Wine ratings? – Episode #178

February 7, 2007

Wines tasted in this episode:

Links mentioned in todays episode.

American Wine Blog Awards

Wine Ratings what do they mean and how does Gary stack his scores against these 90+ scored wines from the MAJOR press.

167 Responses

February 7, 2007

Lb in KS
huh?
February 7, 2007

cw
ah whites
February 7, 2007

Rich S
#3???
February 7, 2007

PGH Pete
ooo – late start
February 7, 2007

Mike
Top 5!
February 7, 2007

Kent I
Top 10!!!!
February 7, 2007

Brandon M
so lame
February 7, 2007

grape_ape
whats so lame?
February 7, 2007

Justin
Is it just me or did the entire winelibrary network go down for a bit. TV, Forum, Ask, Labels. I was watching the todays video and then poof. It died. Connection Reset was the error I got.
February 7, 2007

AndrewB
Finally Garry, I was dying…
February 7, 2007

waibeans
10?
February 7, 2007

winejedi
top 11!!!
February 7, 2007

Brandon M
Yes…it went down shortly.

Grape…cmon…the top ten of course!
February 7, 2007

Victoria
Well, 13!
February 7, 2007

waibeans
your sis played with the barbies and you had the WWF “action figures”, now did you ever take her toys and bring em into the ring for some tag team action? LOL
February 7, 2007

hinrgman
great white wine episode
February 7, 2007

Justin
gv, id rather get a winemaking kit than a basket, unless there is some really really nice stuff in the basket…no…just the kit…that would be more fun i think..
February 7, 2007

wine - o
basket!
February 7, 2007

Tony S
Great show on wine scoring – something I’ve always tried to tell my friends and family about (Go with your tastes, not someone elses).

Wine basket without a doubt!

Btw, looks like WL has some network difficulty today – could not access “Free Wine”.
February 7, 2007

Orion Slayer
90+ wines vs. personal taste:
For a wine newby it helps to have a score to know what “should” be a good wine. I like your comment about knowing the preferences of the person scoring to judge if you will like the wine. It’s similar to how I decide to go to a movie based on a local newspaper movie critic: I see the ones he hates and avoid any movie he likes.

QOTD: Give me a basket. I want to drink good wine, not try to make my own. Even a “bad” wine would be better than anything I would make!
February 7, 2007

KAHUNA
QOTD- Wine Kit- Make them already why not another-
February 7, 2007

K Spengler
If they are anything like your basket at Christmas, Basket all the way. I prefer to leave the winemaking to the pros.
Great show once again, GV…
February 7, 2007

Kent I
Come on, Brandon, it’s not often I get to be in the top 10! Let me enjoy the moment

QOD: Gotta go with the wine basket. I don’t think I have it in me to make a great wine in my garage. Unless, of course, it’s a basket filled with home-made wine….Hmm I have a conundrum…

Anyways, another great episode, as always!
February 7, 2007

waibeans
QOD// Winemaking kit all the way baby. Great show again today, the tasting notes are getting very detailed. Keep it up dude, and GL with the contest.
February 7, 2007

KAHUNA
Sheesh I purchase a woman get crabs now purchasing a wine I get crabs too cant win!
February 7, 2007

Victoria
QOTD: Definitely a wine basket!
February 7, 2007

cgf
Gary,
Good soapbox today. It is good to bring home that point every now and then, in case we forget.

QOTD: No doubt the basket.
February 7, 2007

cgf
Oh, and I could not agree with you more on the Provenance SB. I had it over Thanksgiving, and I did not find it as hot or off balance as you did, but just really bland. It did not bring much to the table. I guess I am too used to the really aromatic and snappy New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. when i looked up that wine’s score in the WS online, i thought it was a joke or a misprint.
February 7, 2007

Portland Guy
Basket, very large Basket
February 7, 2007

canadian-kid
QOTD: Wine basket…filled with bordeauxs and burgundys
February 7, 2007

SoCal
Gary,
Good rant!
I would agree that ratings are over blown.
I have often wondered if perhaps a little pay-o-la… errrrr… lobbying is involved.
Please more Spanish wines in the $12-25 price range worth trying!

QOTD: At first I would say wine basket , unless I got a Oooaky Beast!
February 7, 2007

yoshi
QOTH – Definately a wine making kit.
I voted for you
February 7, 2007

Badger Ann
QOTD: Basket! Then I can enjoy it immediately with friends and family.

It was interesting to hear your review of the 2005 D’Arenberg The Hermit Crab. This weekend, I had opened a bottle of the 2004 Hermit Crab, and I didn’t find it to be nearly as complex as you had described for the following year’s effort. Why the difference – year, bottle, palate? I’ll go get the 2005 and find out for myself!
February 7, 2007

JavaMonkey
Great show. I need to learn more about whites.

QOTD: definitely a wine basket. I have no desire to make wine (although I have made beer in the past), I just want to drink and enjoy.
February 7, 2007

BruceP
QOTD – basket, unless you’re also providing access to some good grapes from the Sonoma Coast and someone who can turn them into decent wine.
February 7, 2007

SpaceJay
QOTD – Basket…and throw in a good food pairing.
February 7, 2007

L.I. Frank
QOTD- basket over a winemaking kit any day.
You got my vote!
February 7, 2007

Grasshopper
Sensei,

Great episode and I agree and try to not pay as too much attention to ratings and focus on the tasting notes BUT, to spend my hard earned money on a wine that I have no idea if it MIGHT be good or not is hard. There are thousands and thousands of wines and there is a much better chance of me liking a wine if it received a good score by you, WS, RP, Kahuna, Brandon or anyone who might have liked it and gave it high marks….I am not saying I am a sheep, but I beleive it increases my odds with getting something of higher quality. We have all walked into a wine store or restaraunt and purchased a wine unseen or unrated and have been disappointed. And I am not saying I like every wine I try that has been rated with a high score or recomended by someone, but it does increase the odds of it being worth while.

