A Very Special Wine Episode.

A Very Special Wine Episode. – Episode #96

September 22, 2006

Wines tasted in this episode:

Today Gary tastes 4 wines from 4 very different places and finds a few he likes, he also takes us on a very special journey. Please watch todays episode with an nice bottle of wine and enjoy this massive effort. If there is ever an episode to write in on or email Gary about this is it!

158 Responses

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September 24, 2006

Joe P.
Disclaimer: I have caviar tastes but a mac & cheese budget. My Comment: The wine I cannot drink ever again is the two buck chuck shiraz/syrah. The current offering reeks of rotten eggs–which says to me: too much sulfite. Once I recognized it, I had to return the rest of the case. That said, I’m tired of all of the Charles Shaw line. It is a bargain at $2 (if you live on the west coast.. It’s over $3 on the east coast… but it is boring and not worth the $10+ dollars everyone who loves it claims it is.) There are so many other great $10 and under bargains that blow it away. Sorry to waste so much time on a $2-3 wine, but I had to get that off my chest. j
September 24, 2006

Rich S
Lol. Loved the Sopranos intro GV. What a great episode!!!

Thanks for trying a trebbiano in this episode. I am a big fan of Italian white and red wines and Trebbiano is definitely overlooked in terms of whites.

Getting back to the episode, the Pat Benatar breakaway was hilarious. I love the fact that you have a sense of humor and can be goofy yet still deliver on wine recommendations. Great job. I will check out the Corte Riva. I dig huge Napa Merlots so I would probably like this one. My favorite Napa merlot to date was the 2002 Ehlers Estate Bottled Merlot which was awesome. Huge black fruit taste and an incredible smooth finish.
September 24, 2006

Dan
MarcT – I am with you on the Plantronics. I can’t live without it.

Sort of Borg-like, though.

Gary V, I added the links.

Now I have to find time to catch up on the last two weeks of WLTV!

Cheers,

Dan (In Houston)
September 24, 2006

MarcT
{http://www.plantronics.com/north_america/en_US/products/cat1150057/cat5420035/prod5460010}
Gary, don’t listen to what people are saying about every other headset out there!!!
I have been through EVERY one and this one is the best…Plantronics Voyager 510. It has a built in wind sock, and the ambient noise is totally wiped out so consideration for the folks on the other end is there. Also it has three different ear buds that are easily swapped for a perfect fit for any ear. I agree about not driving and talking at the same time without a headset so if you follow the advice of your followers then I highly recommend this route. Cheers.
September 24, 2006

garybee
Gary, I’ve got to go along sith others on the Benatar thing. I liked her 20 years ago, but you might need to seek professional help. By the way, doesn’t New Jersey have laws regarding driving and talking on the cell phone? You might want to think about a headset for that phone. You don’t want to be thrown in jail there. The wine sucks in jail.

Take care.
Garybee
September 24, 2006

Patrice Breton
Very funny episode Gary. One of the best.

Corte Riva is a bit too over-the-top for me. It is certainly well made but I prefer less saturation and more finesse and minerality in merlot.

I will never ever drink seyval blanc and marechal foch based wines again. Just terrible. I still have nightmares.

P. Breton
September 23, 2006

the professor and....
Gary, I can’t believe that people are bashing you for Pat Benetar, but letting the Lionel Richie thing go. Now that’s truely disturbing!!! Some advice, never ever admit that your into Lionel Richie! I like Neil Diamond but you’d never hear me admitting it. Oh shit did I just post that!?! (LOL).
September 23, 2006

ML
What is with you people criticizing GV talking on his cell phone while driving? Who gives a crap!?!? If you can’t talk and drive at the same time, you shouldn’t have a license.

Another great episode Gary. I loved the Pat Benetar interlude…it was classic.

As far as wines I won’t buy…I just avoid the mass produced stuff…KJ, Woodbridge, Yellowtail, Santa Margherita, etc.
September 23, 2006

joe
Gary, great episode – thanks for the Crote Riva tip – I ahve been looking to replace Pride.

I am pissed off with Marquis-Phillips and Faleso Vitano and any other under $12 RP 89-90 wine, and won’t bother with them anymore.
September 23, 2006

E
People forget just how dark and foreboding this world was before Pat Benatar made it a brighter place through dance.
QOD: one thing I’ll absolutely, unrepentantly steer clear of is Cote Zero organic red. I’ve enjoyed lots of terrific organic wines, but this is not one of them.

Tried it once, it tasted like something had died in there, but I figured OK, bad bottle. The neighbors brought it over again (”Look, it’s organic!), and it tasted exactly the same–all pencil lead and labrusca funk. Bleh, ptui and so forth.

