Super Tuscan Wines and Information

Super Tuscan Wines and Information – Episode #205

March 29, 2007

Wines tasted in this episode:

Question of the day: “Who is is the most profound influence on you when it comes to sports?”

Links mentioned in todays episode.

Italy makes some of the most interesting wines in the world and today Gary Vaynerchuk tastes four wines that many would say are the wine most Americans are drawn to, the Super Tuscans.

Having trouble seeing this video? Click here for the Quicktime version

122 Responses

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March 30, 2007

TagWorld Brian
Super Tuscan is just the coolest sounding name. Superman. Supermarket. Super Dave. Superlative. Anything called Super just sounds super.
March 30, 2007

dc13
Still need to fix the typo in the title!
QOTD: I’ll certainly never ever forget Mookie Wilson!
March 30, 2007

TimInFL
Great Episode! Some of my favorite wine!

QOTD – Gary “The Kid” Carter – One day he will Manage a Big League team and deserves to. Besides, I think he was the only one NOT on Coke in 1986.

Letâ€™s GO Mets!
March 30, 2007

Harold
QOTD: I don’t have the greatest sense of sports history so I’ll have to chose someone current and my choice is Arsene Wenger; one of greatest spotters of football (soccer) talent ever.
March 30, 2007

mas
Couldn’t agree with you more about restuarant wine pricing – really drives me crazy – as well as those who let you BYO bottle but charge you upwards of $20 corkage fee!

Also agree on the Super Tuscans – would really like to see your take on value ST’s in the market today.

QOTD: Larry Bird – who thought a guy with a 3″ vertical leap could do what he did …
March 30, 2007

Lawrence Leichtman
Will send a big shout out to your sister. What an accomplishment for an undervalued profession but from your description she will be horrified by the attention.
Sports influences…my hgh school gold coach and my college golf coach both of whom taught me to respect the game and the traditions as well as playing golf well. Payne Stewart for showing what a true gentleman in sports can be and for his sheer love of the game.
Super Tuscans for me are a mixed bag. They have been all over the board in tastes and quality but one thing has been consistent, high prices. The Solalia keeps rising though the demand doesn’t. Something is wrong with tha picture. I have had some wonderful Solalia and Tenuta and Guarda but the price never approaches the value of the wine. So for me, unless the prices moderate they are pretty much out of my shopping list. My last bottle of Solalia was 1999 and was $65. Doubling in 8 years is a bit much.

Gary, I really would like to hear you talk about restaurant wines. I travel a lot and go to local restaurants is many places and, except for a few instances find overpriced wine list with poor selection in most of them. The absolute worst are the chain restaurants. Most of them wouldn’t know a good wine if the fell in it but they seem to have no trouble getting $7.50 a glass for a $16 bottle that they probably get for considerably less than that. It isn’t intimidating, it’s depressing.
March 30, 2007

Tony S.
Hey there…it’s been a while, I’ve been travelling for work a lot (a little too much). Ummm no one influences me when it comes to sports. I just want the Bears to win and/or do well or just do something. You are welcome for Thomas Jones, I guarantee you he’ll do better now.

Was that a Burgundy Grand Cru glass you were using for the Super Tuscans? The only one of those wines I haven’t tasted before was the Al Tesaro, and that sounded pretty good. Well, I gotta go, I have a lot of work to catch up on…nice to see you again.

Go BEARS!!!
T
March 30, 2007

MaryS
QOTD: Gilad Janklowicz. He is my fitness hero. Inducted into the 2007 Fitness Hall of Fame.
March 30, 2007

Fiorentina!
This has to be a pretty standard thing to say, but the greatest influence I have is the media. I watch ESPN like it’s going out of style, read SI and visit SI.com, Espn.com, foxsports.com. It’s just about impossible from not being influenced by these individuals.
March 30, 2007

Rick W.
Michael Jordon in my era!!! I hope LeBron takes that torch because that will mean I have won some kind of championship before I die. Coming from Cleveland that may seem impossible. I had to stay home from work one day because the indoor mens soccer league championship was won by Cleveland on ESPN Ocho. ( I hate soccer) Throw me a BONE!!!!

Rick
March 30, 2007

Mike I
QOTD – Paolo Rossi, 1982 World Cup against Brazil. One of those moments that was way more than sport. Plus, he was born in Tuscany…
March 30, 2007

Grasshopper
QOTD – Tiger Woods

Sensei – great episode! Love learning about all the different areas, regions, rules and regulations. Your explanation on the Super Tuscans was great! Was out to dinner with friends last weekend and had two Antinori wines. First was the 2000 Pian delle Vigne Brunello and the second was the 2002 Tignanello. The Brunnello was wonderful but I have to agree with you about what you said about the Super Tuscan’s. As a whole they may not have a great QPR. Seems they are priced compared to the other Italian “Super”stars like Brunello and Barolo where they have no real competition. But in Cab/Merlot/CF they have the whole to be compared and valued against. I would love to see you do the episode you mentioned on “Under valued” Super Tuscan!

Also would like to hear more and to try and understand Dummy Phase. How do you know and how can you be sure it will pass? How do you know that keeping a wine for years longer will be worth it? I suppose you have to have at least 6 or more bottles to taste a wine as it matures and goes through these stages to really understand to to know for sure?