QOD – Wine basket

Thanks,

Grasshopper
February 7, 2007

E-Rock
I’ll take the kit
February 7, 2007

Dominus
QOTD: Yes, wine kit, easy. I’ve had a million wine baskets, not one wine kit.

I’ll have to try The Hermit Crab this weekend.

Cheers!
February 7, 2007

Karen Lorentz
Basket, please. That’s all I have time for. (Unless the basket is crap.)
February 7, 2007

Matt B DC
Interesting episode. It seemed to me like you were trying to be harder on those first two wines just because of the score factor. Then again, I think scores are total and complete nonsense. Dollar-to-fruit value considered, any wine can be a complete steal or a total rip-off. 2004 El Toqui Syrah was an absolutely incredible wine that I would’ve give a 98 to as I enjoyed it in a restaurant for $8 a glass. I’ve done some research since then and it turns out I can get the stuff for $8.99 a bottle. It’s a flat 100 after taking into account the quality:price ratio.

As for the QOTD, I’d rather have a basket anyday. Here in DC, the terroir is . . . well, let’s just say it isn’t savory.

Thanks for another great episode.
February 7, 2007

John Blue Label
Gary,
Nice discussion. I actually will spend the time and read the tasting notes for a premium bottle of wine. I feel I have to do my due diligence to make sure I’m not making a big mistake. That’s why I find WLTV so valuable. And Chris’s spreadsheet really helps. For a lower priced wine, if I see a good score, I don’t feel too bad about spending a few bones and giving it a whirl.
QOTD: Wine basket: don’t have time to make my own.

JW
February 7, 2007

Rick "The Model" M
awesome episode today man
February 7, 2007

Chad's Bumb Shoulder
Basket all the way. When you reviewing VA wines?
February 7, 2007

Chad's Bum Shoulder
Typo on name. Sorry.
February 7, 2007

Celia
great episode today!
Basket all the way… especially if it where put together by you, maybe for the novice. Different varietals in like-price ranges!
February 7, 2007

lizzy42
Wine basket :O) Great episode!
February 7, 2007

Chad's Bum Shoulder
I’ll let the experts make the wine. I’ll enjoy the wine and stare at the basket.
February 7, 2007

Vinifera
Great episode! I’m so going to seek out that ‘Hermit Crab’…..

I would definitely take the wine kit. Even though I love good wine…I don’t earn enough to drink $20 or more bottles daily. Some of the higher end wine kits cost about $100-$150 and make 30…bottles of wine…and thats not 30 bottles of crap wine…..figure wine in the $15-20 category. Not to mention…it is a RUSH coming home from work and pushing down the grape cap on your OWN Santa Ynez Syrah….or pressing or bottling your own Super-Tuscan. Imagine making a decent tasting Amarone for $4/bottle. Ahhh…I’m drooooooooling….
February 7, 2007

JonE
Tough qunadry on the scroes G-Man, I feel your pain. But have been tonning out Holly’s Blend specifically because of its scroe at my two shops. I too shared your opinion though, it was good not 90 points good. As for the Hermit Crab, I hope the 05′ was all they you say it is. Because the 04′ was a bomb, a bad stinky bowl of flinty swamp bomb. Oh, if we could only blame it on stelvin.

QOTD: Wine basket by far. I respect winemakers too much, and know that I am not skilled in their trade though thoroughly enjoy their efforts.
February 7, 2007

Marc Mc
wine basket, I don’t want to make wine in WI, too hard to source good grapes.

I may try Crushpad.
February 7, 2007

TimF
QOD: basket…
February 7, 2007

awin
I do not totally buy into wine ratings but they can be guide. I perfer to taste the wine before I buy but I do not always have the opp so I will use Robert Park for resource.
February 7, 2007

Salvatore
Basket……….hands down! Who wants to wait a year or more for who knows what! Been there, done that. Scores sometimes help…. pick a very good wine…sometimes Not!
February 7, 2007

R/Eason
Gary,

I like scores, especially when I get a feel for the critic’s palate. Then scores are informative. Why does it matter? Well, if I’m going to drop 30 or 40 bones on a bottle, I like to have some sense (even if it’s only a sketchy sense) of what I’m getting into. Yeah, of course it’s important to decide for one’s self. No kidding. That’s a given. Or at least it ought to be. But sometimes it’s also nice to have a forecast of things to come. I check the weather forecast every morning. Likewise, I’m only too happy to check a critic’s palate forecast on a particular wine before I let it get between me and my bones. Are the forecasters always right? Of course not. But much of the time they are right. Otherwise I (quickly) stop paying any attention to them.

I’m still paying attention, Gary.

R/Eason
February 7, 2007

Lars
QOTD: WL gift certificate. Oh wait. Not a choice. Basket.

Shout Out: Ooh boy. Tough choice. Decisions, decisions, decisions. Who am I kidding? You got my vote, Wine Guy.

Lars
February 7, 2007

Brookhouser
Wow……good advice…I have to admit at times I go for the scores being a newbie to the wineworld.

QOTD: The Gift basket…..The only way I would make wine is if I could buy the whole damn vineyard….and well….pockets aren’t quite deep enough yet!
February 7, 2007

Kyle "The K Man" Davis
I know this probably won’t mean anything but I just wanted to say that I skip over the wines that are graded so high. In fact, I focus on the wines that aren’t scored and make my own scores in my record book at home…It’s a lot more fun that way and it provides a huge variety….I’m only 21 so I’m new to the wine tasting but I must tell you man, your show has got me groovin with the grapes a lot now! I told my Mom tonight when we had a bottle of Mondavi merlot “Mom the complexity is all over the place”….she basically stopped what she was doing and went “What on God’s green earth are you talking about?”…..classic wine moment.

