Unless you are born into a vineyard, grow up in wine country,&nbsp;a career in wine is not&nbsp;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 <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-lopes-b67743a8/">Jane Lopes</a>, sommelier, co-founder of Legend Imports, and author of&nbsp; <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Vignette-Stories-Life-Wine-Bottles/dp/1743795327">Vignette: Stories of Life and Wine in 100 Bottles. </a>

Jane graduated from the University of Chicago with a B.A. in English Language and Literature/Letters. Post-graduation, she worked in the hospitality industry, as so many students do before they find their path in life. It was as a server/bartender that Jane&rsquo;s formal education in the wine industry began. &nbsp;She worked at renowned restaurants including Eleven Madison Park in New York, The Violet Hour in Chicago, and The Catbird Seat in Nashville; her education at these establishments was intensive and hands-on, and by immersing herself in the world of wine, she fast-tracked her way towards accreditation as one of the world&rsquo;s few Master Sommeliers.

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In 2018, Jane was a candidate for the Master Sommelier, the most prestigious of accreditations in wine. To give you an idea of how difficult it is to achieve this standard, there are only 262 Master Sommeliers in the world, and candidates must pass four exams offered through the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMSA).

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Although Jane passed the exam, one of only 34 women to pass it; unfortunately, for all candidates sitting the 2018 exam, their results were nullified due to a previous candidate sharing information about the wines selected for the tasting exam. It seems rather unfair; however, it didn&rsquo;t stop Jane from pursuing her career in wine and proving her vast knowledge on the subject by publishing her book.

Vignette is a book for people who love wine without the pretension that often surrounds the wine industry. It is thoughtfully arranged and offers clarity on varietals, tasting notes, and a list of 100 bottles that represent wine regions from around the globe, and most importantly for the majority of wine lovers, Jane has added an appendix of affordable wines for the wine lover who wants a delicious bottle that meets the budget.

Jane&rsquo;s book is both informative and highly entertaining read as it documents her life&rsquo;s journey in wine, beginning with the earliest introduction to wine: a cheap, Californian chardonnay her parent&rsquo;s drank.

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Jane has recently completed a second book, How to Drink Australian, which will be published in September 2023. This book is inspired by the company she runs with her husband, <a href="https://legendaustralia.com/jane-jon/">Legend Australian Wine Imports</a>, a socially-focused wine importer. Jane and her husband founded this company with the goal of bringing the best of Australian wines to the U.S.

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Listen to Jane&rsquo;s story on <a href="https://corkrules.com/vignette:-stories-of-life-and-wine-in-100-bottles/episodes/384">Episode 268 of CorkRules</a> where she offers suggestions on wine and shares a little of her life&rsquo;s journey in the industry.

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

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

Tina Johansson, WSET Diploma Graduate and Michelin restaurant sommelier, joins Robert Tas to talk about the wine list at Audrey, a traditional south-eastern inspired restaurant with a menu that serves local and seasonal products to showcase the best of the South.

Wine List Review of Audrey in Nashville, Tennessee

Tina Johansson

Audrey

Audrey

RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules!

I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Tina Johansson, WSET Diploma Graduate and Michelin restaurant sommelier.

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.

TJ: Thank you, Robert. Today we&rsquo;re talking about Audrey, a restaurant in Nashville. It&rsquo;s run by Sean Brock, a chef many will recognize from his interesting episode in Netflix Chef&rsquo;s Table. Audrey is his flagship restaurant and as all of his cooking it&rsquo;s devoted to the flavors and produces of the Southern cuisine. The name Audrey actually comes from his grandmother who has inspired Brock&#39;s cooking.

RT: Yes, and as focus is on local and seasonal products the menu here is ever-changing to showcase the best of the South. The menu consists of classics like cornbread, heirloom apples and grits, all cooked and presented with a modern take. How would you like grilled deer skewer with hickory oil, or ember-baked Candy Roaster squash? I&rsquo;m very intrigued!

TJ: So am I! Both by the food menu, and by the wine list. The list shows real width. It has all the classics like Burgundy, Rioja and Napa Valley, but also unknown origins like Greece or Slovakia showing all that is the world of wine today. The sparkling wine section is also quite big here. It&rsquo;s the type of list where there is something fun for everyone.

RT: Sounds like a real interesting list. So, what would be your pick with a classic Southern dish like Jimmy red grits, here served with cured egg yolk and bay laurel? It&rsquo;s quite unique flavors from the almost extinct Jimmy red corn, a variety Sean Brock helped bring back from near extinction.

TJ: I would do as the Italians do in the northern part of the country with their polenta and pair with a lighter style of red wine, but something more fruit-driven to match with the red corn used here. So let&rsquo;s travel to the south of Italy and to Sicily with an extremely juicy red from Vino di Anna, the 2017 Jeudi 15. Fresh enough to cut through the creaminess of the grits but with enough red berry flavor to also handle the natural sweetness of the red corn.

RT: Yes, what a fun wine! And since I know you said that the list is very broad, is there something extra fun to drink in Audrey? Something you might not come across on many other wine lists?

TJ: Yes, so many bottles! Like I said they hold wines from fun origins like Slovakia and Greece, but the one wine that catches my eye is the 2021 Testalonga El&nbsp; Bandito. It&rsquo;s a Chenin Blanc from South Africa with skin contact. All the color, flavor and also tannins that gives astringency comes from the skin of the grapes. When you make red wine, you always keep the skins in the juice during fermentation to capture all of this in the wine, but for white wine usually you don&rsquo;t. But, in a skin contact white the skins are left in just like with red wine. That means the color turns more to orange than white and the wine is more structured and flavorful. For me it&rsquo;s a great style of wine to pair with food!

RT: Sounds like a fun style of wine, I know skin contact wines are getting more popular so it&rsquo;s definitely something to try for those who haven&rsquo;t yet. And finally, if you were celebrating a birthday in Audrey, what would be your special bottle for the night? Maybe something sparkling since you said they had quite a big section, both with Champagne and other sparkling?

TJ: Yes, I would definitely choose one of their fun sparkling wines! And even though they keep wines from almost every wine making country here, I&rsquo;m a sucker for Champagne so I would celebrate with the 2018 Marie-Courtin Blanc de Noirs, made from pinot noir only in a richer style, very suited for the food here.

RT: That sounds great, I can&rsquo;t wait to dine, and of course drink, in Audrey. Thank you so much for another episode, Tina.To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.

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.

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.

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

END

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Sandhi is a small, independent winery located in the Central Coast region of California, founded in 2010 by Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman. The winery is known for its minimal intervention winemaking philosophy, which emphasizes the terroir and allows the grapes to express themselves. Sandhi produces a range of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines that are known for their elegance and finesse.

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Alexis Percival is a New York City based CMS certified sommelier, consultant and event planner who puts the art in party.

Certified sommelier Alexis Percival

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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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