You mentioned showing the wine color is problematic.

I see you do some post-production on the episodes before it is released. You could take a digital picture of the glass against a white table cloth and then add the picture into the video for 5 seconds on the lower right corner, where the spit bucket is.

Great job Gary!

Gordon’s idea is an excellent one!!

How about using a White spit bucket instead of Black. Place glass in front and zoom in.

Gary,
don’t wary much about showing color on the screen since most people’s monitors are not calibrated so they won’t see all the different hues of the reds anyway.

Proper description is more than sufficient.

Another comment:

I think that the episodes would look more appealing and relaxing if you sat in the chair having your bottles on the coffee table.

Seating behind the office desk gives impression of the salesman pushing the product.
I’d like to see more casual atmosphere with say a wine book or a newspaper thrown on the table, some cheese and crackers of you choice.

Very entertaining, informative and at times funny. I think you should make your vlog almost like a talk show. You should have a theme song and a sidekick. Keep up the great work and all the best. Jets in 07.

Gary,
I agree with the comment to not worry about showing the color of the wine. What would be helpful is to describe the color in terms that are easily understood:

Red Wines
Purple (typical of young wines), Ruby, Garnet, Mahogany, Tawny

White Wines
Lemon-Green, Lemon, Gold, Amber

For both red and white wines
Intensity (of color): Pale, Medium, Deep, Opaque

So the color of a red wine might be described as Deep Ruby or a white wine as Pale Lemon.

F. sideways. I liked P.Giamatti better as PIG VOMIT. Merlot is another grape that I could relax with friends and get my high on. HOORAY MERLOT.

I absolutely love the Winelibrary TV vlog, and it’s also upsetting because as a poor college student, I can’t really afford to try everything (I’m already upping the credit card payments from what I’ve spent at WineLibrary since finding it a few months ago). But seriously, keep up the great work.

While on the topic of Merlot’s, I want to recommend one that I found on an endcap at the library while browsing a few months ago. The Paringa Merlot from Australia caught my eye and I bought a bottle because I liked the label. I ended up coming back to get a couple more bottles because it was very good, and a great value. (Something like 8-12 dollars a bottle) If anyone wants to try a good Merlot, or at least a good valued one, I’d suggest it.

And I love the spit bucket. I’d be really upset if you stopped it.

Perhaps you could create a “color scale” to help show how the different wines you feature compare to others in a relative sense… Even viewers without calibrated monitors would be able to see how a particular wine compares on a relative scale. Could be especially helpful if you show some examples of popular wines and where they land on the scale.

Great site.

Gary…any take on Twomey Merlot?
Never had it, and don’t know if I should buy or not.

This episode is where the quality is really starting to improve!

B

Gary, this was the first episode I ever watched.

Still waiting for the black and red fruit episode!

I enjoyed sideways, and I have a lot a friends that dismiss me when I suggest a merlot at company dinners, but you know what? Merlot is what “got me to the dance” when I first got hooked on wine. I’ve had some bad merlot since then; Iâ??ve had some great merlot since then. I’m seeing some great values in merlot coming out of California and other regions over the last couple of years. In short..I’m back on a Merlot kick.

Just picked this up today – buddy!

Stupid Hollywood manages to brainwash everyone. Poor Merlot. Yet again, another good episode.

$.16

Give it up for Washington State!!!! Being from Seattle it is good to see the state represented. That being said, there is a ton more happening here than just Merlot. You must check out Long Shadows. Talk about a great convergence of winemakers. “Feather” is my favorite blend so far. Andrew Will is another(never mind the pazz in episode #225)…the Champoux Meritage in particular.

GO WASHINGTON WINES!!! I’m a WA Wine Ambassador (hence my comments handle) and really like to see WA wines get sampled and promoted. Don’t get me wrong, I still drink a lot of wine from everywhere else, but my mission as an ambassador is to help promote and educate people about WA wine.

Merlot is a great red wine. Next to Shiraz I like a good merlot. I found one from CA that I selected as my first wine to get a case of almost two years ago. It was a 2002 BV Coastal merlot. I still have a few bottles of it, and I think it has become even better over time.

I am seeking out more and more wines from Washington as well as Merlot. I find I can get some pretty good prices out there for merlot, which is nice. A decent QPR, especially since Sideways.

Gary is starting to develop his message.

Gary I hope one day people take your message to heart and try everything they can instead of sticking to the same few things. It’s the same with beer. Everyone just drinks the same few things and never tries weird little things as they’d prefer to stick to their old favorite, meaning that they miss out on something they might enjoy even more.

It always bugs me when people can’t trust their own palates. They prefer instead to listen to what Hollywood dictates. There are some fantastic merlots out there, and it’s a shame they’re not being given their moment to shine.

Flying Fish Merlot from Washington State, Antis Merlot Reserve from Argentina, Fusee Merlot from California (a real bargain!), JT Cellars Merlot from California’s Russian River Valley, Novelty Hill Merlot from Washington State and Kendall Jackson’s single vineyard Taylor Peak Merlot. I have tried and really enjoyed each of these fine wines!

Sorry Bro – No Merlot.

Sideways, hah! I only watched it a month ago. Big fan of merlot and I don’t understand how you can rip it when so many great wines have it mixed in with the francs and cabs.

Trying different things. I hear ya, Gary. Just have to prioritize right now with my single malt scotch. Hey, you ever drink those? I’d love to here you compare wines to scotches.

Have never been a big fan of other’s scoring; I just use it as a reference and nothing more in this hugely subjective field.

I’m loving these pre-thunder episodes, Gary! Get fa’shnikin!

gary – I know I backtracked a few years – but how about an update on snoqualmie wines. P.s. you forgot to mention in sideways Miles drank a bottle of merlot as his prized wine (1961 Cheval Blanc)

Merlot has gotten a bad rap. But it is like most wines that get hot, you’ll get some good to great ones, then because of the all mighty dollar wineries put out some crap. Look at Pinot Noir now! Some great ones, some good ones, then trash or stuff that folks should drink Hawaiian Punch first…….:)

This past weekend I had a real good Merlot and because of it’s price, I really like it 2005 Penman Springs Vineyard Merlot. It was $17.00 at the winery, so you know it could be gotten cheaper.

Merlot can be lots of fun!

eighth word “friendly.”