Grapes are one of the most finicky fruit to grow. They need just the right soil, amount of water and sunlight, and ideal temperatures; if any of these factors are off the grapes become flabby or tart, and the magic attained when opening a perfect bottle is lost. This is why climate change is fast becoming such a monumental issue within the world of wine.

The Beginning of the End?

But don&rsquo;t worry, it isn&rsquo;t all fire and brimstone. Cooler regions are actually thriving. In the past, wine production could occur only within the latitudes of 30 and 50 degrees. Southern England lies around 52 degrees, north of that traditional latitude window and once thought too cold for grapes to fully ripen. As temperatures rise, however, English wine production has been increasing with the introduction of first class sparklers from producers like Nyetimber and Chapel Down. And why not? There is an abundance of white, chalky soil in certain parts of southern England, the same soil so coveted in Champagne. The English use the same three grape varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Muenier) as their French counterparts to the south, as well as the same traditional method for wine production. English sparklers tend to have a little more orchard fruit and rustic qualities, but the top producers can spar with the best of them.

Champagne, on the other hand, once considered very cold and continental, only declared vintages in the best years when their grapes received ample sunshine to fully ripen. Global warming has brought an abundance of vintage worthy years, but there is now danger that the pendulum will swing too far in the other direction. If it continues to warm in this region, there is danger that the grapes will become flabby, losing the crisp, brioche-like minerality that Champagne is so known for. The solution is still up in the air, but a lot of producers have started setting up shop in new regions; the classic Taittinger in England and Roederer in Anderson Valley, California. Other previously too cold regions, like Norway and Denmark, are also getting into the wine game, which could result in exciting new varieties and styles.

&nbsp;

Wine Production is Looking Up

For those who can&rsquo;t expand north or south, production is starting to look up&hellip; literally. In Argentina, producers are pushing to new heights with vineyards in Salta planted at up to 11,000 feet. These grapes still receive sun and heat during the day, but benefit from a greater diurnal shift, the difference of temperature between day and night. Higher altitudes mean cooler temperatures at night which give the grapes time to rest, ripen more slowly, and keep that fresh acidity that is so important to great winemaking.

Washington producers are also starting to push upward with regions like Walla Walla Valley experimenting with heights of 3,000 feet. The wines are refined, with silky tannins and lush fruit. The alcohol per glass in Washington wines hovers closer to 14 percent, a welcome quality when so many Napa wines are sitting at up to 15.5 percent! This is because the hotter it gets the more the grapes ripen and the more sugar they contain. When the yeast eats the sugar it produces alcohol, hence more sugar equals higher alcohol after fermentation. One solution is to pick the grapes earlier in September instead of October when they aren&rsquo;t as ripe, but without that extra hang time there is a risk of picking a less complete, complex grape.

The New Grapes on the Block

What if a producer can&rsquo;t move north or upwards? One solution: introduce new grape varieties that can stand up to warmer weather. Bordeaux has a long history and reputation for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc (Malbec, Carmenere, and Petit Verdot are also allowed in red wine). These have been the go-to grapes that made this region infamous. The French also take pride in tradition, so it&rsquo;s an indication that things must really be warming up for them to consider change. For the first time in hundreds of years, new red grape varieties are allowed in small proportions to help producers adapt to climate change.

The new red grape varieties are Arinarnoa, Castets, Marselan, and Touriga Nacional. Arinarnoa is a cross (when two grapes of different pedigree cross pollinate) between Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon created in France in 1956. Castets is a rare grape variety originating in southern France. Marselan was developed in 1961 from crossing the grapes Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. Touriga Nacional is from the Douro region of Portugal and often used for port. All these grapes have something in common, they are late ripening, often smaller berried and thicker skinned; perfect for warmer temperatures and retaining structure and acidity. French law states that these new grapes can make up no more than ten percent of the wine blend, and the results will be reevaluated after ten years. Stay tuned for its progress.

Looking to the Future

The good news is that wine is an ancient tradition that isn&rsquo;t going away any time soon. Scientists and agriculturalists continue to study both climate and fruit to develop solutions. More and more farmers are developing sustainable and biodynamic practices to rejuvenate the land. And we, as consumers, have more opportunities to buy local to reduce our carbon footprint. So whether you&rsquo;re looking up, to the north, or trying something new, keep enjoying a great bottle of wine. I believe that&rsquo;s one thing that will always good for the planet&hellip; and the soul.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Grapes are one of the most finicky fruit to grow. They need just the right soil, amount of water and sunlight, and ideal temperatures; if any of these factors are off the grapes become flabby or tart, and the magic attained when opening a perfect bottle is lost. This is why climate change is fast becoming such a monumental issue within the world of wine.

Climate Change and the Future of Wine

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

Giada - The Cromwell Las Vegas

Maria Valetta, certified sommelier and wine educator, and Robert Tas visit Giada’s Restaurant.