Later man

Kyle “The K Man” Davis

PS – Tailgate next season is a definite.
February 7, 2007

leatherpalate
Zen and the art of wine tasting.
Let’s face it,’scores’ are pretty
useful marketing tools especially
when the price is right.
Had the Provenance on Sun. liked it a bit
more than Gary but had it with all kinds of
food including yeah that’s right “authentic Gumbo”
and it rocked. Great episode.

QOD.Basket hands down. anything with the word ‘ making’ in
it implies work.
February 7, 2007

Dale Cruse
Basket.
February 7, 2007

Shotgun
QOD– Huh? Basket o’bargain cooked blended fortified grape juice? Do-it-yourself-salmonella-farm?

No. I will wait for the WL Gulfstream charter to Rhone Valley or Santa Barbara or Adelaide, sipping 100 point wines along the way.
February 7, 2007

winejedi
great episode gary. QOTD: i’ll take the wine basket. do you need my shipping address?;)
February 7, 2007

RyanWV
qod…….wine basket….
Where is the wedding ring Gary? I have no clue why i noticed this.
February 7, 2007

KimW
basket of course
February 7, 2007

mikeyrad
QOTD, wine basket. I wish I had the time to make wine, but I don’t so I’ll leave it up to the experts.

As far as wine ratings and criticism, I think that their value has more to do with evaluating wine critics that the wines themselves. Since I don’t have the time or budget to taste every wine that Parker, WS or GV does, I base some of my wine buying decisions on their recommendations. If I consistently disagree with a particular critic, I won’t read his or her column, and therefore won’t buy wines based on his/her recommendations. On the other hand, if I find a critic whose tastes are in sync with my own, I’ll be more inclined to buy wines based on his/her judgments.
February 7, 2007

Susan
Gary-
Great, Great Rant!
I am behind you 200% !!
It is clear in the forum that more people
need to think for themselves!
I got berated for thinking in the forum!
I am telling everyone I am going to insist on being a free thinker!
February 7, 2007

ChrisR
Fun ep and rant. Although while I trust my own palate, I don’t know if a wine is good before I taste it. And if I’m going to make an expensive purchase, wine ratings are a must. That’s why we turn to people we trust like Parker and Gary V!

QOD: Definitely Wine basket!
February 7, 2007

Canuckchuk
I’d give your show today an 86. Funny nose and not much of a finish.

When are you reviewing BC wines? There is life north of Washington state.

-Canuckchuk
February 7, 2007

Suzanne
Another cool episode. I try to not think about the ratings; I’m way too impressionable.
QOTD: I’d have to say the wine basket.
February 7, 2007

Susan
Gary-
QOD:
Basket
Basket
Tisket a Tasket!
I want a wine Basket!!!
February 7, 2007

E
Basket. Preferably full of weird Italian grapes I’ve never heard of.

I’m interested in tasting notes and I don’t mind point chasing–it doesn’t usually involve the kinds of wine I’m interested in, so let ‘em have their fun. Just so long as Rhone prices don’t go the way of Bordeaux …

But I must confess, I’ve chased points before. I ran across something interesting in an old Spectator several years ago, and was fortunate enough to find (locally!) some Chateau de Lascaux. It kicked all kinds of ass and turned me on to the Languedoc. So that worked out all right.
February 7, 2007

DebbieL
QOTD: Basket. I’m a great cook, but can’t see making my own wine.
February 7, 2007

Dave-from-Katonah
Great show, Gary Vay-Ner-CHUK!! Great energy. Great mood. You’re on a roll.
I love it when you throw some caution to the wind and make us think about ratings. Even better was that episode on divergent scores btwn WS and WA/RP. I gotta go and seek out some new whites…
QOTD – wineBASKET over kit 24/7/365!! 100% of the time.
PS You’ve got my vote!
February 7, 2007

manual
wine kit! but with a basket that i can fill to give away to friends. great episode. i appreciate your constant reminder that it’s up to to the individual to form and protect their own palatte. hey everybody, drink more white zinfandel! save those nasty little brunellos for me.
February 7, 2007

EJ
I often use the scores to point me to the tasting notes. If a wine didn’t score too well, i most likely won’t read the tasting notes. in comparing several bottles deciding what to purchase, i’ve many times chosen lesser scoring wines due to the tasting notes that suites me.

QOD- basket
February 7, 2007

cpd
Good episode.

Wine basket…I’m quite lazy, you know. Vote casted, by the way.
February 7, 2007

RobinRedBest in Boise, ID
Question of the year…why do all the East Coast critics use a 100 point score? Is it Ivy League?
The Brits and West Coasters use the UC Davis 20 point scale and have for over 40 years. Can you function on a 20 point scale?
If scholastically speaking, 100 = A+ = 20, 95 = A = 19, 90 = A-/B+ = 18, 85 = B = 17,
80 = B-/C+ = 16, 75 = C = 15 And 70 = C-/D+ [anything lower is undrinkable - but you could marinate with it or add it to your vinegar mother] Great Topic – I’d rather taste and choose according to my preferences…but I have been turned on to many wines I have not yet had the opportunity to taste by various wine critics – generally select from the wine critics over the winery marketing notes.
QOTD – I’d prefer the winemaking kit. Adventuresome type of a gal. Spouse, Bob, would prefer the basket. Send one of each.
We both like different kinds of surprises
February 8, 2007

PJ
Gary, good show again but your analogy is wrong. If I go to restaurant I wouldn’t ask the waiter for a dinner recommendation unless there were 1,000 meals named ‘Surf-n-Turf’ (or Shiraz or Grenache). With so many meals named the same, you have to rely on someone to tell you who is the better chef ( or winery). I use ratings as a guide – not an absolute. A 90 point wine should be better (regardless of scorer) than a wine that rates 75. Since price has so little to do with wines (unlike most industries) you have to base your decision on something. The names are usually the same (Cabernet, Shiraz, Merlot, etc.) so you only have two things to go on: The way the bottle looks or someone’s recommendation. Given that I am dishing out 5-10 McDonald value meals just for the wine, I’ll rely on the recommendation.

