between, with just a tad of added sugar, even lower than Brut. This scale is used for most sparkling wines around the world when made with the same method as Champagne, for instance in wine regions for Cava in Spain and Franciacorta in Italy.&nbsp;

However, other scales of measuring the sugar level and the sweetness in the wine can be used. For the sparkling wine Prosecco, made in northeast Italy, the labelling terms are a bit more confusing. Brut is still used for a dry wine, but the term Extra Dry means the wine will have a bit of added sweetness and Dry tells you that the wine is actually semi dry, containing up to 32 grams of sugar per liter. That is four times more than a common Brut usually have today. Misunderstandings can therefore be quite common!

A wine with more sweetness will appear more flavorful and with riper fruit aromas, while a dry wine will be crispier with citrus aromas. Which style is the best is up to personal taste, so get to tasting!

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

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

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

Maria Valetta, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas head to Las Vegas where they stop in at Buddy V’s an Italian restaurant in the Venetian resort with views of the strip. 

Wine List Review of Buddy V's, Las Vegas

Maria Valetta

Buddy V's

Buddy V&rsquo;s Ristorante&hellip; Venetian resort in Las Vegas

<a href="https://www.venetianlasvegas.com/content/dam/venetian/restaurants/buddy-v/drink-menu.pdf">https://www.venetianlasvegas.com/content/dam/venetian/restaurants/buddy-v/drink-menu.pdf</a>

RT): Hi Everyone, welcome back to CorkRules! The wine APP &amp; podcast that&rsquo;s here to help YOU navigate all your FAVORITE restaurant wine lists.

I&rsquo;m your host, Robert Tas, along with Maria Valetta, wine educator, and certified sommelier, also known as Maria The Wine Blonde on Instagram. Welcome back Maria

MV: Hello Robert we have been on an Italian restaurant kick lately!

RT: We sure have&hellip;. and coming up today is Buddy V&rsquo;s Ristorante&hellip; so get ready for cannolis and raviolis and lots of wine ~ Because the Cake Boss has more than just cake on offer, at his restaurant in the Venetian resort in Las Vegas! You can expect his Family&rsquo;s recipes of Italian favorites with window views of the strip&hellip;

So Let&rsquo;s get to it, and pair some wines with all that Red Sauce from the &ldquo;BOSS&rdquo;!

MV: Robert now that&rsquo;s a good one! Okay so let&rsquo;s check out this wine list: it&rsquo;s mostly Italian American themed.. like the food here.. lots of reasonable options and more new world focused on offer by the glass.

RT: So take us through it!&nbsp;

MV: Okay to start&hellip; your best bets for By the glass are the

SAUVIGNON BLANC San Simeon, Paso Robles,

For a crisp bight wine or for a richer, carefully oaked style then order,

&nbsp;the Chalk Hill, Chardonnay from Sonoma County, 2019 .under premium pours.

&nbsp;And reds the CABERNET PINOT NOIR Four Graces, Willamette Valley, 2019 ....&nbsp; Or the Trinchero, Iron &amp; Sand, Paso Robles 2019 for a bigger bolder option.

RT: oh yeah I see definitely California focused &hellip;so now that we have a glass of wine in our hand.. let&rsquo;s roll into the wines by the bottle, you said lots of reasonable options right?

MV: I did.. so I have a few great suggestions starting with a fresh sparkling&hellip;

..I know a lot of girlfriends that like to start with prosecco at Italian restaurants and while I do personally prefer Franciacorta, prosecco has its place and can be a fun wine IF it&rsquo;s a good producer&hellip; and the Nino Franco Rustico, Prosecco Veneto, NV .................. 52 is a good one and a good value

But if you want to just roll into a really great white wine because you know you&#39;re having the Bronzino for your main entree, then check out the wines from the producer Jermann. &nbsp;now I know you have heard me mention the pinot grigio from Jermann before a couple of times but not everyone carries the other wines this fantastic producer makes, but Buddy Vs has two on this list that are&nbsp; must order wines.. the RIBOLLA GIALLA Jermann, Vinnae, Fruili, 2019 that falls into the value category and the jermann, Dreams, Chardonnay 2018............... 138 that falls into the premium category&hellip; I think you will fall in love with these wines, especially when paired with the right foods.