Wine List Review of Giada's Restaurant, Las Vegas

Maria Valetta

Giada’s Restaurant

Giada Las Vegas&nbsp;

<a href="http://marketeammenucromwellgiada.com/Giada_Beverage.pdf">http://marketeammenucromwellgiada.com/Giada_Beverage.pdf</a>

<a href="http://marketeammenucromwellgiada.com/Giada_Dinner.pdf">http://marketeammenucromwellgiada.com/Giada_Dinner.pdf</a>

<a href="http://marketeammenucromwellgiada.com/Giada_Brunch.pdf">http://marketeammenucromwellgiada.com/Giada_Brunch.pdf</a>

<a href="http://marketeammenucromwellgiada.com/Giada_Tasting.pdf">http://marketeammenucromwellgiada.com/Giada_Tasting.pdf</a>

Robert Tas (RT): Hello and welcome back to CorkRules! The wine podcast that&rsquo;s here to help YOU navigate all your favorite restaurant wine lists so you can learn to order wine with confidence.

I&rsquo;m Robert Tas, along with Maria Valetta, certified sommelier and wine educator, also known as Maria The Wine Blonde. Welcome back Maria

MV: Hello Robert we are talking about a famous food network star&rsquo;s restaurant in Las Vegas

RT: That&rsquo;s right Maria, and it&rsquo;s not Gordon Ramsey. oh no, SHE is much easier on the eyes, we are talking about Giada DeLaurentis and her namesake Restaurant in The Cromwell Hotel in Las Vegas Nevada.

This is Giada&rsquo;s first foray into the restaurant Biz, and she could not have picked a better city for her experiential concept. You know you have made it BIG-TIME when you have your very own restaurant IN Sin City. But the only things sinful here are the insanely delicious dishes from this award-winning celebrity chef.&nbsp; You can expect all her Italian favorites elevated with fresh California flavors served in an upscale setting. The bright and airy semi-circle dining room has some of the best views of the Las Vegas Strip. Add to that, a wine list that has garnered the Wine Spectator&rsquo;s&rdquo; 2019 Best of, Award of Excellence, and you have a real winning combination.

RT: Maria, I know you have dined here, so does the wine list complement the food?

MV: Robert it sure does, I love how the wines by the glass are separated into flavor profile categories, with descriptors such as sweet wines, medium to bold reds, and fruit-forward reds, helping the customer choose more easily. I also love that by the bottle list uses a leafy symbol to denote organic wines which truly is the most sustainable way forward in our wine industry. Plus, it is a well-balanced list covering most of the major wine-producing countries, which is great to see because when I dined here, I thought it was only going to have Italian wines on the list! SO this was a fantastic surprise and maybe even the way to go here given the California influence.

Robert: I&rsquo;m so jealous you have dined at Giada&rsquo;s restaurant, my wife and I adore her, and love watching her on TV, so which wine did you start with?

MV: I started with a glass of the Sparkling Schramsberg Vineyards, Blanc de Blancs , Sonoma, California 2018&nbsp; The term Blanc de blanc on a sparkling wine or champagne literally translates to &ldquo;white of whites&rdquo; and this means that the wine is made with 100% chardonnay grapes (all white grapes)

RT: That&rsquo;s a great tip, Maria because I have quite a few friends that say they don&rsquo;t like chardonnay, but they love champagne, so I found it surprising to know that most champagne and a lot of champagne-method sparkling wine is made with 1/3 chardonnay or in this case all chardonnay grapes.

MV: even the &ldquo;anything but chardonnay&rdquo; lovers will love the green apple freshness mixed with roasted pineapple and toasted almonds that you get with this champagne style beauty from Schramsberg- I&rsquo;ve been a big fan of theirs for years - pair it with fresh raw seafood such as the oyster crudo or shellfish tower!

RT: Any Other wine BTG you recommend?

MV:&nbsp; I ordered my husband the Super Tuscan Dainero, Castiglion del Bosco 2013 b/c like you he, loves his reds. We visited this winery in Montalcino and this Tuscan blend is one of the more reasonable offerings from the estate formerly owned by the Ferragamo family. 50% merlot 50% Sangiovese -nice round richness full of fruit and spice- the Orecchiette Bolognese is the best pairing.

RT: Lovely, can you find us some quality wines that are reasonably priced? I know Vegas wine lists can be quite expensive so this is important for a lot of our listeners

MV: Honestly Robert, I am pleasantly surprised here with this list- I found the pricing to be far better than most Italian restaurants on the Vegas Strip a reason to visit alone. And, there are some really great finds that are worth a whirl.. or should I say worth a swirl!

RT: HAHA tell me about them:

To pair with that California influence in her dishes I ordered these 2 Cali wines:

Three Sticks, The James, Santa Rita Hills 2013 Pinot Noir 

Three sticks is a Sonoma based small family-owned winery committed to crafting artisanal wines and they produce wines from very notable vineyards, If you love well-made Pinot Noir, you&rsquo;ll love the Three Sticks wine - I am in love with all of their vineyard wines. This one is dusty cocoa, smashed berry pie, with a soft delicateness given it is 2013.