Oh and got my first decent bottle of wine as a screw cap. Not happy about it though I know you and everyone else touts it as a good thing (like NCAA Football playoffs). I don’t like it though. I prefer the custom and romance of the cork. It’s just more civilized.
February 8, 2007

boingoal
How about a wine making kit basket.
February 8, 2007

Dmjperc
Great Episode…Please..PLEASE keep ‘em coming.

QOTD: I’ve never gotten a basket… so basket.
February 8, 2007

Nico
cool episode, like the theme. Also, please introduce us to more cheese in the episodes. Currently I’m seeking out some robiola from the Brunello episode a few weeks ago.

QOTD: winemaking kit for me, it is one of my dreams to be able to artfully put my hand in the making of this life-nectar!

-Nico
February 8, 2007

LouieNY
I really need to start trying more whites, perhaps a few of these to start with….Thanks for the tastings Gary
February 8, 2007

Large Format Fever
I would take either the “Basket” and/or the making kit. If pushed to choose, I would have to put my confidence in another wine maker, as I do not know what the H-E-double_hockey_sticks is going on. I just like to drink it…ALOT. Thanks for another great one…. CB
February 8, 2007

SteviefreakinD
Definatly wine basket. Who would drink wine made in Brooklyn?
February 8, 2007

Corrado
QOTD first: I’d probably take the kit. I make my own beer and my folks make wine (from kits) that’s pretty decent for the daily drinking category.

Funny this episode should come out after I spammed an email to Gary last night looking for a show on Wine Ratings. I would argue that, like grades in school, ratings are important, but the problem is that there’s no real standard or rubric for scoring a wine. I’ve seen a published breakdown of how Parker says he scores wine and I try to follow that to be more objective than just giving it a yea or nea.

I’d still like to know what our host uses as HIS criteria for scoring wines. Someone should make “Vaynerchuk — the Home Game” where a video clip of Gary nosing, then tasting the wine is played, but the video is stopped before he speaks after spitting. The goal is to score the wine based on Gary’s facial expressions alone. Usually I’m within 1-2 pts.

While I do agree that buying wine because someone SAYS it’s good (or not buying it because someone says it’s bad) isn’t always wise, but for those of us who are still relative novices, the alternative is to play Grocery Store roulette and grab random wines, something that is likely have even poorer results than seeking out 88+ point wines in the under $15 range. That said, I won’t buy a 93pt Chardonnay for $11 because I know I can pick up a tried & true Brancott Sauvignon Blanc for the same price that I like.
February 8, 2007

LPapi
Question of the Day: Wow, so it looks like the the basket is the winner… HOWEVER, I sustain that you can get wine anywhere. I would appreciate the wine making kit. This way -for the many people like myself that dont have the oportunity to be a part of the wine making process – you can learn a little more by expanding your horizons in that direction, in turn becoming a more educated and perhaps cultured individual.
February 8, 2007

Ryan P
QOTD: Basket for me. I’m a wine newbie so I’d rather try a new kind than try to make some on my own.

Gary I want to thank you for raising my interest in wines dramatically. The enthusiasm, humor, and wild analogies you use make your show an instant favorite of mine. Keep up the good work man, cheers!
February 8, 2007

thomas korent
QOTD: basket, no doubt.
February 8, 2007

wey
I want a GaryVWLTV spitting thing
February 8, 2007

Mark
Favourite episode so far …. wine kit for me!

Cheers

Mark
February 8, 2007

PhilB
QOTD: Basket, clearly.

As far as scores go, come on people, scores ARE fun… It’s not a matter on buying according to the score, but to taste what you’re drinking, giving a score and then comparing… I love to say that Parker is wrong on such or such wine, that Suckling really had it right on this one… Actually, I like giving like an 89 to a wine that was scored 83 or lower, means nobody will chase it and there is more left for me! Anyways, I keep in my computer my tasting notes and copy next them the ones from WA or WS to compare them in the future… And giving your own ratings to wines allows you to follow their evolution or just to remember clearly the ones that you liked better… You may not remember how that Palmer 1995 was when you tasted it 4 years ago… A quick look at YOUR rating will keep you informed…
February 8, 2007

Slaphappy
Great episode. I am fairly new to the wine thing and I am definately persuaded by wine scores. I have to say that I have been disappointed in the past with some 90+ scored wines. I stumbled across this blog a couple of months ago while looking for wine making tips. There was a link I pressed it and now I am hooked. Having said that, (QOTD) I would prefer the wine kit. But I am patient. Thanks for the entertainment and education. By the way impressed by the superbowl prediction in episode 107.
February 8, 2007

organicguy
Nice episode….it’s good to see u pumped up again. I believe you just reenforced your theme of let scores be a guideline and nothing more. Smell, swirl, sip and savor….I’ll take a basket..please
February 8, 2007

bugbirdfishboy
kit
February 8, 2007

eugene
QOTD:Basket of course.

Ratings are highly overrated imo. :=)

For me low ratings are more important than the high ones. On the low end all the critics seam to agree. So if the wine has rating below 85 that is usually (not always) a good sign.

How do we buy wine?

Say I decided to buy a sangiovese based Tuscan wine for $15. I see full shelf of them
in the store. Which one do I pick?
Some of them are good, some plonk, some overpriced.
Some of them are traditional and some are international style.
Yes, I need tasting notes and guidance/recommendations. If I am in the reputable store and can trust sale people, I ask for advice. And I need to hear something better than â€œItâ€™s a good one!â€

As far as ratings go I learned to ignore Parker’s rating on inexpensive Spanish, Italian and CDR wines.
But, I read his notes which are pretty spot on.
I found that Eric Asimovâ€™s taste is similar to mine and I trust his recommendations.
And so on.

