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.

Alto means high, referring to altitude when talking about wine, in both Spanish and Italian. Recently higher altitude locations have been planted more and more. A few decades ago, these areas were not seen as suitable for growing quality grapes as the climate back then was too cool. Today, with many producers witnessing a rising temperature, and a lot of new techniques in the vineyard, these areas are finally becoming viable. The higher you plant the cooler the temperature will be, but you will also receive more sun which in turn helps ripen the grapes. The temperature will be quite warm during the day, but very cool at night. This leads to ripe fruit aromas developing during the day, followed by a cool nighttime keeping the fresh acidity in the grapes, the best of both worlds for the grapes.

In Italy this development has been very prominent in northern Piemonte in the last decade. There is now talk about an area called Alto Piemonte, comprised of a few different wine regions. They are all located higher up in the mountains, and like the most famous wines from Piemonte many are based on the Nebbiolo grape. The most well-known wine regions would be Ghemme, Gattinara, and Boca.

But Alto Piemonte is not the only area where the term is used. In quite a few cases, in both Italy, Spain, Argentina and Chile the term can be seen used as part of a producer name or even as the name of a specific wine, sometimes to convey the wine is from a high planted vineyard. It is not uncommon however for winemakers to use the term to show it&rsquo;s their highest quality wine, not a wine from high altitude.

More wine growers have shown interest in high altitude vineyards lately, and the record of the highest planted one is something a few are trying to beat. It&rsquo;s safe to say the positive effects the altitude has on the growing grapes mean these vineyards are here to stay, and terms as alto may be used in more languages soon.

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

Nopa

Grant Wood

Nopa

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 Grant Wood, wine educator and certified sommelier

Hello Grant, great to have you back for another great wine list.

GW: 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:

Nopa is a very popular gathering place north of the Panhandle and changes their menu weekly using whatever produce is in season from Northern California growers. They have a diverse wine and cocktail program that matches their ever-changing menu. Let&rsquo;s take a look and see what excites us on their list.

Let&rsquo;s look at their cocktails as you know I love a good libation to get my evening started.

Right away, I like the Pisco Punch which features Cappuro Quebranta Pisco, preserved meyer lemon cordial, pineapple gum, makrut lime and is a perfect way get things grooving.

I wouldn&rsquo;t pass on the Alebrije either which features Morro Espadin mezcal, Apricot Shrub, cacao, Espelette, and lemon that is sure to loosen the nerves and sure to get the party started.

If you&rsquo;re not in the mood for a cocktail, then their by-the-glass program is great and I would start with the 2020 sparkling Albari&ntilde;o by Carboniste from Andrus Island here in California which is a fun bubbly for a quick cheers and a good way to pair with something light.

Another fun wine by the glass would be the Chilled red Mission from Monte Rio Cellars coming from Lodi. Mission is of course the grape used by Spanish missionaries here in California that some producers are reviving and making cool, easy drinking wines from them. Fun Fact, the grape Mission is called Pais in Chile, Criolla Chica in Argentina but is called Listan Pietro in its native home of Spain that the Spanish brought to the new world.

Let&rsquo;s switch over to the bottle list. Starting with bubbles, the 2015 Caraccioli Cellars Brut Cuv&egrave;e from the Santa Lucia Highlands is a local favorite of mine whose winemaker was formerly of Roderer Estate.

If you wanna go big, I&rsquo;d go for the Ulysse Collin, Les Pierrieres bdb coming from the Aube.

For whites, The 2017 Matthiasson white wine from Napa Valley is a great wine based on sauvignon blanc and a great value wine made from well-farmed vineyards and is very food friendly.

Another great value is the 2020 Tablas Creek Grenache Blanc from Paso Robles is super fresh and easy going.

For something a bit rounder, I love the 2018 Newfound Chuy vineyard Chardonnay from Moon Mountain in Sonoma. Chuy is an exceptional farmer and planted this vineyard in the early 70s about 2k feet all head trained and dry farmed.

Moving to reds, the 2021 Scribe Nouveau of Pinot Noir from Carneros which is a carbonic wine that&rsquo;s fruity, fresh and easy going and a fun take of Beaujolais Nouveau at a good value.

Kicking things up a notch, I love the 2019 Littorai Cerise vineyard Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley. Ted Lemon makes stunning wines from Biodynamically farmed vineyards that are very sought after.

&nbsp;

Also, of course, I have to make a shout out to the 2017 Bedrock Vineyard Heritage from Sonoma Valley that comes from vines planted in 1888 by Senator Hearst which is based on Zinfandel along with 27 other varieties interplanted together.

Lastly, since I know you like the bigger reds Robert, I&rsquo;d go for the 2018 Ceritas, Peter-Martin Ray vineyard from the Santa Cruz Mountains. 

Overall, I love this list and the food they make is not to be missed. This is a San Francisco staple that you should definitely check out if you&rsquo;re in the Bay.

Cheers!

&nbsp;

Grant, thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Nopa&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.

&nbsp;

Thank you.

&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

Nino Franco is a family-owned winery that has been producing Prosecco for over a century. The winery is located in the heart of the Valdobbiadene region, which is known for producing some of the best Prosecco in the world. Nino Franco is committed to using traditional winemaking techniques to produce high-quality Prosecco that reflects the unique terroir of the region.

Meson

Brasserie Mon Chou Chou

BondST

Buenos Aires Restaurant

Buenos Aires

Meadowsweet

Casa Mono

Atera

La Cava

LAVO Italian Restaurant

Lavo

Quality Italian

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

Whispering Woods Grill

Ecco Domani

Pinot Grigio Collezione NV

Pinot Grigio

Delle Venezie, Italy

Marca

Prosecco NV

Prosecco, Italy

Chateau Ste. Michelle

Riesling NV

Riesling

Columbia Valley, USA

Korbel

Brut Rose NV

Chardonnay

California, USA

Avant

Kendall-Jackson, Chardonnay NV

California, USA

Oyster Bay

Chardonnay NV

Chardonnay

Marlborough, New Zealand

Ecco Domani

Pinot Grigio NV

Pinot Grigio

Delle Venezie, Italy

Antigal

UNO Malbec NV

Malbec

Mendoza, Argentina

Louis M. Martini

Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Cabernet Sauvignon

Sonoma County, USA

Trio

Cabernet Sauvignon (Cabernet Franc - Syrah) NV

Cabernet Sauvignon

Rapel Valley, Chile

Conundrum

White Blend NV

Blend

California, USA

Mark West

California Pinot Noir NV

Pinot Noir

California, USA

Böen

Pinot Noir NV

Pinot Noir

California, USA

Decoy

Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Cabernet Sauvignon

California, USA

The Federalist

Zinfandel NV

Zinfandel

Central Coast, California, USA