Chablis &ndash; 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&rsquo;s a renowned wine, few knows what it really is. 

According to popular belief, Chablis is the name of a French grape variety. However, it is not. Chablis is actually a wine region part of Burgundy, in northern France. The climate here is very cool and lately very challenging with spring frost killing the vine buds, or hail crushing the grapes before mature in summer time. The grape grown is always Chardonnay giving sleek wines with a high acidity and aromas of green apple, lemon and chalk. Compared to a lot of other Chardonnay wines, Chablis does not have aromas from oak ageing. Some wines are aged in French oak, but if so, the barrels used will be too old to inflict any flavor. Instead, the body of the wine will get a little bit rounder. Comparing to some Chardonnay with an oily texture and flavor of butter and vanilla, this is far off. Due to this, many who claims not to like Chardonnay will drink Chablis on a regular basis.

Chablis has four quality levels depending on where in the region the grapes are grown; Petit Chablis, Chablis, Premier Cru and Grand Cru. Looking to volume, Chablis will be the dominant one. The vineyards are split into the different classifications depending on soil type, exposure to sun and other environmental factors. The Grand Cru vineyards will receive the most sun giving them a bit more ripe fruit aromas and higher concentration. Petit Chablis is not grown on the chalky soil typical to the region, making the style lighter and with less mineral notes.

The setbacks the region has faced in the last couple of years due to the northern climate have been dire. The late spring frost, summer hail and early autumn rain have all had a part in ruining the crop, giving the producers less grapes than what would be possible almost every year in the last eight years. This means that prices are on the rise, so if you like Chablis, now would be the time to invest!

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

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

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

Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas join forces to navigate the wine list at Jory at the Allison in Oregon.

Wine List Review of Jory at the Allison

Grace Hood

Jory at the Allison

Jory at the Allison

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where,&nbsp;in each episode,&nbsp;we will review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier. Hello Grace,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to have you!

GH: Hey Hey Robert

RT: Before we jump in, let&rsquo;s talk about CorkRules. We created CorkRules to demystify wine lists because we know from experience, that sometimes when we get that list handed to us, well&hellip; it can be intimidating, and even a little daunting.

Our aim is to help prepare you to navigate that list, find those hidden gems, or 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. Today Grace and I are chatting about the award-winning wine list at Jory at the Allison in the Willamette Valley. Can&rsquo;t wait to hear your thoughts.

GH: Thanks Robert! I&rsquo;m excited as well. This is actually the only restaurant I didn&rsquo;t get to eat at during my time in the Willamette Valley, so I am very excited to dive into their amazing wine list.

RT: Shall we start with bubbles?

GH: We absolutely should. I&rsquo;m already seeing some lovely local Willamette Valley sparkling options coming two of my favorite wineries. I would go with either the 2018 Trisateum Blanc de Blanc, or 2017 Soter Mineral Springs rose.

&nbsp;

RT: I love it. You know we love supporting boutique brands here at CorkRules. What direction are you thinking for white wine?

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GH: For lighter style whites, the willamette valley is well known for their dry reislings. From the Jory list, I would pick the 2019 Grand Oak Vineyard from Raindance Winery. Another white grape the region is known for is pinot gris, and from this list, I would go with the 2018 Illahe Pinot Gris.

RT: Two great options. Both sound super refreshing and aromatic. Now I know you once described the Willamette valley as the Burgundy of America. What would your Oregon chardonnay picks be?

GH: Reading my mind Robert! Yes, they do love a lighter style Chardonnay up round these parts haha this list even has them broken down into the avas of the Willamette which I love. A few favorites that stick out are the 2016 Bethel Heights Justice Vineyard and the 2019 Walter Scott Seven Springs Vineyard. 

RT: Amazing. Love those two options. Since the Willamette is so well known for their pinot noir, I assume they must make some killer rose up there as well. &nbsp;

GH: They sure do! I could live off the Oregon Rose. It&rsquo;s so delicate and refreshing. From the Jory list, I would go with the 2019 Big Table Farm Laughing Rose or the 2019 Audeant Rose of Pinot Noir.

RT: Delicious. Now, speaking of pinot noir, I&rsquo;m excited to hear your picks from the Jory list, as I know this is your specialty.

GH: &nbsp;Haha thanks for the kind words! Yes, we all know I have a serious love affair with Oregon pinot. They have a truly amazing selection here at the Allison. But if I had to pick just a few, I would go with the 2015 Domaine Serene Mark Bradford, the 2002 Eyerie South Block or the 2016 Penner Ash Zen Crown Vineyard. 

RT: Love a pinot with some age on it. You have mentioned that syrah thrives in the pacific northwest, correct?

GH: That is very correct Robert. There are amazing cool climate syrahs that come out of Oregon and Washington. And the Jory list def has that covered. I would choose either the 2013 Delile Cellars Doyenne, or the 2015 Gargantua from Bergstrom 

RT: Sign me up for either. How are they looking for something medium-bodied? Maybe a merlot or tempranillo?

GH: Love where your heads at Robert. For a Pacific Northwest tempranillo, I would do the 2012 Impulsivo from Cayuse, and for a merlot it&#39;s gonna have to be the 2015 Epinette from Force Majeur.

RT: Oh, wow two killer vineyards from that region. Love to see it. And now we can&rsquo;t forget our cabernet sauvignon drinkers. What does the Jory have for them?

GH: Oh man they&rsquo;re in for a treat. My two choices from this region would be the 2015 Heather Hill from Abeja or the 2016 Dubrol Vineyard from Owen Roe.

RT: Awesome choices. Grace - thank you so much for helping us navigate the Italian wine list at Jory at the Allison. &nbsp;To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.&nbsp; 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. Follow us on social media @CorkRules and @wineswithgrace

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

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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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