RT: And so speaking of food if we are all about that red sauce&hellip; what do you recommend in the red value category?

MV: You mean red gravy? Lol! Okay then you go Italian red like the Antinori, il Bruciato, 2019 baby SUPER TUSCAN <s>&nbsp;</s>Primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah with a small percentage of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot complex with layers of fruit and spice but it &rsquo;s&nbsp;the rounded integrated tannins that just makes you want to take sip after sip especially with that Valastro Sunday gravy dish which has a bunch of different meats layered over Rigatoni

MV: If you&#39;re all about California wines and have decided on the ANGUS NEW YORK STRIP steak then go for the Seghesio, ZINFANDEL Sonoma, 2017 ...................... 52 it&rsquo;s super affordable and everyone will love the fruit-forward profile its tannins are softer than a stuffed animal.

RT: Red Zin is actually really good with a little char on your steak too &hellip; And then, you mentioned earlier, the Dreams chardonnay in the more premium category what&rsquo;s on par for reds?

MV: Yeah&hellip; Check out these 2, for Italian,&nbsp; the Ceretto, 2016 BAROLO........................ 152 this family-owned wine estate in the Lange Hills of Piedmont is one of the most respected producers of Barolo (and Barbaresco) all the wines are organically certified and this 2016 vintage has just begun to show it&rsquo;s best side..

For my American pick, the Ziata, Mia Madre, BORDEAUX BLEND Napa, 2015

64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Malbec, and 9% Petit Verdot. Funny because it has an Italian name even though it&rsquo;s a California wine&hellip; it&rsquo;s a creation by Karen Cakebread.. now we all know the cakebread name in wine.. she named this wine after her mother&rsquo;s maiden name Annunziata and is Karen herself is really involved in all the details of making this one .. Give it a try, it would be a great wine to sip on in the lounge while listening to the live music they have on Tuesdays-Thursdays!

RT: Live music and wine.. now you&#39;re talking!

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

RT: Well thank you Maria for talking wine at Buddy V&rsquo;s in Las Vegas with us, and thank you everyone, for joining us on another episode of CorkRules. Be sure to download the app from the Appstore and start getting your personal restaurant wine recommendations directly to your phone. You can find more wine educational tips from Maria on Instagram @mariathewineblonde and on the CorkRules app.

MV: It&rsquo;s here! The CorkRules App! Download it for free today from the app store so you can browse restaurant wine lists, connect with your friends, and start drinking wines you love.&nbsp;

Have a favorite wine List? Let us review it here. Send us your requests at <a href="mailto:info@corkrules.com">info@CorkRules.com</a> You can find previous episodes on your favorite podcast platform and on The CorkRules app. Be sure to follow @CorkRules on Instagram for episode updates. Prices and selections subject to change, please drink responsibly.

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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

Valdo is a family-owned winery that has been producing high-quality wines since 1926. The winery is known for its dedication to excellence in winemaking, promotion of local grape varieties, and sustainable practices. Their vineyards are located in the heart of the Veneto region, where the unique climate and soil conditions produce grapes with exceptional flavor and aroma. Valdo's commitment to quality has earned them several awards and recognition in the wine industry.

Gourmet grub in a roomy venue with a posh dining room, a cocktail bar, a terrace & a cigar lounge.

Krasi

Sazon

La Boca

Coppa

Helm Oyster Bar & Bistro

Helm Oyster Bar and Bistro

Ledger Restaurant & Bar

Ledger

Row 34

The Ordinary

The Fig

Harvest

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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