Barolo and Cheese – Episode #210

April 6, 2007

Wines tasted in this episode:

Question of the day: “Whos going to win the masters this weekend?”

Links mentioned in todays episode.

Tom Ciocco’s Terroir Blog

Gary Vaynerchuk answers a question and sips some Barolo and munches on some cheese.

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

158 Responses

April 6, 2007

njbabs
1st?
April 6, 2007

CW
hey QOTD: Anika
April 6, 2007

njbabs
April 6, 2007

CW
off my game
April 6, 2007

Andrew G
Top ten!
April 6, 2007

Corrado
It’s not often that one can get in to the forum this early and actually post something extensive and meaningful other than “FIRST” or “omg did i make teh top 10!?!”

Thanks to Gary for doing WLTV for FREE (almost) every day.

Because me… with a WHOOOOOOOOOOOLE LOT of you, we’re changing the wine world, aren’t we?
April 6, 2007

Andrew G
QOTD: I was thinking Tiger, but now who knows, anybody could win… I’m taking Vijay though
April 6, 2007

Dmjperc
Top 10!!!!!
April 6, 2007

Harold
Ah three of my favorite things all in one; wine, cheese and WLTV. Thanks Gary.
April 6, 2007

Caren
perfect 10?
April 6, 2007

mbannon
Woo hoo! Top 11.
April 6, 2007

YoungDave
Top 13??
April 6, 2007

TheDumbPhase
I’m still hungover! Damn Insignia magnums!
April 6, 2007

SP
I love Barolo!!!!
April 6, 2007

waibeans
Cheese Cheeese oh wonderful Cheese!

Cheers!
April 6, 2007

matt long
nice…

cheese, cheese….

Going to get some right now !!!
April 6, 2007

waibeans
TDP.. you’ve been quiet on the boards. You doin ok?
April 6, 2007

Bourgeois
Long time lurker. Thought I would drop in and say hey. I have learned a lot watching your program. Keep up the good work Gary!
April 6, 2007

Justmarsh
At least Mario Lopez is still living. Now you’re tasting dead people! hahaha
April 6, 2007

Dmjperc
Gary,

You need to give us the specs. on that cheese so we can try it!!!!
QOTD: Tiger is only 4 strokes back… how can we not say him? However, the brits want a masters win this year and they are fighting hard… I would have to give a nod to Justin Rose for the win. What do you think?..let me know.
April 6, 2007

CHEF
Gary…This Episode was such a profound effort on your part…You did a profound job on the wine and or course a profound job on the Cheese as well…I hope you have a profound weekend and a very profound Holiday…

Profoundly yours,
+CHEF
-Whenever someone asks what youâ€™re making for dinner, tell them â€œReservationsâ€â€¦
April 6, 2007

Lil Luce
Oh yeah, I gotta get me some Prunotto. I make a rockin’ mushroom & red wine risotto. Maybe that is what I’d serve if I win the contest!

QOTD: Arnold Palmer will win with his celebratory shot! In other words, I have no idea….Mikelson, maybe?

TDP – I am still hung over too…but drinking all the good juice last night was worth every minute of head ache today!
April 6, 2007

Jennifer
QOTD: Tiger Woods?
I KNOW!
April 6, 2007

Jennifer
..got trigger happy with the submit button.
qotd: I’ve no idea.
pointless observation: the Altere La Morra has a really pretty lable.
April 6, 2007

panoca
Top 25! My highest ever.
Barolo are so profound but expensive. Had it a couple of times in a tasting club.
April 6, 2007

Harley Stan
Nice Friday episode. My wife was talking about Barolo a few months ago, we asked at our local liquor store and the wine guy there had never heard of Barolo (small town). I ordered a 2001 Barolo featured on a past episode from Wine Library and have not opened it yet, I am trying to wait until 2008.
QOTD Ernie Ells
April 6, 2007

Jimkay
Thanks for the tasting – another wine to discover.
April 6, 2007

TheDumbPhase
Just workin’ WaiB.
April 6, 2007

NathanN
Happy Easter Gary
April 6, 2007

GeneV
Gary, kudos!

