Eric Asimov&#39;s recent article isn&#39;t just about the &quot;luxury&quot; of sommeliers vanishing from restaurants. It&#39;s a stark warning about the potential collapse of a vibrant corner of our social and cultural ecosystem: the world of wine.

Sommeliers are more than just walking wine encyclopedias. They are curators of experience, crafting journeys of discovery through food and beverage pairings, guiding us towards new flavors and enriching our understanding of the world. Their absence creates a domino effect, leaving restaurants bereft of expertise, consumers lost in a sea of choices, and the entire wine industry facing a potential downturn in sales and engagement.

Losing the sommelier isn&#39;t just about missing out on fancy wine recommendations. It&#39;s about:

<ul>
	<li>Diminishing the dining experience:&nbsp;Food and wine are meant to be enjoyed in conversation,&nbsp;not consumed in isolation.&nbsp;Sommeliers facilitate this dialogue,&nbsp;making connections between dishes and bottles,&nbsp;and creating memorable shared moments.</li>
	<li>Accessibility and education:&nbsp;Navigating the vast world of wine can be daunting.&nbsp;Sommeliers provide a bridge,&nbsp;helping customers discover wines they&#39;ll love,&nbsp;regardless of their prior knowledge.&nbsp;Without them,&nbsp;many might stick to their comfort zones,&nbsp;hindering wine exploration and growth.</li>
	<li>Hitting the industry where it hurts:&nbsp;Sommeliers are champions of wine.&nbsp;They promote specific bottles,&nbsp;regions,&nbsp;and producers,&nbsp;driving sales and fostering a healthy market.&nbsp;Their disappearance could lead to less diversity in wine consumption,&nbsp;impacting producers and retailers alike.</li>
</ul>

Asimov suggests &quot;hybrid roles&quot; as a solution, but what we truly need is a recommitment to wine education across the industry. Not everyone will become a Master Sommelier, but a broader base of knowledgeable staff could bridge the gap. We need more Bobby Stuckey and Carlin Karr who runs master wine and hospitality classes at Frasca Hospitality in Denver that demonstrate the incredible impact accessible training can have.

Here&#39;s how we can save the sommelier (and ourselves):

<ul>
	<li>Stop seeing them as a luxury:&nbsp;Invest in wine education for servers,&nbsp;bartenders,&nbsp;and even chefs.&nbsp;Basic skills like decanting and understanding varietals can make a world of difference.</li>
	<li>Embrace technology as a tool, not a replacement:&nbsp;Platforms like CorkRules allow customers to share preferences with restaurants,&nbsp;fostering personalized recommendations.&nbsp;But tech should empower,&nbsp;not replace,&nbsp;the human touch.</li>
	<li>Reimagine the wine list:&nbsp;Use data analytics to curate lists that are both approachable and exciting,&nbsp;and leverage tech to provide in-depth information at diners&#39; fingertips.</li>
	<li>Make education accessible:&nbsp;Partner with other restaurants,&nbsp;wine societies,&nbsp;and educational institutions to offer affordable training programs for all levels.</li>
	<li>Remember, it&#39;s about more than the wine:&nbsp;Sommeliers are the human connections that elevate the dining experience.&nbsp;We need to nurture their role as storytellers,&nbsp;educators,&nbsp;and guides to a world of flavor and community.</li>
</ul>

The wine industry has a choice: cling to an outdated vision of exclusivity or embrace the democratization of knowledge. By investing in education, innovation, and collaboration, we can ensure that the world of wine remains a vibrant, accessible, and enriching part of our lives. Let&#39;s raise a glass not just to the sommeliers, but to the future of a richer, more connected dining experience for all.

The consequences of inaction are too great to ignore. Let&#39;s raise a glass to saving the sommelier, and in doing so, saving the very soul of the wine experience.

Eric Asimov's recent article isn't just about the "luxury" of sommeliers vanishing from restaurants. It's a stark warning about the potential collapse of a vibrant corner of our social and cultural ecosystem: the world of wine.

Why the Decline of Sommeliers Is a Crisis for All of Us

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

Julian Serrano Tapas

Maria Valetta, certified sommelier, also known as Maria The Wine Blonde, and Robert Tas try a little tapas and wine in Las Vegas

Wine List Review of Julian Serrano, Los Angeles

Maria Valetta

Julian Serrano

Julian Serrano Aria Casino and Resort

Robert Tas (RT): Hello and welcome back to CorkRules! The wine podcast that&rsquo;s here to help YOU navigate all your favorite restaurant wine lists so you can learn to order wine with confidence.

I&rsquo;m Robert Tas, along with Maria Valetta, certified sommelier, also known as Maria The Wine Blonde. Welcome back Maria

MV: Hola Robert! Finally, we get to review a Spanish Restaurant wine list&hellip; I have been looking forward to this! I&rsquo;m so excited!

RT: I&rsquo;m too&nbsp; but first let&rsquo;s talk a little CorkRules

RT: Today we are reviewing the wine list from Julian Serrano Tapas in the Aria Casino and resort in Las Vegas. Chef Serrano&rsquo;s eponymous restaurant is large, open, and colorful. Expect lots of reds and oranges not only in the d&eacute;cor but on your plates as well. The menu, features traditional Spanish Tapas plates in small presentation form, but the flavors are big and bold with a modern twist. Sangrias and Spanish Wines dominate the beverage selections, in fact, all of the featured sangrias spend 3 days marinating and integrating all their ingredients. It&rsquo;s this attention to detail that also makes it a top destination on the Vegas strip for Paella done right. Maria, let&rsquo;s check out this wine list and pick out some fantastic wines to pair with the paella, I am sure you have had that there, right?