Laughed pretty hard when you did the Oak Monster and said it was the Big Ass Oak Monster. And what was the off the wall comment on the 50 cent piece being totally Pimp? You have an icredibally active mind and imagination and I think that is why you are able to describe wines so well and the reason all us knuckleheads like and actually understand what your saying! Also good that you run the place so you do not have to go through drug testing….:)

As always, I look forward to todays episode! you going to hit the couch?

Grasshopper
March 30, 2007

Bill F
QOTD: A 27 year old football rookie and Vietnam veteran Roger Staubach. Pat Tillman a close second. While there are many excellent role models, I would place these at the top.
March 30, 2007

aktormedic
I don’t know….for me Solia is kind of the definition of a FAKE wine. I have tasted it a few times, and this has been my overwhelming first impression.
March 30, 2007

Justin S
Good show, though I hardly know anything about Super Tuscans.
QOTD: My Dad taught me to never give up, back when I played Pop Warner I used to look up to L.T. #56 he was a maniac.
March 30, 2007

Englishman
Waiting anxiously for the value priced Super Tuscans.

QOTD – Cannot believe that the Chicago contingent did not mention Michael Jordan!! Agree on Gretzky, Montana, and even Marino. These people not only were great individuals personally but were successful in helping to bring “home the bacon” for their teams.
Also have to agree on Woods. Within 5 years, he will be the best person to pick up sticks, ever!!!
March 30, 2007

Jack2112
Another amazing show. And kudos to Liz, she actually wrote back to my email with her own thank you! She’s all that.

QOTD – Wow, this is a tough one. Back in the day I’d say it was Howie Long. The good looking dude from MA that could seriously kick butt far more than anyone expected. But ironically (and this will seems like a full out Gary V kiss-butt … WHATEVER!) but I’ve become a big Joe Namoth fan. Seriously folks, the man did the virtually impossible, and just when that made him uber-cool, he became the coolest playa on the planet and did it with style. I love how he took it seriously, but so NOT seriously.

rock out.
March 30, 2007

PhilB
QOTD: Tiger Woods too…. This guy has done more for golf and sport en general than anyone…

I don’t think this one was imported in the US, but for those international Vaniacs out there like me, give the Bolgheri Il Bruciato 2002 a try… Bad vintage, but the Il Bruciato beneficiated from all the grapes that usually go in the Guado al Tasso that year because Antinori did not make any first wine! So you basically get a below average vintage Guado al Tasso for a fourth of the price! Well worth it!
March 30, 2007

SoCal
G,
Thanks for the Super Tuscan Ep!
You have committed to a lot.
Under the radar values in Tuscany & Crazy wine list pricing.
Can’t wait!

QOTD: My High School Football Coach. He really kicked my A$$ and now that I am older I appreciate the work ethic in sports he instilled.
March 30, 2007

Ken
Gary, I like Super Tuscans but I find them many to be too expensive. Some that Iâ€™ve had did not merit the price tag. For a, what I feel, is a nice take on a Super Tuscan by a Napa Valley vintner, give the David Arthur Vineyards Meritaggio a try. It is good stuff at a lower price (~ $50 to $65) compared to most Super Tuscans. However, the Meritaggio may be too new world for your palate. On asparagus pee: Did you realize that not everyone has it? Asparagus has sulphur-containing amino acids and the scientific debate is that not everyone has the gene to break these down. Supposedly, it is a recessive trait. Congrats to your sister and the kind words about teachers. My wife is a 3rd grade teacher and I know by being married to her that her efforts are not always recognized. The Solaia is far too young to drink now – IMO, the others are as well. I find that the â€œdumb phase happens often with CdPs.

QOD: My dad was an outstanding athlete and has no doubt passed on his athleticism to me. I, in turn, passed it on to my oldest daughter who is an outstanding soccer player but is good at whatever she tries. She now influences me because I still play soccer and by observing her play I in turn have picked up new things for my game. Since she is still developing as a player, her mind is much more open for learning skills than mine is but as I see her use these learned skills I say to myself â€œIâ€™ll try that sometime.â€ Kind of neat.
March 30, 2007

Jon B
QOTD: Gotta go with Jerry Rice as well. He was an amazing role model for his teammates and others in the NFL. An example of someone who really enjoyed his job and did it the best. He was also a class act in the midst of high-paid players who never really grew up.

Keep up the great shows, Gary!
March 30, 2007

TommyBoBo of WI
Brandon get time off for his birthday?
March 30, 2007

Fishamble
QOTD: Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards – British (English, I think) long-jump skier. His attitude and achievement in the sport is the greatest remedy to the seriousness and intensity with which sport in general is weighted down.
March 30, 2007

TampaSteve
I have had the Antinori Guado Al Tasso 2000 several times and have some also in my cellar. Your reaction to this wine pretty much hits head on in my house. While I love this wine my wife is not a big fan of it.

BTW…your Italian wine pronunciation….lolololol
March 30, 2007

John P
Great episode!!! I love the Tuscan wines. My wife and I
came back from Tuscany a couple moths ago. I don’t know much about
the rules there but the “rooster” label is what I was told to buy.
Love most of the Chianti Classico’s.