Super episode. No gimmicks, videos or cute photos, but the best description you have ever given as to what many of us feel WLTV is all about. This is why many of us who have been into wine for many years, and participated in other internet communities, are here.

In my experience, bottle variation is a definite issue, and it extends to many large production wines from Europe. For a big birthday a while back we popped several cases of the same wine, one of the wines we served was a Spanish wine for under $10, another was a California white wine and the last was an Australian Shiraz. The California and the Australian wines were consistent, but the Spanish wine was a different wine from bottle to bottle, with different varietals taking the lead. At a blind pinot tasting a few months ago, two people brought the same wine, and no one even came close to picking that up. (They were hugely different due to storage)

Have a great weekend. I don’t follow golf, so I’ll pazzz on the prediction.
April 6, 2007

ecola
QOTD: The Easter Bunny
April 6, 2007

matt long
FIST BUMP to you, Gary.
http://www.memorymotel.net/wp-content/fist_bump.jpg
April 6, 2007

Eric S.
QOTD: Watch out for Tim Clark….he is playing well so far and was in the hunt last year.
April 6, 2007

Jimkay
BTW I do give a dead rat’s ass about what you think (wine only!)
April 6, 2007

Caren
Thanks for the pep talk, I’m embracing my palate as I type.

Damn, I NEED that Prunotto/truffle cheese combo NOW …especially on this no meat Friday….
April 6, 2007

panoca
QOTD: looks like Tim Clark is gonna make it this year.
April 6, 2007

Tahmedee
Gary, Greaaaaaaaaaaaat episode! I love the laid back Fridays. This gets me more excited for my upcoming trip to Italy. Keep up the good work and thanks for everything you do.

QOTD – Lefty is going to storm up from the back of the field.
April 6, 2007

Paul
Top 40. VERY LAME!!!!
April 6, 2007

Paul M
FYI … 2001 Prunotto Barolo link is not working for me
April 6, 2007

YoungDave
YES, BIG G.! Way to bring out the “rat’s ass” to stress the importance of TRUSTING YOUR OWN PALATE! I’ll deffinitely continue to do so, and always buy wines that are completely new to me to keep expanding the ol’ horizons.

QOTD: Yes, Tiger is ranked #1, but there are a few contenders that will give him a run for the green jacket. If I have to name one, it might be Vijay. He’s been off for a couple of years, but recently he looks the way he did when he topped Woods as #1 (I was fortunate enough to be there when he won at the Deutsche Bank Championship in MA.) He’s not the longest driver among the compeditors, which isn’t great for Augusta, but his putting has been solid- an area where Tiger often struggles when his game just isn’t on. Now I’m not saying I’m rooting for Singh, but if I have to pick one compeditor other than Tiger, than Singh might have it over those ranked 2-6 above him. We’ll see.
April 6, 2007

amgryger
Great episode. I love all things nebbiolo, especially with cheese.
April 6, 2007

Lars
QOTD: Happy Gilmore

Love the Friday eps. nice one, Wine Guy.
April 6, 2007

carnyc
What does he do w/ the opened wine? I can help if needed.
April 6, 2007

kahuna
Why Gary Knows what the Malboro Man tastes like

http://64.70.236.6/TAC/bb2.jpg
April 6, 2007

Neil
QOTD: Tiger, very profoundly.
April 6, 2007

Dominus
QOTD: Not that i really care since golf is not really a “sport” but I’ll go with Davis Love III. Just like the name.

Good show with some great wines.

This weekend I sample your recent Zins, esp the Four Vines.

Cheers! It’s Friday and I’m outta here!
April 6, 2007

flavasauce
I have a comment so let’s give it a whirl. You forgot to dissect the nose on the first wine Gary. Noticed you’ve done that a couple of times in the last few episodes which makes me very sad. Are you losing your edge? All in all a pretty profound effort today minus the nose debacle.
QOTD: Golf is so not cool
April 6, 2007

flavasauce
PS. Marlboro Man prolly has some beef jerky on his breath too and bad B.O.
April 6, 2007

3dvw
Rating the cheese? Maybe you can change the cheese world. heh. What would Kraft Mac and Cheese Spirals rate? It’s kind of the White Zin of the cheese world (but darned tasty if you ask me).
April 6, 2007

stevo
Funny how GV remembers to mention that only 91 peeps commented yesterday, but forgets, say, 540+ something last week.

