It is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to the legendary winemaker, Miljenko &quot;Mike&quot; Grgich. His passing marks an end of an era in the world of wine; his legacy, however, will continue to inspire generations.

Born and raised in Croatia, Mike found his passion for wine at a young age. His journey led him across oceans where he became instrumental in putting Napa Valley on the global viticulture map. In 1976, at what came to be known as The Judgement of Paris - one of the most pivotal moments in modern wine history - Mike&#39;s Chateau Montelena Chardonnay outshone its French counterparts. This monumental victory not only brought international recognition for California wines but also shattered preconceived notions about New World Wines.

Grgich Hills Estate was born soon after this historic event and quickly gained fame for producing some of America&rsquo;s finest wines like <a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/Grgich-Hills-Cabernet-Sauvignon-Napa-Valley-2018-w3230104mo">Cabernet Sauvignon</a>, Zinfandel and Merlot alongside their signature <a href="https://www.grapesthewineco.com/wines/Grgich-Hills-Chardonnay-Napa-Valley-2020-w1289321q5">Chardonnay</a>. Each bottle crafted under Mike&#39;s meticulous supervision bore testimony to his commitment towards quality over quantity &ndash; a principle that won them numerous accolades including consistent 90+ scores from critics such as Wine Spectator and Robert Parker.

But even amidst all these achievements abroad, Mike never forgot his roots. He returned home to Croatia establishing Grgić Vina on the Pelje&scaron;ac Peninsula where he produced Posip (white) and Plavac Mali (red), bringing international attention back onto Croatian wines.

The impact left by Mike Grgich extends beyond just awards or high critic scores; it lies within every vineyard inspired by his sustainable farming practices; within every sommelier who appreciates the balance between tradition and innovation; within every sip savored by a connoisseur who recognizes quality when they taste it.

As we mourn this great loss today let us also celebrate what he stood for &ndash; a testament to the power of passion, hard work and an unwavering belief in one&#39;s craft. We raise our glasses to you, Mike Grgich - for teaching us that wine is not just about tasting notes or vintage years but about people, places and stories. Your life&rsquo;s work has forever changed the landscape of winemaking; your spirit will continue to inspire it.

Rest in peace, dear maestro. The world of wine is richer because of you.

It is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to the legendary winemaker, Miljenko "Mike" Grgich. His passing marks an end of an era in the world of wine; his legacy, however, will continue to inspire generations.

Legendary Winemaker Mike Grgich, Key Figure in the Judgement of Paris, Passes Away at 100, Leaving a Lasting Impact on the Global Wine Community

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

Le Crocodile

Sam Hohl

Le Crocodile

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where we review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Sam Hohl, wine educator and certified sommelier

Hello Sam, great to have you back for another great wine list.

SH: Hello Robert!

RT: Before we jump in, let&rsquo;s talk about CorkRules.

We created CorkRules to demystify wine list&rsquo;s because we know from experience, that sometimes wine lists can be intimidating, and even a little daunting.

Our aim is to help prepare you to navigate that list, find those hidden gems, 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.

RT:

Le Crocodile

Overview

Located in Williamsburg&rsquo;s Wythe Hotel, Le Crocodile is a neighborhood brasserie servicing classic French cuisine. Their wine list offers plenty of French selections that would complement their dinner menu, along with some bottles from Italy and Spain.

To Start

There are so many great places to start on this wine list, but one that would be lovely, especially with any of the seafood on the menu would be the 2017 Cuv&eacute;e Marie Gros Manseng. This crisp white wine comes from the Jurancon region in Southwest France. It has notes of green apple and citrus, along with some salinity and minerality. The acid would make it a great pairing with their oysters or scallops with ginger, parsley, and lemon.

Another fun option that caught my eye was the 2019 Celler Frisach Vernatxa Garnacha Blanca. As fun to say as it is to drink, this organic Spanish wine was fermented and macerated with the skins, making it an orange wine. The result is a full-bodied wine with notes of tropical fruit, fennel and citrus. It has high minerality and good acidity too, making it so fun to sip on.

Value Bottle

A great value bottle on the list would be the Magali Signature C&ocirc;tes de Provence Ros&eacute;. This crisp ros&eacute; brings all the romantic and refreshing notes classic to Provence ros&eacute;s, with notes of nectarine, strawberry and grapefruit. It&rsquo;s great with vegetables, pork or poultry, so pair this up with the leeks with vinaigrette and hazelnuts or the roasted chicken with herb jus and you&rsquo;ve a match.

Special Occasion

If you&rsquo;re looking for a celebratory bottle to make the night memorable, the 2017 Jean Grivot Clos de Vougeot&nbsp;Grand Cru would be an excellent choice. Clos de Vougeot is one of the largest and most famous grand cru vineyards in northern Burgundy. This pinot noir is rich, with fine tannins and high acidity. It has notes of red berries and herbs, with subtle vanilla and spice influences from some oak aging. Pinot noir is such a food-friendly red, and this bottle would be amazing with the duck leg. This bottle is bound to make the night special!

Sam, thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Le Crocodile&rsquo;s wine list. I can&rsquo;t wait to go try your great suggestions.&nbsp; &nbsp;

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: <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 for other episodes of your favorite restaurant wine lists.&nbsp;

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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

Dry Creek Vineyard is a family-owned winery located in the heart of California's Sonoma County. Founded in 1972 by David S. Stare, the winery has gained a reputation for producing exceptional wines that showcase the unique terroir of the region. With a commitment to sustainable farming practices, Dry Creek Vineyard is dedicated to preserving the land for generations to come.

This family-run eatery serves traditional Vietnamese fare in a casual, contemporary dining room.

Frenchette

Le Bernardin

Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels

La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels

Charlie Bird

Becco

Buddha-Bar Restaurant New York

Buddha Bar

Franks Wine Bar

Frank's

Maison

Maison Premiere

Pastis

Aldo Sohm Wine Bar

Aldo Sohm

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

Tin - Vietnamese Cuisine

Jean-Maurice Raffault Chinon Les Galuches, France, Loire Valley 2016

Cabernet Franc

Loire Valley, France

Santa Maria

Cambria Estate Winery Katherine's Vineyard Chardonnay 2014

Santa Maria Valley, USA

Domaine de Cristia

Collection Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2014

Blend

France

Kunde Family Estate Merlot, Sonoma Valley 2014

Sonoma Valley, USA

Arrowood

Reserve Speciale Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Cabernet Sauvignon

Sonoma Valley, USA

Azienda Agricola Pizzo Coca

Inferno Valtellina Superiore 2011

Nebbiolo

Valtellina Superiore, Italy

Alain Voge

Cotes du Rhone 'Les Peyrouses' 2014

Shiraz/Syrah

Cotes du Rhone, Rhone, France

Domaine de la Taille

NV, aux Loups Triple Zero, France, Loire Valley 2015

Chenin Blanc

Loire Valley, France

Château Beau-Sejour Becot

Saint-Emilion Grand Cru (Premier Grand Cru Classe) 2012

Merlot

France

Charles Ellner Champagne Grande Rserve Brut, France, Champagne NV

Champagne Blend

Champagne, France

Red Car Syrah Sonoma Coast, USA, California 2012

Syrah

California, USA

Domaine Pierre Gelin

Fixin 1er Cru 'Clos Napoleon' 2014

Pinot Noir

France

Cenyth

Red Blend 2014

Blend

California, USA

Steele Canyon Cellars

Pinot Noir 2015

Pinot Noir

California, USA