Shana tova, y’all.
September 23, 2006

EmeryP
Don’t know if the directing reminded me more of Francis Ford Coppochuck or M. Night Shymalchuck?
September 23, 2006

Tony and Tami
Hi Gar, it’s T&T we loved this episode, and the music was awesome!!!, the production value was great.The wine we will not drink again is “Two Buck chuck” The wine we are drinking tomorrow is “Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah” Our order came in Yesterday. Keep up the good work. If you are ever in Chicago let us know and we will enjoy a bottle of “Pax” wine together.
September 23, 2006

ray n
Have to admit, when I would open the closet door of my dorm back in my college days, there hung a poster of Pat Benatar in one of her great leather outfits. Thanks for bringing back that image. Great episode, you are definitely on a mission to bring back merlot, and I am with you.
September 23, 2006

Tony
Gary, you are a bad, bad boy. If your “nice Jewish mother” saw you driving while yakking on a cell phone, she’d die of a heart attack. And then you’d have to live with the horrible guilt that you sent her to her grave by being irresponsible! Tsk, tsk.

I really really REALLY hate people who drive and talk on a cell phone. As others have said, it’s dangerous – to you and to people on the road with you. You’ve got to be able to afford a hands-free set, Gary, so please, for us and for your family, get one.

I bet you really didn’t think that everyone was going to scold you about the cell phone, did you?

I think the only wine that I will never try again was this wine that this drunk photographer (giving my profession a bad name) gave us at a local tasting. Dreadful, hateful stuff. He bragged and bragged about this wine (actually, mostly about the naked woman that he photgraphed and put on the label). The stuff tasted like a mix of sour milk, gasoline, furniture polish and fruit juice gone bad. I don’t know…what do you say to someone who is so damn proud of their wine when it is so incredibly vile? I still retch just thinking about it.

BTW, MarcT, I’m here. Friday I’m not usually in the office, and so I’m not typically watching WLTV. I think BrandonM has a similar schedule, because he doesn’t always comment on Fridays.
September 23, 2006

Susan
Gary-
SUPER episode! I give it a 96.
I LOVE the video at the beginning. I am also curious about the traffic. Where was the traffic?
We have AWFUL traffic here in Charlotte, NC. Charlotte was designed for 200,000 and we have over 1 million who work here each day soooooooo…..It is alot of fun!
I would also have to agree that you need to get a cordless headset for your cell. Jabra makes great headsets.
I am glad you tried 4 wines from 4 places. I am thrilled you found one that you really like.
I enjoyed the Pat video and yes, I remember that video.
Keep up the good work!:)
September 23, 2006

John H.
Gary,

Shhhhhhh….Corte Riva has been one of my “under the radar” wines for some time now. I guess the secret is out.
September 23, 2006

Dan
I go out of the country for a couple of weeks and look what happens! Gary V turns into Tony S! Pat Benetar reappears from my ute! Merlot? Now I have to drink Merlot? (Just kidding about that. Sideways made Merlot cheap and Pinot expensive)

I had some Venezuelan wines when I lived in Caracas. That won’t happen again.

Question: What happened to the spreadsheet?

Salud!

(I blogged my trip if anyone is interested. Some food and wine notes as you go deeper:

http://austriafrance2006.blogspot.com/ )

Dan (from Houston)
September 23, 2006

Chris
Gary,
You need a headset for the cell in the car. Seriously its dangerous to talk on the phone and drive. QOD: I’m mad as hell at Hartwell Vineyards for a terrible tour/tasting experience.
September 23, 2006

BigAl
Hey Gary V, Thanks to you now I can’t get that stupid Pat Benitar song out of my head! Great episode. Keep mixing things up.
September 23, 2006

DougG
I don’t know? I think Paloma still has the Corte and now that the Corte is up to 50 bucks they are in the same price point. The only thing is that the Corte is more readily available.
September 23, 2006

Marc Mc
Gary,
Thanks for the tip on the Corte Riva, picked-up 6 from your web site. There are other web retailers at lower prices, but I think you need to go home with the person that brought you to the dance. Loyalty is lacking in our current “WalMart” culture and I challenge everyone to purchase through WL when they are turned on to a new wine by Gary.

QOD: Worst wine, ‘97 Spring Mountain cab last night, CORKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 23, 2006

Italian Stallion
Gary,

This is one of the best episodes you’ve ever done!!!! Absolutley phenomenol episode. Loved the Soprano’s intro, obviously because I’m Italian. I love the Dwight Bobble Head….way to show love and support NBC.

QOD Answer: Los Vascos Cabernet….it was horrible, off balance and non enjoyable.

Gary you never cease to amaze me….Your THE MAN!!!

Stallion
September 23, 2006

TimF
I just picked up a mixed half case of wine including that Corte Riva — I wanted a bottle before it’s all gone. Can anyone give me a good food/wine pairing on that Corte Riva?
September 23, 2006

Chris Stanisci
TIM F Insanely impressive call on Dwight bobblehead!! Agree, funny episode.

GARY, GREAT episode–who’s idea was it for the opening? please ANSWER on next episode!!

Ordered the Merlot…how could I not after probably the most glowing review in WLTV history?
September 23, 2006

Rick
http://www.winearomawheel.com/

WHITE WINE RED WINE
Pear Berry
Pineapple Cherry
Green Apple Plum
Apricot Raspberry
Peach Boysenberry
Melon Strawberry
Banana Rhubarb
Guava Blackberry
Lemon Blueberry
Grapefruit Black Currant
Mango Raisin
Passion Fruit Fig