QOTD: NOT Phil – he has switched back to wearing a visor, which, unless your European, is a death sentence. I’m going with unknown Jerry Kelly. The guy played hockey in college.
April 6, 2007

Dave-from-Katonah
Gary – Great freaking episode. I love when you get up on that WLTV soap box and give us loyal Vayniacs a sermon on how your opinion doesn’t matter. It makes the whole WLTV thing a great experience that I love to share.

By the way, you met a friend of mine at Tuesday night seder, Jeff Spencer. He’s an anesthesiologist at Northern Westchester Hospital, where I do surgery (orthopedic). He told me how the introductions went at seder, and I just about freaked out. He is one of the many friends I have told about WLTV to spread the word. I’ve gotta get to the store one day to meet the man, the myth, the legend..

QOTD – Vijay might win it again.
April 6, 2007

cgf
Nice, I love barolos. that cheese sounds scrumptious.

QOTD: mickelson.
April 6, 2007

tv » Blog Archive » Barolo and Cheese - Episode #210
[...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptLinks mentioned in todays episode. Tom Cioccoâ€™s Terroir Blog. Gary Vaynerchuk answers a question and sips some Barolo and munches on some cheese. Having trouble seeing this video? Click here for the Quicktime version. [...]
April 6, 2007

kingfunk
Awesome episode, I simply love barolos. It looks like I need to add a few new ones to my collection. Wish I could have been there last night at s and w. Anyway everyone needs to experience the wine library store it is simply the best place I have been. It simply blows sesame place, great adventure and disney world away when it comes to excitement. Classic kid in a candy shop type of feel.
April 6, 2007

hugh
Now that my headache is gone…..i’m clear-minded, and as much as i dislike him, i pick Vijay for another Green Jacket….and watch out for the little lefty (no, not Phil, Mike Weir)
April 6, 2007

mbannon
Great episode Gary, and nice rant! I agree with everything you said. The bottle variation, the wine hypocrisy, the importance of trusting your own tastes.

HOWEVER – I have found that as a “regular guy” type of wine consumer (that is, I don’t have the option of buying a case of everything) the scores and reviews of professional wine critics are impossible to ignore. Not because I think they know more than me (even though they certainly do) or because I trust their judgment more than my own, but because I simply do not have the means to taste every wine before I purchase, especially since I tend to only buy one or two bottles of any given wine. So when I find myself staring at a shelf of Barolo’s (whether an actual shelf in a shop or an online inventory list) I must decide whether to spend my fifty bucks on a wine with no score or review or the one right next to it that Robert Parker (or Gary Vaynerchuk) says is great. I may not have the same tastes as the reviewer, but at least SOMEONE likes the wine. The other bottle is a pure gamble. A decent wine shop will have knowledgeable staff, but online or at the local grocery store it’s just you and the shelf tags.
April 6, 2007

RonC
QOTD: Vijay Singh
April 6, 2007

Colleen
Gary…
I love when you get on the soapbox. Great episode.
April 6, 2007

yowens44
QOTD: Chi Chi Rodriguez
April 6, 2007

Colleen
and BTW…ladies out there in lurker land…I met Gary in the store today….and he’s more handsome in person than he is on the show!
April 6, 2007

Wildebeest
noobs, eh? Sounds like you’ve been watching some PurePwnage. Good man!
April 6, 2007

John Blue Label
Hey Gary,
Karen is right. Friday in Lent: perfect for wine and cheese. How about offering a package deal on the Prunotto Barolo and the cheese!!!PLEASE!!!
QOTD: Jim Furyk. He’s in the hunt, experienced, and he needs a greeen jacket (although Tiger has a shot too). the guys at the top of today’s leaderboard will all fold tomorrow. Expect to see Furyk and Vijay in the final two groups, maybe with Tiger thrown in there and a newbie, who will el-foldo on Sunday.
JW
April 6, 2007

Glenn
Prunotto is a wonderful producer. good choice. i will root for Brett this w/e. young American. sounds like last night was awesome. almost makes me miss NYC.
April 6, 2007

Wino
QOTD- If I wait to answer until Sunday night I will be right. You cannot bet against Tiger, even though he is off to a slow start.