Gary,
Your notes are very good especially lately when you give us NEW WORLD alert!
February 8, 2007

Deano
Great episode Gary. I will have to seek out that hermit crab lol. I gave you the shout out on the wine blog awards the first time you mentioned it. I am sure you are gonna smash the competition.

QOTD: I would like either but the wine making kit would be cool. I have made some wine myself and it was a blast. My best friend up in Napa his dad makes it for fun. If all the grapes dont sell we pick em and crush em and the whole process and it was very cool. It is a good feeling when you pop open a bottle and you put the hard work into it. It feels good. When you come to cali and stay at my house we can drink a bottle lol
February 8, 2007

Michael B
Great episode – how about an episode of wines scored really low that you think are good, Gary?

QOTD: basket for sure. tried to make beer once, what a disaster.
February 8, 2007

Robert F
QOTD – definitely a basket.

P.S. thanks for the episodes on chinon and bourgueil, cause guess where I am? IN THE LOIRE VALLEY! Four and a half months in angers. Yum Yum
February 8, 2007

Antonio TouriÃ±o
Hmmm… How good are the wine making kits anyway? It would be useful if you can get good grapes I imagine. It probably would be useless to me as I don’t think I could get access to such grapes. So I would have to go with the wine basket.

Great episode Gary. Cheers from Panama!
February 8, 2007

Joyce
Gary…where is your wedding ring? Women always notice that….
February 8, 2007

SteveB
QOTD: definitely basket
February 8, 2007

Englishman
Love the sound effects of the peppermill.
QOD – Wine basket all the way!!
Will have to try the Hermit Crab. Thanks for the comments on wine ratings. While I don’t believe in them all the way, it is a good place to at least start.

Englishman
February 8, 2007

Southpaw
GV,

You are the Joe Namath of wine! I wait for your episodes the way my wife waits for Grey’s Anatomy and that freaking Lifetime channel. Who’s better than you GV? No one!

QOTD: Don’t be such cheap bastards, give both a basket and a kit and reap the rewards of being a generous, philanthropic purveyor of wines.

I’m off to do the work of many!
February 8, 2007

Rob B
Basket!!
February 8, 2007

Lynne
QOD: Basket.

Hermit Crab sounds interesting, so does a “peppered” wine. I’m such an easy sell.
February 8, 2007

Len C
how did you know my birthday is on the 20th? i would love if you sent me a wine making kit
February 8, 2007

dougiefresh
two great episodes back-to-back. nice one!

qotd – wine kit. thinking about growing some vines in my front yard in jersey. ; )

btw, you guys ever think about enhancing your search on winelibrary.com? I had a heck of a time searching on “Navarrita” because I didn’t spell it exactly. How about a “did you mean”? I’m sure you’ve thought about it. Also, it would be nice to have an advanced search where I could search keywords within the tasting notes. Like being able to search wines that had “honeysuckle” in the notes. Index that stuff! cheers.
February 8, 2007

Jason R.
I AM IN FOR THE WINE MAKING KIT – I HAVE NEVER HAD A WINE BASKET WORTH A DAMN – TYPICAL GROCERY STORE FAKE WINE.

I AM BEEN PONDERING MAKING MY OWN FOR A WHILE. NOT THAT I WOULD NOT STILL BUY A TON, BUT I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE VERY EDUCATIONAL IN THE PROCESS AND HELP FURTHER MY PALATE
February 8, 2007

JohnP
Gary.. Basket, really. I tried to make wine, what a joke!
I can’t wait to try a few of todays picks…
February 8, 2007

Keith Miller
Good episode Gary…You know disagree about your take on wine ratings a bit…I think it is useful to consumers iffffff…(Heres where it gets tricky) the review itself is helpful. I think the one thing in a review that would be beneficial for the wine consumer is the overall stucture of a wine instead of flavor profiles so much…sure some of that is needed. I’m sorry if a wine has great flavor of fruit and anise and sage but is thin in the mouth, what good is it. Structure is left out way toooooooo many times with wine writers. Now I think you do a good job telling peple about the structure of wine you taste. I am mainly refering to print or point of sale on store shelves.
Good show…..denverwineguy.com
February 8, 2007

Paul
Winemaking kit all the way.
February 8, 2007

VinoVixen
Basket! Good show. Everyone has a different palate. The reviews can be helpful to determine if the wine is balanced and well made…but otherwise, trust your own palate and style when picking wines. Although, a good review may prompt someone to try something out of their comfort zone
February 8, 2007

Larry Leichtman
Enjoyed your episode today. My preference is a wine basket to a wine making kit. I have never had a good bottle of home made wine.

Just wanted to tell you that your point on points is excellent. Just went to 25 tasting rooms in Paso Robles and Los Olivos. Every pourer had to tell you how many points their wines received before they poured them. The points rarely matched the wines. I do want to thank Gary for the episode on Tensley wines. Went to Los Olivos on a day they are normally closed but Jennifer was there and she was sweet enough to open a new bottle of Colson Syrah, what a great wine, signed up for their wine club imnmediately. Cairn wines also made by the Tensleys is in the same room and they had an interesting take on Rhone varietals. A real surprise was Arthur Earl wines producing a really good Mourvedre and an interesting Barbera/Nebbiolo blend. In Paso Robles at the far out wineries, Oppolo stood out as did several Justin wines including a Chardonnay that was truly Burgundian. Thanks for the Tensley recommendation. It got me to Los Olivos that is definately a place to get back to.
February 8, 2007

Jeff
thanks for the mostly white review; that has become my favorite in the 10 years I have been down in Florida; especially “pool” wines enjoyed with friends and nothing else. Love the hermit crab; have for year; agree with comments on white rhones (which are usually a bit more complex overall than that). Most people starting out drinking wines seem to usually either drink the forgettable whites/blushes; or are told that only reds are the serious wines; what a joke! It is nice to see whites get some of the attention they deserve on your show!
I make wines; from sterile must; so I would choose the kit!
cheers Gary.
February 8, 2007