MV: I sure have! And yes they do Paella perfectly, you always get those crispy bits of rice called soccarrat which is the most important and key flavor when it comes to properly cooked paella. The Mixta is my favorite because you get a little bit of everything, Chicken, seafood, vegetables, Chorizo.

RT: Sounds so unbelievably tasty - Well now what do you think of this wine list?

MV: I think it is done well Robert, they have over 20 wines by the glass plus the sangria (remember the base of sangria IS WINE), the bottle selection rightly focuses on Spain which makes me happy and they have some incredibly older hard to find vintages of Spanish Reds, but you also have wines from around the world.

RT: Sounds well thought out, So which wines buy the glass should we start with?

MV: For white, Vino por Copa try the Bierzo, Godello, El Zarzal, Emilio Moro

$18 The grape here is Godello it&rsquo;s a very high-quality variety and is thankfully being grown by more and more producers in&nbsp; Northwestern Spain as it was on the verge of distinction in the 1970s. I love this grape, I love the rounded mouthfeel, the tropical flavors, and the mineral intensity. A great cheese wine and perfect with veggie dishes.&nbsp;

And for my Redheads LOL! The Tempranillo, Torres, Celeste Crianza, Ribera del Duero, Tempranillo is Spain&#39;s most widely planted grape variety, this is A younger wine, we know this because it is labeled Crianza meaning the wine spends just 2 years aging, this one spent a year in oak and another year aging in bottle. Fruit is still fresh but concentrated, Carne and paella are your best bets with this wine.

RT: Great suggestions, Anything that our listeners must try?

MV: YES! Sherry! They have some sherry by the glass I love this! It makes my tastebuds happy. I fell in love with Sherry when we visited Sevilla, they drink it everywhere there because Jerez where sherry is produced is right nearby. Try the Amontillado Seco, E. Lustau, Los Arcos, Jerez de la Frontera $12

Sherry is a fortified wine so it&rsquo;s stronger &ndash; so be careful! the multi-step aging process is unlike any other wine. Now the first sip you might not love, but give it a chance, pair with something salty like Marcona almonds, Manchego cheese or Iberico ham and watch how it changes. You&rsquo;ll get a lot of nutty flavors,&nbsp; almonds, hazelnuts, with dried herbs and a hint of fresh salty air in your glass. They should serve it slightly chilled and I personally like this with tapas at the beginning of the meal.

RT: I hope everyone takes your advice and gives it a try. Now can you find us some great Spanish wines that hit the value mark?

MV: Let&rsquo;s see, I do wish they had more depth in the Spanish white section, but the R&iacute;as Baixas, Albari&ntilde;o, Leirana, Forjas del Salnes &nbsp;2020 is good bet for under $80 Albarinos are a natural with Spanish style seafood.

RT: Grilled Octopus and Albarino sounds good to me! Now I&rsquo;m sure there are more to choose from for reasonable&nbsp; reds 
 
MV: there are,&ndash;&nbsp; the Ribera del Duero, Psi, Peter Sisseck&nbsp;2019&nbsp;$108 Sure they also have peter&rsquo;s coveted Pingus and Flor de Pingus wines the former which would be in the splurge category and the latter a fair price, but, the PSI is the most reasonable while still providing an amazing Spanish wine experience. But I would also say if you want to step it up the Flor de Pingus 2019 would be worth it.

Also a good bang for your buck

Malbec, Vi&ntilde;a Cobos, &#39;Bramare&#39;, Lujan de Cuyo, (Luhan de Cuzgho) Mendoza&nbsp;2019&nbsp;[BIN - 33205 - CAB39]

So I skipped over and down to Argentina because Malbecs are also fantastic with Spanish tapas. Vina Cobos is owned by the famous winemaker Paul Hobbs, deep&nbsp; Purple in color, fresh black and red berries, a peppery spice a lot of wine for under $100

&nbsp;

RT: Fantastic selections! Now how about a celebration wine for our big pan of paella?

MV: So as mentioned above the Pingus would be a good fit, but they also they have Unico&rsquo;s 2nd wine the Ribera del Duero, Valbuena #5, Bodegas Vega-Sicilia&nbsp;2013&nbsp;which at just under $500 is less than half the price of the Iconic and collectible Unico by the over 155-year-old winery. (which they do also have a few vintages of.) Aged 5 years before release hence the meaning of the 5 in its name, (half that of the Unico) the Valbuena has now also had its time in the cellar at the restaurant and is ready to drink.&nbsp; I would suggest you ask that they decant this one first to help it open to its full potential.

RT: I like that you mentioned that as sometimes restaurants forget to ask you if you want something decanted and there&rsquo;s nothing wrong with asking!

MV: NOT at all!

RT: Well, gracias Maria for sharing all of your wine highlights from Julian Serrano&rsquo;s wine list

Be sure to follow Maria on Instagram @Mariathewineblonde. Thank you everyone for joining us here on CorkRules. Remember the only rule in wine is &ldquo;drink what you LOVE&rdquo;.

MV: 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

CorkRules.com be sure to subscribe and like. And check out @CorkRules on Instagram for episode updates and upcoming giveaways. Must be 21 and older, please drink responsibly.

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