Wine that tastes like the “poop of the earth” is a pass for me.

Right on with your soapbox rant. I pay attention to ratings but just as a guideline. I like what I like and I try as much as I can to expand my knowledge base. This show is a great reinforcement of that theory. Keep it up.
April 6, 2007

Corvette Tony
QOT: Vijay Singh

Btw, great soapbox rant!
April 6, 2007

Alos Diallo
Why not Tiger, I love that guy. Who else can take the green jacket!
April 6, 2007

Wildebeest
QOTD: no idea; but I’m not one of those “golf is not a sport” folks. In the ancient world, the major pastimes were work, war, and sport. Today, sports can be professional, but that doesn’t chnge the fact that they’re obviously not like other jobs. Sports are about training, not production. And the training is for a game, not war. To me, golf looks more like sport than work or war.

Gary, thanks for your soapbox speech tonight. I love that stuff. Do you think wine self-esteem can be inversely correlated with wine snobbery?
April 6, 2007

Wildebeest
one more
April 6, 2007

Wildebeest
ha ha, 69!
April 6, 2007

TommyBoBo of WI
#50 STEVO!!! Keep Riding GV about the 540,, we have yet to hear dittly scat about the bet, what he won, the tremendous, tremendous, tremendous, tremendous, tremendous outpouring of support he got that episode.. TREMENDOUS 2: astonishing by reason of extreme size, power, greatness or excellence

I’m sipping Hartford Zin 2004 and a little aged cheddar

GO TIGER!! Gerrrrrrr!
April 6, 2007

jprva
Great episode. I loved the narrative in the middle about trusting ones own palate.

QOTD: I have no idea.
April 6, 2007

Fingerlaker
Sweetbreads?? Ugh dude…
I give you credit for just trying them for the first time.
(being a meat cutter i cant bring myself to try them knowing where they come from)

QOTD: anyone but tiger.
April 6, 2007

Jack2112
QOTD – Els is due. And he’s made some fine wines!

Really enjoy the cheese/food pairing episodes. Thanks GV.
April 6, 2007

Garret Nagle
Gary,

At face value, one might think this tournament is still winnable by half the field making the cut. In reality, because the conditions are as hard as they are, with just three players under par, I expect the winner to be somewhere between even and 4 under par.

There won’t be many low scores, and the winner will have to play solid golf in tough conditions. But truthfully, this entire tournament seems to be set up to favor players who have allready won.

So, allthough it’s possible someone at say plus 5 could make it into the final round Sunday if he shoots a great round tomorrow, the unexperienced players tend to fade away into the azaleas.

So, my guess is that only a handful of players can really win, such as Tim Clark (finished second last year and tied for the lead), Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, or Jim Furyk.

I’m going to have to go with Tim Clark though this time, because he is awfully consistant this week, and has figured out how to play this course.

But always remember Vijay, Tiger, Phil or Jim, or all of them could end up in the thick of things come Sunday. Or hey, what about former champion Mike Weir…..

I think it’s too early to predict who’s going to take the jacket, after seeing the last 12 masters.
April 6, 2007

JonE
QOTD: Me. I will win the Master’s. Because the whole time its going on, I’ll be drinking the good stuff. And maybe Vijay will make a few shots.
April 6, 2007

Joe Po
Kahuna, you are out of control!!!!
Great pairing!!!
Oh yeah, Gary, nice Barolo tasting.
April 6, 2007

Matthew L
Nice show Gary. I enjoy laid-back Fridays. You’ve piqued my interst in the Prunotto. The cheese with the truffles sounds delicious.