Ken
Gary,
Good episode today. I take ratings with a grain of salt. There have been many wines that I love that might rate 80 and there have been ones that I have liked that might rate over 90. Besides, when I read a review of a wine I pay more attention to the narrative than the score anyway. I keep a journal of the wines that I have so that I know in the future what kind of wine it was. I never use any kind of scoring but I comment on the appearance, nose, palate, and finish. Also, I find it kind of odd that the name â€œHollyâ€ is still associated with Hollyâ€™s Blend since the Marquis duo has nothing to do with the wine anymore. As far as the Vina Alarba is concerned, Iâ€™ve never had that wine but the Old Vines Grenache has been one of my favorite QPRs in the past.
QOD: Basket of wine. I’d never make my own wine and I’m sure that it would $uck if I did.
PS. Read my email that was sent today.
February 8, 2007

Lawrence Leichtman
Great episode. Have to really agree about ratings. Just did tastings in Paso Robles and Los Olivos. Every pourer had to tell us what the ratings for all of their wines were (except Tensley I already had theirs from Chris’s spreadsheet) Except for a few the ratings didn’t match the wines. Standouts were Tensley (caught Jennifer there on an off day and she was nice enough to open a bottle of Colsen Syrah for us) and Cairn (same tasting room as Tenslsy is the winemaker for both), Arthur Earl Italian varietals including a Barbera/Nebbiolo blend and a non-Italian Mourvedere, all of these in Los Olivos though we went to 15 of them and Oppolo and Justin in the “Far Out” area of Paso Robles, standouts were a truly Burgundian Chardonnay and Tempranillo at Justin, all of the Rhone varietal blends at Oppolo were good. Thanks for turning me on to Tensley. Nice folks and great wines and I had never been to Los Olivos before. Now they just need bathrooms.

Finally wine basket is a preference to wine making kit as I have never had a good homemade wine.
February 8, 2007

Joe in LA
I like the scoring system but often wonder if the flew out the Spectator bunch for a weekend on the town before they rated…The WORST sentence to hear is, ” It’s a good wine FOR THE MONEY”….as if paying less will make it taste better.

Another great episode. Wine basket by far…

I voted…and still trying to shake off the visual of GV sniffing Barbie.
February 8, 2007

Dr. Dan
Good episode. Like everyone else, in print I am drawn to wines with a rating score. Yet, I look closely at the tasting notes before spending mucho dinero. Also, I’m trying to calibrate my palate with those vaunted rating gurus, so that I’ll know how their tastes align with mine.
February 8, 2007

Justmarsh
QOD: Wine basket. Making wine sounds tough!

Oprah + Vaynerchuk (a match made in heaven?)
February 8, 2007

vinnyd
Nice episode…to me the Parker ratings are either right on or huge disappointments…when I do shop for rated wines, I seem to have much more luck with Tanzer. He seems a bit stingier with giving out 90’s, as opposed to Parker.
February 8, 2007

Rebecca
Wine making kit – would like a basket, but, how often would anyone think to give a wine making kit. I think it would be a great experience to make wine – I’m a nerd that way.

Gary, your family was in to have dinner at the restaurant where I work last evening. I’d noticed the last name in my reservation book once before a few weeks ago and was disappointed that it was may night off. Anyway, I chatted with your Dad as he was leaving. He asked me if I’d see the episode when you described his debacle over loosing his cell phone while taking off his hat in the ocean..of course I did, I’m a Vaniac! Actually, he was so upset about it that although it was a funny, classic story, I felt bad for him – and I can’t imagine how much it would stink to loose all the #’s and info that we store in our cell phones! Anyway, it was neat to see your family – hope they had a good time, good food and good wine!
February 8, 2007

Tony S.
Great show Gary. I think I’ll have to pick up that D’Arenberg, not that I care what YOU think, but it is helpful when someone I trust likes something. As I’ve commented before, I totally agree with you on the “drink what YOU like, not what OTHER people like” attitude. It’s more fun to experiment and stuff. Seriously, I’m in the wine business, and I couldn’t tell the score of any wine…I simply don’t care what RP, Spectator, etc…thinks about certain wines.

What I DO trust, is the opinions of my co-workers, friends and my own. I love it when I’m pouring at a tasting and I’m pouring a wine that is supposed to be a “great” wine, and having tasted it before the tasting, I find this wine to be mediocre (at best). And I’m not being a snob, but the wine is clearly not what it should be. And everyone rushes over to taste it and they’re gushing all over it, and at the same time, passing up on wines that don’t get much hype when they’re great wines. Ridiculous. That’s why I like blind tastings.

OK…so, when you played with your Barbie dolls, was seperate from when you played with your Strawberry Shortcake dolls, or did you play with them at the same time?

QOD: I have no desire to make wine, so I think I would take a wine basket. OK, well, take it easy and have a good day.
See you later,
T

GO BEARS!!!
February 8, 2007

gordoyflaca
kit!
February 8, 2007

Louisiana George
Wine basket

Never had a desire to make my own wine (although I have made my own beer for years), however, there are so many good wines out there left for me to try, never wanted to try to make my own. Had some friends in Boston whose parents made their own wine and it was scary stuff – that may influence my decision a bit.

Louisiana George
February 8, 2007

CollegeFootballis NumberOne
Basket-case.
February 8, 2007

Joyce
Basket–ready to drink!
February 8, 2007

SoCalDaveBandito
Wine basket… easily.

A couple of Red Zins, some triple creme cheese and a crusty bread and it sounds like a picnic to me.
February 8, 2007

Joe Po
I’ll take a wine basket especially if it is like the Christmas one! What a crowd pleaser!
February 8, 2007

Acousticdoc
Basket!!
February 8, 2007

Grackle
I have generally always dug the Holly’s Blend. Haven’t tried the ‘05, but plan to soon.

