Aside from the distortion in the mic, I do like the sound quality better than before. Using, what I assume is the camera mic, it sounds like you’re in an empty room. The new mic has a fuller richer sound. I advise you to have someone turn the sound way down when you’re drinking the wine though. The camera was not good. You may want to invest in a couple of lights.

Biggest grape I’ve never had — or at least can’t remember is Nebbiolo. I’ve got a few that I need to pop and check out…

Terrible video and audio.

Gary,
Not sure why the picture would be so dark, unless the auto-iris (autoexposure on a still camera) was turned off, or the room was just too dark. The 3-CCD sensor camcorders do not work as well in lower light as the single CCD sensor units. As far as the mic goes, a lapel mic is always going to pick up nearby ambient sound (the spit bucket) louder than a mic at a distance. A ‘shotgun’ mic mounted on or near the camera might be a better solution. As long as you are not moving side to side while filming, that should give you more consistant sound levels.

Enough of the technical comments. I’m one of your ‘lurkers’, and I’ve been enjoying WLTV quite a bit. Can’t give you a good answer for QOTD, as I’m not up on all the specific varietals at this point. Seems some are given different names in different countries, which adds to my confusion (not just syrah/shiraz…). Keep up the great work. You continue to teach us all.

Gary, Welcome back to the good old US of A! Also, congratulations on your “Vloggie” awards. Could Oscar be in your future?

QOD: For me, it would be a much shorter list to tell you what I HAVE had. But here are a few of the many I have yet to partake of:

Verdicchio, any Greek variety, Barbera, Freisa, Kratosija, Negroamaro, Ruché, Tarrango, Furmint….and the list goes on. Not only have I never had any wines from these grapes, I’ve never even HEARD of these grapes!

Oh, baby, baby it’s a wine world

this camera doesn’t display the lively light aspects of the last camera….everything looks drab in this episode.
QOTD: well, i haven’t had the one you mentioned…other than that until recently i had never had a muscadine, which is weird becuase they grow wild every here in the south…but i had one a few months back…can’t say i like it all that much…a little smoky falvor to it…kind of like the cigar of grapes. i am sure there are a lot of varietals i haven’t tasted, but i have also tasted a lot

Gary…I think the video/audio quality issue has been sufficiently covered. Thanks for evening doing a show on the heels of returning from Paris. I appreciate the review of the Dornfelder. I am always looking to try wines from different regions. I’m very interested to try a German red.

QOTD: I might not know a lot, but I’ve tasted wines from a lot of places. I’m far from being embarrassed, though, to admit that there are a number of varietals that I’ve never had. Here are a few off the top of my head:

1) Barolo
2) Malbec
3) Barbaresco
4) Sauterne

I have taste Dornfelder when in Germany and couldn’t stand the residual sugar in the 2002 I had. Maybe give it another try. There are few grape varietals I haven’t tried but they are mostly Niagra and Canadian grapes and a few grown in Virginia that have never seemed appealing. Scuppernong comes to mind. Will add the same comments about sight and sound. The collar mike may not work well with swish and spit and a metal bucket. The sound actually fuzzed when you held the bottle in front of you. The camera setup just needs work but the mike may not work at all for what you are doing. Good episode with so short a time frame though.

I am sure with a bit of fine tuning, youll get that camera and mic working. The mic is picking up a lot more of your voice which is great, but the treble needs to be turned up so it sounds less soft/muffled. Maybe you should get a table-top mic so that it doesnt pick up the sounds of your clothing etc.

QOTD:
1. Albarino
2. Petite Sirah
3. Pinotage
4. Corvina

Hi Gary,

I grew up with Dornfelder here in Germany and that was one of the wines that my father is still drinking on a regular basis.

I am not a fan on this at all and I think you might be able to get better wines at around this price levels….

Come on Gary – give all German fans of your show a favour and go one show with German dry Riesling – go for the 2005 vintage, the best since the classic 2001 in my opinion, if you need some recomendation please let me know 🙂

talk to your German importer and get the real good stuff from Germany on your desk and let all your fans know about it…

gotd
I never had a Zin in my live

best
Thorsten

Yeah, your video looked as though it were shot in “HD” = “Hardly Detectable” for both video and sound.

Varietals I haven’t tried? Hmmmm, I don’t believe I’ve tried a Aglianico which a fellow wine geek says is wonderful.

Go Colts!

A lot of the grapes people are mentioning are Italian-prominent ones. -Gotta get the word out.

Hi,
nice that you drink german wine. I not have clearly understand: You give 80 or 88 points?
greetings
Thomas

Gary,
I just cracked this dornfelder open – it’s all thanks to YOU that I’ve even heard of this grape! Anyway, I’m not in awe of the bottle, but I am in awe of the fact that you’ve got me into going to winentastings, talking to wine people, and chasing down odd varietals like this! So much so, that I rewatched this oldy-but-goody to drink along with you.

Cheers to that! And thanks for everything!

Megan
PS – Other varietals I have not yet tasted:
Nebbiolo, Amarone (OK, that’s not a grape, I get it, but I’ve never had one, regardless) and…Oh, I’m sure there are lots.

WOW – How did I not post on this episode?

qotd: great question, those are the wines I try to seek out more than any, really hard to find rare varietal wines. (usually it’s easy to see why they are hard to find, but sometimes you really find something special.
So for me German grapes are up there and dornfelder is one, so is kerner, and schreube. Then pretty much anything native to Greece. Those would be the most well known I think that I haven’t had.
Savagnin would be there, but I had that Sunday when I finally tasted my 1st vin jaune. And vin jaune is definitely an episode I would love to see you do. A tasting on charbono’s would be another.

Not a big fan of German wines..terrible audio..never had this grape. http://www.winelx.com