Now if you like a bolder wine, you will prefer the Herman Story, Nuts and Bolts, Paso Robles 2017 <s>$115 (</s>further S in Cali whete is get quite a bit warmer overall)

100 % Syrah -&nbsp; inky, fabulously fruit-forward with a hint of sweet-spiced, beef jerky on the nose This calls for meat &ndash; The petite filet with the blackberry-port reduction is going to be so perfect with the Herman Story!

MV: For under $125 these wines are both great finds.

RT: That&rsquo;s great, Maria, super helpful.&nbsp; Do you have something special you could recommend for us? A red and a white?

<s>MV:&nbsp;</s>I do, The Chateau Rauzan Segla 🌿 2005 a Great Bordeaux Blend, great vintage, 2005 was awesome, from Margaux so you get all the plumy red and black fruit but lots of floral notes, it&rsquo;s a lovely feminine Bordeaux if that makes sense. Right now, the complexity is really showing well and this wine is organic! Yay

If you want a special white to pair with Giada&rsquo;s favorite dish which is the Lemon Spaghetti with Shrimp and mascarpone cheese, the&nbsp; GAJA, Vistamare, Toscana 2020&nbsp; is going to be so a memorable pairing&hellip; Vermentino/Viognier you have to be careful with seafood - too much oak and your shellfish will taste fishy, but here it is so well integrated because it&rsquo;s only partially oaked. This is from one of the great producers of Italy, <s>this </s>Very small production, a full-bodied white with lots of floral notes and a touch of refreshing salinity on the finish.

RT: Anything California worth dropping the dime on?

MV: You read my mind, Robert, I was just going to mention that they have 2 wines from Lokoya that are killer &ndash; Lokoya repeatedly receives 100-point reviews from various publications. I&#39;ve met their winemaker Chris Carpenter and he is wickedly smart but also an all-around great guy

Lokoya, Diamond Mountain , Napa Valley 2014 795 Blackberries and dark Red Bing cherries, a layer of rich dark chocolate weaved into the fine-grained silky tannins 
Lokoya, Mount Veeder, Napa Valley 2011 Powerful, blackberries and wild blueberries, intense tannin structure even with the age on it, and don&rsquo;t hesitate about this vintage while 2011 was difficult for some, Lokoya knocked it out of the park with this baby. We have vintages going back over 10 years of Lokoya in our cellar &ndash; it is a great investment if you are collecting wine.

RT: Maria, thank you for all your helpful wine tips and food pairing selections on today&rsquo;s episode on Giada&rsquo;s Restaurant in Las Vegas. Be sure to follow Maria on Instagram @Mariathewineblonde. Thank you everyone for joining us here on CorkRules. Remember the only rule in wine is &ldquo;drink what you LOVE&rdquo;.

MV: Have a favorite wine list? Let us review it here. Send us your requests at <a href="mailto:info@corkrules.com">info@CorkRules.com</a> You can find previous episodes on your favorite podcast platform and on CorkRules.com be sure to subscribe and like. And check out @CorkRules on Instagram for episode updates and upcoming giveaways. Must be 21 and older, please drink responsibly.

&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

Domaine Oudin is a small family-owned winery located in the heart of Chablis. They are known for producing high-quality, terroir-driven Chardonnay wines that are elegant, complex, and age-worthy.

Top-shelf cocktails, plus Japanese bites, in a lavish room with leather lounges and table service.

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

Hemmesphere

CHANDON California

Brut Cuvee 2018

Chardonnay

California, USA

Domaine Vincent Wengier

Petit Chablis 2021

Chardonnay

Petit Chablis, France

Domaine Chandon (Australia) Blanc de Blancs, Australia, Victoria 2018

Chardonnay

Victoria, Australia

Les Quatre Tours

Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence, Prestige Rose 2021

Provence, France

Les Quatre Tours Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence Un Ete en NV

France

Veuve Clicquot

Vintage Brut Champagne NV

Pinot Noir

Champagne, France

Veuve Clicquot Rsrv Cuvee Brut France Reims NV

Champagne, France

Omero

Pinot Noir 2017

Pinot Noir

Willamette Valley, USA

Brocard Chablis Burgundy France 2020

Burgundy, France

Cloudy Bay

Sauvignon Blanc NV

Sauvignon Blanc

Marlborough, New Zealand

Spirit Bay

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc NV

Sauvignon Blanc

Marlborough, New Zealand

Chardonnay

Domaine, Chablis 2021

Chablis, Burgundy, France

Tyrrell's, Vat 9 Shiraz, Hunter Valley 2021

New South Wales, Australia

Ruinart

Brut Rose Champagne NV

Blend

Champagne, France

Omero Cellars

Willamette Valley Pinot Noir NV

Oregon, USA