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 😀

Just following directions 😀

seth

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.

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.

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.

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)

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!

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, 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!!!

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, told ya you were wrong on the Schlid …lololol

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

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

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 agree with dougiefresh, â??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.

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.

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.

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)

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.