Restaurant wines and funny sounds. Episode 61

July 28, 2006

episode61

2004 Farniente Chardonnay

2003 Duckhorn Merlot Napa

1998 Stags Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23

Today Gary explores 4 wines that are often found on Restaurant lists and you get a look at some of the behind the scenes things going on at Wine Library. Gary tastes Cakebread, Far Niente, Stag’s Leap and Duckhorn. Enjoy and please leave Gary comments!

48 Responses

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  1. about a month ago

    Kristen

    Thanks for telling the honest truth about those wines…and seeing the birds was cool!

    QOTD: We had a party at my friend’s (tiny) apartment in France. Basically, it was like a single dorm room and somehow we fit 30-something people in there. We had his apt window open and it overlooked a courtyard. We bought a *lot* of cheap champagne for the party and when it got going, it was just a lot safer to open them up over the window and let the corks fly. The next AM (well, mid-afternoon, I won’t lie), we found about 10 different champagne corks all around the courtyard.

  2. about 3 months ago

    The Fanjestic

    Too much at a tasting and I accidentally knocked a wine glass out of someones hand and it got on my friends jacket. (White Jacket) I gave him a bottle of 04 Four Vines Maverick and he laughed it off. You couldn’t get that wine in Kansas at the time.

  3. about 3 months ago

    Deeve

    Never mind the sounds of the birds, how about the constant sounds of sirens in the background.

  4. about 5 months ago

    Josh in Burgundy

    Gotta love the vintage Gary V. You even look a little uncomfortable on camera at some points. I am so proud, you have come so far. Keep on truckin my man we will get you on Leno or Letterman yet!

  5. about 8 months ago

    GrapeStuff

    Agree - would definitely like seeing another Restaurant episode!

  6. about 8 months ago

    WA Ambassador

    I definitely want to see more of this. Trying wines at a restaurant is an interesting experience. I have found some really good wines that way. The latest discovery that I made while an a lunch cruise was a 2005 J. Lohr cab/sauv. It’s still young, but it has massive potential!

  7. about 8 months ago

    soyhead

    The first episode to suggest being the first to post
    (look at what a monster you have created)

  8. about 10 months ago

    David Canada

    I had a killer cask 23 from 1997 that rocked my world
    QOTD - I was tasting in Western Australia and Cullen and I was tasting their Dianna Madeliene and when i went to spit the wine out, I spit it all over my white golf shirt….idiot…yeah

  9. about 14 months ago

    cyrock1

    Hey Gary!
    Im glad to see these wines go 0 for 4. Cutomers are always dropping big names like this in the store and act like the store is in the wrong if we don’t cary them. There seems to be so many wines that are riding on the reputation of a once upon a time great rating by WS or RP. I would
    suggest just about any wine from Spanish importer Jorge Ordoñez over these over rated wines.

    Funniest story…

    I was at a tour at Fetzer (first of that day) and we were tasting juice straight out of the fermentation tanks. Every time the tour guide opened the spigot, juice would trickle out and we would put our wine glasses under it, get a few drops and taste. I thought it was all going well and thought it was quite a priveledge to taste wine during varying degrees of fermentation until…

    I was standing directly in front of the little spigot when the tour guide opened it and Fetzer’s finest red juice sprayed all over my very light colored khaki pants.

    Result… free bottle of Bonterra Syrah (not very good) and a new belief in the powers of the miracle wine remover Wine Away. By the time we arrived at Silver Oak the stain was gone.

    Keep up the great work Gary!

  10. about 15 months ago

    ThomasS

    Disaster? Now, I would not say that; it is maybe good to show again that you can’t judge a wine om name or price tag. Just the thing in the bottle, that what really counts.
    QOTD: The first time I got invited for a wine jury, i.e. Megavino - the annual biggest wine fair in Belgium - I had the spit bucket spitting back at me: just got a bit too enthusiastic in spitting, dropplets of red all over my face … Good first appearance in that world, I guess.

  11. about 16 months ago

    Johnny

    Lay off da cracky buddy! duckhorn and stags leap are the best wines you probley have ever had moron!

  12. about 21 months ago

    Italian Stallion

    Now I see what the Sqeaking was

  13. about 21 months ago

    raymond nisi

    You know, while watching episode 60, I kept having to pause it to run into another room and tell my birds, a Mollucan cockatoo and a blue fronted amazon parrot to keep quiet. Now I find out it was your birds and I owe them an apology. Interesting on the rest. wines since if we don’t have these wines on our lists, people ask about them. Keep up the good work.

  14. about 21 months ago

    Ted

    Thank goodness for BYO restaurants. I just continue to patronize them - much better to bring my own than “stumble” upon the ones like you tasted. I have had the same experience.

    Keep up the great work.