I’d like the basket and the kit as a gift. HA!
February 8, 2007

dealbhadair
Forget all you lazy alchoholics! Heheh… JK… jk…
I want the wine-making kit! That sounds fun!!!
Dangerous….. but fun!
(Seriously, though… What could increase you appreciation for wine more, than putting in months of your own blood, sweat, and tears, only to end up with undrinkable swill?)
February 8, 2007

the sound guy
Wine making kit. I love making Beer and mead and would also like wine Someone asked the other day in the comments and I was wondering if there was an answer yet about what the numbers behind you mean.
Well I voted for you good luck in the awards
February 8, 2007

Kathy
Wine basket for sure. I had to drink too many glasses of homemade wine by an Uncle who was so proud of his wine that I couldn’t spit it out. Thanks for making my day for saying you enjoy Sauvignon Blanc over Chardonay. It seems safer to order at a resturant as I usually get a enjoyable wine. With Chardonay I always seem disappointed. This is a constant issue with my husband and me. He wants the oak monster Chardonay.
Thanks for a good episode. Will expand my white wine choices.
February 8, 2007

Doug
WHY I LIKE RATINGS…

Gary, Gary, Gary
You compare wine to bubble gum? To tires? How many brands of bubble gum are there? How many brands of tires? Maybe a dozen, max? How many kinds of wine could I buy? Thousands and thousands and THOUSANDS. So how do I decide? Okay, I like fruit-forward new-world styles. STILL thousands. So if Gary V or Bobby P or some Spectator wants to help me out and say – hey, there are lots of cab-based meritages or chardonnays or Rhone-style wines – BUT this one tastes better to me than that one, and this one tastes even better (and maybe use a numeric scale to differentiate) – then, hey – for me, that’s a good thing.
I’ll drink what I like – that’s why I’ve got 4 bottles of Paraduxx, 3 bottles of Garnacha de Fuego, and a few other duplicates in the cellar. But loving wine is all about trying new stuff, and I appreciate all the help I can get in picking out better new wines.
Keep up the great work!
February 8, 2007

Bill T.
QOTD – Got to go with the wine making kit!
February 8, 2007

Ken
QOTD: Wine basket

I don’t know Gary. How is one supposed to walk into a place like the WL, with its thousands of bottles, and make a decision without some sort of guidance? You would go broke trying even a fraction of everything there is. So, we need some sort of head start. After all, wine ain’t as cheap as bubble gum.

I choose wine in much the same way I decide what movies to see, or what electronic device to buy. That is I do read the reviews, but only the reviews of writers who I have come to trust. Why should wine be any different than any other commodity in this respect? Just how do you suggest that someone goes about finding out what they like? The trial and error would be ridiculous, and as I said, absurdly expensive.

In the case of wine, I have come to value your opinion because your tastes have rarely diverged from my own. I’m willing to risk a few bucks because you said so. I think many of the people here feel the same way. If you recommended wines, and I thought they sucked, I’d be paying attention to someone else.

So after months of rating wines, I find it a little disingenuous for you now to suggest that we not listen to you.
February 8, 2007

Nathan N
QOTD I vote for the basket.

Great show! I really like getting your tasting notes and comparing thim to the RP’s, WS & of course my own.
February 8, 2007

Joe P.
We are a nation that needs to be validated by grades! Let the vino grading continue! QOTD: Winemaking kit! A fun nudge from a friend to say: see what you can do! jp
February 8, 2007

Paul M
QOTD: basket … too busy with family to add another project to my life, heck if I made my own wine I might not have time for WLTV
February 8, 2007

Sir Lloyd
basket
February 8, 2007

MiamiDolphins
basket
February 8, 2007

Miguelo DiMarco
Your right, I took your advice on the Little Valley Cabernet – it was a monumental __________.
-glad I only got 2 bottles.

I’m going to bury the second bottle in my backyard under soil (in the very temperate Sunnyvale clime) and see how this one tastes in a few years. Back to the terroir is goes. . .
February 9, 2007

Matty Matt
I totally agree on trusting your own taste and not that of critics. Just last night I had a bottle of zin that WS scored an 82 but I thought it was more of a 87-88 type wine. And for the price it was a great bottle, and if I had known the score before hand I doubt I would have bought it.

That being said scores are a great place to start when looking for new wines or exploring new varietals/regions. Are the scores really any different than asking the guy at the wine shop for advice?

QOTD – The basket. Not sure where I could grow wine or when I would have the time.
February 9, 2007

Slick Nick
QOTD: Wine basket.. since I just bought a wine making kit!!
February 9, 2007

Metal Dave
QOTD:

Wine Basket
February 9, 2007

RieZin
Defintely basket. I’m more qualified for drinking than producing. Did you get a final tally?
February 9, 2007

Patt
Mar-kee Philips not Marky Philips as you pronounced it, right?
February 9, 2007

Patt
QOTD: Wine Basket, with the proper food pairing, of course!
February 10, 2007

TheRP
Ok, I’ve watched a few shows and now I’ll be a Lurker No Longer (LNL?). Great stuff Gary!

I think your premise is right on (Drink what you like) but I would have to say that wine ratings do play a pretty important role. With SO much wine out there it is really hard as a consumer to know what to try these days. Tasting notes are really only worthwhile if you have found a critic with a similar palate to yours that you trust (and in that case if you are trusting their tasting notes, why not also use their score as a guide?). Finding a local wine shop and finding someone you can trust there would be great but sometimes you have to go on other’s recommendations.

I wish I could taste more wines and be able to just trust my palate but when I’m in a wine store with 400 bottles to choose from, 75% of the time I’d rather either go with a staff recommendation or a wine that received decent scores rather than closing my eyes and rolling the dice. (That other 25% of the time can be pretty fun, though).

