qotd: how do you pick 1, how do you pick just 100? My fav at the moment would be Jean Bourdy. Because I've heard amazing things about his wines, they are not easy to get, and after a VERY long time of looking, I got a vin jaune, and his is supposed to be the best.
Love that you are tasting wines from you're library. I hope that that is not an alwayd absolute however. That seems like imposing limitations on yourself with all the 1000's of wines out there.
So Gary, how about tackling a vin jaune episode?, and on eon tasting different charbono's?

QOTD: Gotta be Trefethen, appropriately enough, given the episode. I generally like Trefethen wines, but the reason I like the winery was because the people there were so nice. We were the only ones there, so they took us on a guided mini-tour. They had a basil garden out front and we were just chatting about how much we like making our own pesto and how nice it would be to have a big plot of basil like that instead of a tiny little box on our deck. So they told us to go pick as much as we wanted. Super friendly people.

Honorable mention to Sebastiani vineyards in the Sonoma valley. The carved casks are gorgeous.

Imagery Estate Winery in Sonoma, CA makes a wonderful single varietal Petit Verdot, as well as an amazing Lagrein. They specialize in single varietal wines.

Favorite Winery: Messina Hof. Why? I am a die-hard Aggie, I bleed maroon, and this winery is in Bryan/College Station TX (Aggieland). I would love to see you do a show on Messina Hof wines. Maybe even a show on Texas wines.

QOTD - Answered Before - Far Niente...reasons are the same!

Gary,

Nice episode. QOD--Pride Mountain Vineyards....hands down. Sits atop Spring Mountain above St. Helena in the Napa Valley. Incredible views from various picnic tables and a brand new wine tasting room just completed. Bob Foley, their winemaker is amazing. The wine, the views, the people....never a disappoinment.

Favorite winery - Davida (somewhere around Montalcino, Italy!). As we walked up the gravel path to the tasting room the wine maker came around the corner from her clothes line with a basket of wet laundry. vinyard on the hill behind, laundry basket in the doorway, unlocked the tasting room and sampled us through a lovely selection. Real people.

Worst winery - Fall Creek - Texas Hill Country. Several years back we visited because we'd heard that good things were happening with the local grapes. Driving in we noticed that the grape vines were all dead as a doornail. In the tasting room we inquired and were told that a bug had taken out all the vines in the vicinity several years back and they were now buying grapes from east Texas and other states. We commented that we thought the local "terroir" was significant to the vinyard and the guy responded with a smirk,
"Not at all! A grape's a grape!"

Living in the Midwest the only winery's we get to visit are in Hermann MO. Adam Puchta produces some really good wine with the grape varieties that they are able to grow and Oak Glenn has a beutiful view of the MO river. We enjoy our visit every year.

Another good episode and I don't have a problem with having to turn the volume up a bit.

Gary, you should have said yesterday that your mom had made the great looking spread and then everyone would have commented. As it was could have been bought from Safeway and we wouldn't have known. Be nicer to your mom!
Very revealing tasting today. I hacve disliked every bottle of Beujolais Nouveau for the last 15 years without exception. They make too much of it to be any good. The hype is what sells it.

My absolute favorite winery is Elyse. They give you so much to taste of so many great wines and don't charge. Absolutely amazing and great wines to boot.
The second favorite is Turley in Paso Robles simply because of the quality of what they have for tasting and, since I am on the list, I get to taste that for free as well.

The first California winery I ever visited was Viansa. I suspect it's the first for many people because of its location. It's probably the closest winery to San Francisco. I enjoyed the winery, but the wine, not so much.

Denise, For shingles, your doctor will want you to take an anti-viral med to stop the progression of the shingles. Your doctor may prescribe a pain med as well, especially if the shingles are in the area of your face. I'm worried that you're not taking proper care of the shingles. Naples Kathy aka fellow shingle sufferer.

Gary,
I would love to see an episode on viogniers. I've had a few this past year and really loved them (especially the one from Dariousch in Napa) and they seem a great alternative to chardonnay. I've also enjoyed the Mas des Bressades Roussanne-Viognier.

As far as the Beaujolais Nouveau, I couldn't agree with you more and I would score it even lower. I thought anything above 80 was supposed to be acceptable wine from RP or ST.

My favorite winery to visit is Peju Province in Napa. A wonderful French country home with a Mansard roof with a beautiful sculpture garden and some awfully nice wines including a Petit Verdot and some award winning Cabernet Francs. Great staff too.

But you have to see Dariousch, also in Napa, the building is like a huge Babylonian temple or palace and its very 21st century inside with a glass waterfall. Their Red Table Wine, Viognier and Chardonnay are all excellent.

Gary,
Your handsome self is looking out of focus and grainy.
The Mondavi free insider tour was the best. Tasting 8 wines in the beautiful
dining room, after a very knowledgeable tour was a wonderful experience.