  15. about 21 months ago

    Gino

    upon opening up a nice bottle of white wine with a relaive in Italy, she poured water into my glass. The look of horror on my face–whats wrong–you dont use water with your wine? oyyy veyyyy !!! NO!! i like it straight up i responded! LOL

  16. about 21 months ago

    MBG

    Gary,

    I’m shocked that for someone so informed about wines, you’d seem suprised that these “restaurant wines” sucked. I’ve known this for years. That’s why I bring my own wines to most restaurants. Not only do these wines underperform, but the prices for them both retail and in restaurants are ridiculous. Duckhorn and Far Niente and living on their reputations from the 80’s and 90’s. Add to this overated restaurant list: Silver Oak, Grgich Hills, Jordan, BV, Nickel & Nickel and most Mondavi. For quality/affordable wines look to Chappellet, Peju and Flora Springs in Napa. In Washington, look for Gordon Brothers, Bookwalter, Fidelitas and Owen Roe. If you want to spend $$$ and get what you pay for, Pride and Lewis Cellars blow away all of the wines that you tasted today.

  17. about 21 months ago

    Buddy

    I was a a multi-couple dinner party (I wasn’t serving the wines), and this couple was raving about how great the Cakebread Chardonnay was all night and the truth was, the Cakebread was gone very early and Woodbridge was served the rest of the night. I have tons of similar experiences like that,that I find funny. Funny you mentioned Jordan and Landmark in this video. Two wines I didn’t think much of until I stayed at there guest houses. Now two of my favorites. Jordan was one of the beautiful properties I have ever stayed at.

  18. about 21 months ago

    Tim Gatton

    Just found winelibrary.tv … letting my wine friends know about this.

    BTW: can you ship to Maryland yet?

  19. about 21 months ago

    Paul

    Always entertaining. Your Comment on the emmy’s and BV. That goes back to when seagrams owned universal studios. They alway placed there products in shows. Fraisier, Friends etc. It continue now with diageo. they have two full time people out in hollywood doing product placements
    Also Tony G - Angelini wines are import by Paul Angelini of New London Ct. They are available in NY. Localling they are distributed be the Little Wine Company
    Finally Gary New Jersey was just named the 5th largest wine producing state. How about a show about drinking locally.

  20. about 21 months ago

    Dennis

    Gary
    A simple thanks, your comments are insightful and appreciated. With so many wines to try, it helps to which ones may not be worth the effort or expense.

  21. about 21 months ago

    Matty Van

    Gary love the show, will be placing my first order with winelibrary.com tonight so it is serving its purpose.

    I once after a few too many glasses decided to show everyone in the room how I can juggle three full wine bottles….after 5 seconds of juggling I managed to give one a bad toss back up into the air and it landed on my girlfriends foot breaking one of her toes. She was pissed and I did not get any for a week.

  22. about 21 months ago

    sheila

    I am not surprised about your conclusions about the Cakebread and Cask 23. After visiting Napa last year, the only awesome chard that Cakebread had was their reserve brand. As for the Cask 23, I am really not a fan of that. I do find it comical that you often hear others order these expensive, over-rated wines when out to dinner (prob to impress others!!!) I think that restaurants are a great opportunity to try a more reasonably priced option such as a wine from Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Africa, etc.

    As for a wine story…I had a party where 2 of my beloved Riedel glasses were inadvertently smashed to pieces early in the evening (won’t bring those out again). Towards the end of the night, after having tried too many wines, I went to sit down on my chair, it slipped and I ended up on the floor covered in wine. To make a point, I made sure that everyone knew that at least my wine glass was still intact…

    Oh, and please do an episode on ports/after-dinner wines.

  23. about 21 months ago

    JP

    Gary,

    This may not be funny, but interesting. My wife and I went to the Charlotte Wine and Food Weekend this past spring. There were several big name wines as well as some unknown to us. We finished up at the Reynolds Family Winery tasting booth. I decided that they had one of the best wines of the show. At that time the show was closing and we had to leave. The next day I decided that I wanted to purchase a case of the wine but was not sure what I tasted. I contacted the winery and was told that they had served a cabernet and a red wine blend named Persistence. The problem is that I did not know which one we had. As luck would have it a local restaurant had a tasting that featured Reynolds Family Winery. My wife and I ended up going and paying good money to find out what I should have noted. The wine was the Reynolds Family Winery “Persistence”. I think this wine is exceptional and I would be interested in seeing if you agree. This winery has a great story and I feel that you’ll be seeing more of their name. By the way I purchased the wine from WL. You guys do a great job of finding unique wines. If you like Chardonnay they have a very good Chard. My wife and I don’t normally drink Chards, however we have made an exception for these guys and have you specialist ordering a case for us in for fall shipment. Keep up the great work.

  24. about 21 months ago

    Susan

    Gary,
    This comment is off topic but this episode is GREAT for 2 reasons. I like your off-the-cuff style and honesty. I was taking care of my nephew on July 29th and he loved the part with the birds. He giggled, yelled and cheered for the birds. Well, we both loved the episode!:):) I like 2 for 1 deals!

  25. about 21 months ago

    WG

    I thought that this I saw the other day was pretty funny. It’s another wine video blog site (sorry Gary!) but it left me in hysterics, so i just had to share it with you all… http://www.virtualwine.co.uk/virtualwineblog/?p=139

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