RP
February 10, 2007

Gatorfan
Great show, as always. As an economist, I’m very interested in the effect of ratings on wine sales, but it’s difficult to find sales data since most wineries are privately held. Basically, since wine is an experience good, there’s an information asymmetry between the wine buyer and wine seller. People use the ratings as a way to gauge the quality of the product before they purchase it.

Is the difference between an 89 and 90 that dramatic?

QOTD: definitely a wine making kit!
February 11, 2007

Randy B
Gary,

You continue to impress. RE: QOTD definetly a wine making kit. This is a great lead-in to an idea I have, why don’t you do a show on homemade wines? What a hoot it would be to do your thing on the top four wines you received. You could restrict the wines to those made with fresh grapes (sorry no kits) and further limit entries to producers of 100 gallons or less. You want to experience the efforts of the true garage home winemaker who crushed the grapes by hand (or feet). Just a thought…

Ciao
February 11, 2007

Joanie
Gary, Love your show. QOTD: The wine making kit. Why? Because much of my family and a few friends think grocery store wine is really great. So, I’d rather experiment. Even though I now live in MN where there are few grapes, but a truck load of apples, rhubarb and cranberries. Hmmmm. I better re-think the QOTD.
February 11, 2007

TimF
I had the Provenance SB last night and I thought it was very good. Like ginger ale and sprite mixed together.
February 11, 2007

johnmaki
wine basket – I keep telling a friend of mine he can’t make wine -
with all that wine to drink, we’d have no time to taste all the other wines out there!
February 12, 2007

dabo
QOTD – Wine Basket… no contest.
February 12, 2007

michael
BIG FAN of d’Arenberg wines…esp. so of Coppermine Road, d’Arry’s Original, Dead Arm, and Laughing Magpie. Great producers of some great (not to mention fun) wines…
Speaking of fun…match a foot long (all the fixings) chili ‘dog w/ Stump Jump (Red). Ahhhh!! Now all that we’re missing is a ‘ball game… LOL.
February 13, 2007

ThomasS
QOTD: a basket of course, what the h*ck would I do with a wine making kit, better a beer making kit then.
So, d’Arenberg, nice you think the same about it as I did: it’s tremendous. We had it blind in a Rhone white tasting … I could not believe that it was NW (so, maybe the NW/OW-prejudices are unescapable). C ya.
February 14, 2007

Cellar Rat #1
A Wine Making Kit would make my day. I’m biased having started making kit wine last September. We’ve bottled two whites and five reds and have increased our wine knowledge and appreciation exponentially.
I spent a year working in a tasting room at a local winery and did not learn near as much as what I’m learning with kit wine. Highly recommend kit wine making to anyone who wants to learn about wine.
February 14, 2007

WirelessWine
Great episode! I say basket….great for the instant gratification!
February 14, 2007

Vincent
Hey, watch the Consumer Reports stab (you took it back, though!). Ratings / Reviews if done in an empirical and objective way can serve the buying public in a good way (e.g., cars, flat screen TVs, and, yes, even wine)!
July 11, 2007

Totte
QotD : Wine basket…

And great that I found you trying the Hermit Crab. IÂ´ve tried a lot of dÂ´Arenbergs lately : Feral Fox Pinot Noir, Stump Jump Red, Stump Jump White, Money Spider Roussanne, Last Ditch Viogner and of course the Hermit Crab, the only one I liked was the Crab and I liked it a lot. Marsanne is my white grape of choice right now.

Cheers

Swedish T

PS. And now weÂ´re friends at facebook DS
April 17, 2008

Sarandi
Hi Gary,

I just started watching your show and I love it. I actually saw the conan episode when it first aired! But now I’m a bit more into food, and am expanding my knowledge about everything culinary, including wine. That said, I bought some nice, fresh, organic broccoli yesterday and really tasted it. It tasted first of grass – nice and clean. After a chewing and swallowing, an overwhelming taste of tobacco was left in my mouth, which is why I’m posting this. You mentioned that one of the wines had an aspect of tobacco on the mid palate, followed by broccoli. Now, I’m not certain as this was the first time I’ve really paid attention – but somehow I think broccoli has that tobacco-ness in it – not to say that that’s where the flavor came from, as tobacco-taste can be present without the broccoli. What do you think? Do you taste food as you taste wine? Can you build the taste profile of a food with other foods, or have you ever found something you thought you knew as a “building block” to taste of something else? I will continue to expand my palate, and thank you for helping all of us on our quests to taste the world. Or wine, at least.
July 26, 2008

Devynne
When you tasted the Hermit Crab, you said that it was a “real wine” and should not be for the kids (21 and older). I’m just a beginner (lets say.. 21) and I am trying to switch up the palate with many different types of wine. Shouldn’t we introduce the more finer wines to the up and coming generation of wine connoisseur’s? What’s so wrong about being young and having a great interest in “real wine”.. I DO take it very seriously.

Putting all that aside, I think this is a Great show! I enjoy watching you critique wines, and learning from you.
January 2, 2009

Walter A
Gary – great stuff! I recently found your website, and I’m browsing around. Enjoyed the segments on wine tasting and training your palate. This helps me understand tastes and terminology considerably. You explained what’s meant by a “hollow” wine (no midpalate) – my question is: what do you mean by a “flabby” wine?

Of course, I’ve got a bunch of seemingly related questions about terms like “backbone,” “structure,” what you mean when you say a wine is “tight” (or has a tight flavor profile… Are there any episodes where you talk about these kinds of wine terms?

Thanks!
June 1, 2009

Phredd
QOTD: Wine making kit, no question. I’ve already been looking into it. My whole goal would be to just make a wine that doesn’t suck.
October 25, 2009

John J.
qotd wine making kit. unless that basket has a ‘61 petrus in it.

Gary, one day you should have a vin jaune on.

Wine ratings? – Episode #178

Wines tasted in this episode:

Links mentioned in todays episode.

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