Years ago, Sterling Vineyards was a highlight of our trip to the wine country, due to the fact that we got stuck on their overhead gondola ride! Not so bad, actually, the views were amazing. An hour or so later, we were given Sterling Vineyard T-shirts for our trouble. But, for sheer beauty, I'd have to go for the Mondavi Estate...wow, I can still smell the musty-oaky barrels in their stone-walled cellars, and the rolling vine-covered hills on the property. So memorable.

QOTD: Benziger in Sonoma, CA. I love their Oonapais(65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet
Franc, 12% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot)and Tribute (69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc,
11% Merlot , 5% Petit Verdot)wines. I also found the winery beautiful and the staff knowledgeable. Not only are they producing some fantastic wines but they do it using a sustainable farming practice known as Biodynamics. If you have never visited Benziger, I recommend you stop there on your next trip west.

Gary, Thanks for the PETIT VERDOT shout out--I am a lurker no more. I've been enjoying Veritas's 2004 Petit Verdot all year; but I can't say that I've run into another single varietal petit verdot in my life. Could you recommend any?

Love the episode, but the camera and mic are way off. Camera looks totally out of focus.

QOTD - Two of the best winery "tours" I went on were at Fisher Vineyards and Viader. In both cases, they were arranged by appointment and my wife and I were shown around personnally; by Juelle and Whitney Fisher at the former and Delia Viader at the later. They were all very gracious and of course we tasted some great wine.

As for wines I would like for you to taste, they are:

#5230 - 2004 Argiolas Costera
#7122 - 2003 Inama Soave Classico Du Lot
#1938 - 2003 Terra di Lavoro
#1788 - 2002 Nina Negri Sfursat 5 Stelle (it says you out of stock, but I know from past experience that you may actually still have a bottle or two)

QOD:, Since I have never been to California, my favorite winery would be Applewood Winery in Warwick NY, or Brotherhood Winery in Washingtonville NY. Applewood has a great atmosphere, music in the summer, and apple picking in the fall. Great fun for the family. Brotherhood is Americas oldest winery, and touring the cellars is awesome.

IMHO, Beaujolais Nouveau shouldn't be sold in the U.S. New wine is loads of fun when you drink it right from the winery, but not after a long trip in big boat. To me, imported BN always tastes like bubble gum floating in Mr. Clean.

Gary,
I agree with dougiefresh, “petit verdot baby, I got your back!" is another classic! I agree! How about tasting Viader "V" which is one of my favorites and as you know is primarily petit verdot. I couldn't find it on winelibrary.com but am sure you could secure a bottle. I think the '03 is the current vintage and I have not tried that.

Gary,

Truly impressed that you bashed the Nouveau. Would you taste some other Beaujolais (fleurie, chiroubles, etc.) in the near future so that people aren't entirely turned off to the category solely based on your comments re: the Nouveau?

Gary,
I think Ridge wines are fantastic and they age really well! Visited the winery several years ago and had a fantastic time even brought home some 96' and 97' Monte Bello which is not even ready yet right? Also Morgan does a nice job year after year with their Pinot Noirs, Chards and Sauvignon Blancs always reliable

I enjoyed my visit to Benziger Winery in Glen Ellen, CA. They gave a very interesting tour.

Gary, told ya you were wrong on the Schlid ...lololol

Gary, I would really like you to try the following wine, becuase I would like to see if you had the same feeling on it as I did:

Twenty Bench Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Type: Napa Cabernet
Size: 750ML | Vintage: 2004 | Library Code: 7505

-Stallion

Gary, How about an Ohio vs. Michigan ( Man, it hurts to even type that :) ) tasting in honor of one of THE biggest football games ever!!?

GO BUCKS!!!

QOD: It's one of only two I've ever visited. Schramsberg in Napa Valley. Never had had the sparkling wines before, either. The wine caves were cool and the guide demonstrated wine-sabering which was another first for me. The other winery we visited (about 45 minutes before closing) was Niebaum-Coppola Estates. I preferred all the Godfather memorabilia to the wines we got to taste that day. "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."

Mrs. Vaynerchuck,
What a beautiful meal. I'm sure it was enjoyed by all who got to partake. We viewers could only imagine.

Gary, great episode! Keep it up. QOTD: Since I live on I-80 directly in between two great wine regions, I have to choose one from each side.

In Sonoma, Kenwood wins hands down. Not only is the wine great, but if you play your cards right, they pour for you twice. (St. Supery in Napa has excellent wine--their meritage Elu is fantastic--but it's always crowded). There's a balance: when I walk into a winery, I don't want to struggle to find space in the tasting room, but I don't want to be the only one there, either.

