Many grape varieties around the world of wine have names local to the region or country they&rsquo;re grown in, even though they&rsquo;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.

This white grape variety is called Pinot Gris in its home country, France. Gris means gray in French and it refers to the unusual color of the grape skins. The color can differ from grey, slightly purple or even orange or pink. For white grape varieties these colors are quite uncommon. Due to this it is sometimes used for blush wine, light ros&eacute; styled wine that is. The name is similar to the black grape Pinot Noir, and Pinot Gris is actually naturally mutated from this variety hundreds of years ago.

The same grape is also grown in Italy under the name Pinot Grigio. They grape may have originated in France, but it&rsquo;s here in Italy where the most acres are planted to the grape. Even though it&rsquo;s the same variety, the styles made are worlds apart. The French style, made in the wine region Alsace, can be full-bodied with intense aromas of peach and honey even though the wines are not sweet. The colored grape skin can also give these wines a deeper golden color. The Italian style finds its home in the Alps in the northern part of the country. The cool climate here provides fresh and light styles of wine, with aromas of green apple and lime often meant for early consumption.

Today the grape can be found in other countries like the USA and New Zealand where the chosen name of the grape stated on the label tends to link back to the style made either in France or Italy. Both styles can be great and it depends on the occasion which one that should be opened. The richer style made in Alsace is perfect to flavorful food where the elegant Pinot Grigio is best as is or to raw fish or seafood. Which is your favorite?

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

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

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

June

Grant Wood

June Wine Bar

June Wine Bar is a quaint and cozy wine bar with a fun and focused menu to match a great selection of libations, wines by the glass, and an impressive wine list. Join us as we talk about what we think is exciting to us.

I really enjoy wine bars like this that serve as a casual and relaxed way to get friends together and order all sorts of shareable plates to accompany a wide array of wines to evoke one&rsquo;s appetite which I think is the true spice of life.&nbsp; As you know, Robert, I love a good cocktail so let me start by recommending the &ldquo;Not tired, just pissed&rdquo; featuring Yola Mezcal, Contratto bitter, green Chartreuse and lime which is right up my ally but the &ldquo;Some velvet morning&rdquo; which features Smith &amp; Cross rum, lime, and velvet Falernum. These are sure ways to ease you into your evening.

By the glass, I&rsquo;d go for the 2019 Kabaj &ldquo;Hydra&rdquo; pet-nat which is a sparkling orange wine made from Malvasia in Slovenia which is fun way to get a little weird but the 2020 Domaine Rietsch &ldquo;Tout Blanc&rdquo; which is a blend of riesling and auxerrois from Alsace is another super fresh and food-friendly white.

For red btg I&rsquo;d go for the 2020 Domaine Les Grande Vignes which is a cabernet franc / grolleau from the Loire which is a fantastic and fun red to change things up.

Let&rsquo;s get into their bottle list though! For bubbles, I like the Jacques Lassaigne &ldquo;Les Vignes de Montgueux&rdquo; extra brut bdb from Champagne which is a great wine at a great price on their list but a fun sparkling red to try would be the Terrevive &ldquo;No Autoclave&rdquo; Lambrusco from 2020 which are always fun wines to expand pair with a variety of dishes.

Moving to whites, I like the 2017 Bernhard Ott Stein 1 from the Kamptal since gr&uuml;ner veltliner is so food versatile and just plain awesome!

Another fun favorite of mine is the 2018 Alheit &ldquo;Cartology&rdquo; which is a blend of Chenin and Semillon coming from old bush vines in the Western Cape. &ldquo;Cartology&rdquo; is a really round and textual white that ages really nicely as well.

On to reds, the 2020 Babass Dervieux &ldquo;Groll n&rsquo; Roll&rdquo; is a fun Grolleau from the Loire is a fun value that&rsquo;s a fun food wine but the 2018 Frank Cornelissen &ldquo;Munjebel Terre Siciliane CS&rdquo; is a badass Nerello Mascalese that is a great splurge wine. Also, the 2020 Envinate &ldquo;Migan&rdquo; from the Canary Islands made from the old Listan Negro is a really interesting lighter red from a really cool Island off of Spain.

&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

Château Duhart-Milon is a winery located in the Pauillac appellation of Bordeaux, known for producing high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon dominated blends. The estate has a long history dating back to the 18th century, and has been owned by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) since 1962. The current winemaker is Eric Kohler.

Buzzy outfit serving traditional Moroccan tagines, couscous & more in comfy yet charming quarters.

Craft

Craft L.A.

Barbrix

Wally's

The Belvedere

Spago Las Vegas by Wolfgang Puck

Spago

Jeune Et Jolie

Cucina Urbana

Rossoblu

Petit Trois

Cowboy Star

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

Cafe Mogador Williamsburg

La Cabotte

Colline Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2021

Blend

Cotes du Rhone, Rhone, France

La Chevalière

Chardonnay 2021

Chardonnay

Pays d'Oc, France

Buglioni

Musa Lugana 2020

Trebbiano

Lugana, Italy

La Ferme Rouge Le Rouge, Morocco, Rabat/Casablanca, Zar 2019

Red Blend

Morocco

Maeli

Dili, Veneto Italy 2020

Veneto, Italy

L'Umami

Pinot Noir 2021

Pinot Noir

Willamette Valley, USA

Hedges Family Estate

CMS Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

Cabernet Sauvignon

Columbia Valley, USA

Feudo Montoni

Vigna Lagnusa Nero d'Avola 2020

Nero d'Avola

Sicily, Italy

Whitehall Lane

Rassi Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Cabernet Sauvignon

Sonoma Valley, USA

& Vineyards

Whitehall Lane Winery, 'Rassi' Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Sonoma Valley, USA

Fenocchio Renato

Spetacol Langhe Nebbiolo 2020

Nebbiolo

Langhe, Italy

Domaine Laroche

Chablis ‘Saint Martin’ 2021

Chardonnay

Chablis, Burgundy, France

Château des Laurets

Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion 2016

Merlot

France

Melville

Estate Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2021

Pinot Noir

California, USA