In El Dorado county, I have to go with Granite Springs. They have a great atmosphere, and the wine is affordable and gooood. Plus, they give you dark chocolate to taste with their port. Awesome!

Suggestion for a coming episode:

CHENIN BLANC (3x DRY, 1x SWEET)
$9,99: Dry Creek Chenin Blanc, Napa (19120)
$13,99:Kanu Chenin Blanc Barrel Fermented 2004 (4921)
$19,99:Domaine Du Closel Savennieres Clos Du Papillion 2004 (7392)
$67,99:Foreau Vouvray Moelleux Reserv E 2003 (27229)

I bought the Beaujolais Nouveau before I saw the video and had it with some duck and lamb. It was pretty tasty IMHO. The thing I like about it is the lively cherry flavor...its not full bodied and only 12% alcohol which makes it very drinkable (i had about half a bottle on my own). It has no legs as well. But the thing I really enjoyed about this years, is the nice caramel I tasted on the finish when I drank it on its own. So I think the 82 score was way off and people should at least try it. I dont think its for everyone though so if you are used to drinking darker wines daily, this will be weird for you. I think "personality goes a long way" in wines.
QOTD- Clos Pegase ...i dont remember the wine all that much, but the guy is an art collector and hes got some pretty wild sculptures around the property.

High fives to your Mom for the Turkey Day spread. Could almost smell it.

With no experience visiting acclaimed wineries, Seghesio pops into my mind. Everything I've tried was a winner, and I think their '03 Sonoma County Zin is a top-rated QPR. I had one bottle of '03 Seghesio Sangiovese and now I can't find anymore (hint, hint). And their '01 Omaggio is as good as it gets, for those who try to stay under $50/bottle.

QOD: I have visited lots of wineries and I've liked many of them. I guess my favorite was Boudreaux Cellars in Washington State. The reason is that it is just a small winery. Actually, until this year it was just a log cabin and a large garage. They just built the tasting room. The winemaker is Rob Newsom and he is a really cool guy. He is from Lousiana originally and was a mountain climber for many years, but now he makes wine, and pretty darn good wine. I'm on his mailing list so I get a case or two each year. He makes a nice Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Rusty Figgins was the one who talked him into making wine professionally.

Now I have a question: Have you ever had any Beaujolais Nouveau that you really liked? I've trie it and even in a supposedly good vintage, I didn't really like it. The overwhelming aroma I got was bananas and that just isn't what I want in a red wine.

Please taste the following!
# 28108 here
and # 4293 here I would love to see your opinion on the differences (in the same episode).

Also please do a Long Island wine tasting :-D

Just following directions :-D

seth

QOD.

I love the Eberle winery in Paso Robles, CA. Let me tell you why. The DOGS! They have large black poodles running around the place. It's fantastic. Oh yeah, and they serve Eberle wine. Are you kidding me? Their Cabs are awesome. Beautiful vineyard. Classy old school tasting room. Excellent wine. Cute dogs. Friendly people who KNOW THE WINE. This is my favorite winery.

Thanks, stewart l (comment 38). BTW, like yourself, I also love Amarones but am often not willing to pay the price. I haven't heard of ripasso. Thanks for the tip.

Hi Gary -- your mom is amazing, that feast yesterday was unimaginable. I don't know how you sat in front of all that and were able to concentrate on the wine!

I am sorry today's episode didn't offer you as many fireworks as yesterday's, but you were as entertaining as ever. You have come a long way since your first episode and you seem very, very comfortable in front of the camera now. I will try to stop by on Saturday if I can.

So great to see GV trash the Beaujolais since one of the vintages (I can't remember which) was my answer to a prior QOD of which wine did you hate the most. For me it's this wine. Gary described perfectly why I don't like it; bitter flavors that try to be covered by sugar. I know supposedly there are some great vintages of this wine. And when one happens again I'll suppose I'll try it, and then when I don't like it I'll never have it again!

Favorite Winery is Melville. Beautiful property, nice people, family owned and there is almost always a family member around. Took my wife and I for a private tour without us asking for it when we visited on what was a slow day. Plus they make very good (and I think continuing to get better) wine

My favorite winery is Windwalker in Eldorado County, CA. For two reasons:
1. They have some of the best wine in the region.
2. They're great friendly people, and it's always a joy to go there.

Gary,
You had me rollin on that pitch fork comment!! I mean honestly the funniest line i've heard in a while. Great show! I haven't commented for a bit, but that doesn't mean i'm not watching. You've been tearing it up lately guy, and I'm feeling where you're taking this whole thing!! Kudos Buddy!! Well i'll se you on Saturday need some help with some vino for my wife's B-day. Top winery has got to be........ I don't have one wine changes too much from year to year (plus I'm new kind of new to this wine game), but Mollydooker is a new winery (TO ME!!) that i'm impressed with!!

E-ROCK