I know you’ve been struggling with dropping “profound” into every description. I thought I would help by giving you some synonyms for the word:

abstruse, acroamatic, deep, difficult, discerning, enlightened, erudite, esoteric, heavy*, hermetic, informed, intellectual, intelligent, knowing, knowledgeable, learned, mysterious, occult, orphic, penetrating, philosophical, recondite, reflective, sagacious, sage, scholarly, secret, serious, shrewd, skilled, subtle, thorough, thoughtful, weighty, wise

QOTD: Enough of people crappin’ on golf. I’m keeping an eye on Justin Rose

Enjoy your weekend everyone.
April 6, 2007

Harold
FYI-I’m sure that it’s not quite as tasty nor complex as the cheese Gary was having today but for those of us with a more modest budget, Trader Joe’s (at least the one by me) has just started stocking a truffle cheese that’s really really good. I think I might pick up another chunk of it along with a Barolo tomorrow and indulge in a poor man’s recreation of today’s WLTV.
April 6, 2007

Garrison
Did someone forget to mute Apple Mail.app?
That tone haunts me and I heard it throughout the show.
April 6, 2007

t_moderne
Trust my palate? What happens when my palate and my wallet have the all-out battle royale? Remember the head to head QOTD you asked when doing the Pine Ridge wines? Well the best head to head combat (besides Ali-Frazier, US v. USSR, etc.) is my wine palate battling my wine budget.
April 6, 2007

CindyW
Harold, thanks for the tip — I’ll head to our local Trader Joe’s tomorrow, to see if they have any of that truffle cheese. One of my other faves from Trader Joe’s is a chile-mango cheddar.
April 6, 2007

Harold
You are welcome Cindy. BTW-the cranberry (they also have blueberry) stilton is one to check out as well.
April 6, 2007

dealbhadair
Awesome speech, G! Inspiring! Empowering!!
(fill in the blank)ING!!! Bravo, muh man!
April 6, 2007

Pete C
Hey Gary,

Been away and trying to catch up on episodes. Love those Barolos as do you. Hope to see you at WL tomorrow. Must try that black truffle sardo if any left by afternoon. Would love to put it out on Easter for the crowd. Hope you had a lovely Passover with your family.
April 6, 2007

Trish da' Dish
#44’s comment is the best! Go ‘head, Kahuna with yo’ bad self!
I just LOVE being around men & women who make me laugh. (So do my kids, who have just laughed their heads off about Kahuna’s posted “photo”)
Sor-ry Gary, I know that it IS a boring prediction that you ordered us not to make, but I’m a-feared that it’s going to be Tiger yet AGAIN sporting the green jacket and ordering his dream meal this time. Yes Vijay is back, but IMO he is not yet fully back on his game, whereas Tiger, on the other hand, seems to be running sort of on the hot side lately, plus, remember that Tiger does have an established rep as the come-from-behind-when-it-all-seems-to-be-over man. Just my 2C’s here, so don’t punch the messenger Ms Trish da’Dish in the neck (boy, you DO get some weirdos on here, don’cha?)….
April 6, 2007

Len C
QOD Henrik Stenson
April 6, 2007

BV
Hey, Gar’ – Terrific episode. What I like about the Couch Friday Q&A is that it gets you away from the daily pourin’/swirlin’/sniffin’ & spittin’ – and allows you to chat with us, to riff & rant with us.
To actually learn something about bottle variation, WSE and CMFW – and trusting yourself – well, it just makes Couch Fridays special.

And the Black Truffle Cheese & Barolo combo REALLY made me lust for Velveeta & Lancers!

QOTD: If Vijay Singh doesn’t take it, it’s gotta be Fred Funk.

Happy Easter, Gar’!

Bill V.
April 6, 2007

Badger Ann
I love golf! QOTD: Justin Rose. He needs to stay steady, and get over his 75 today.

I don’t mind New World flavors in Old World wines, as long as it’s not over the top. So to me, the Altare La Morra would be intriguing to try.
April 6, 2007

Dave Canada
I love it when you get up on that soap box man…you rock!
QOTD – Who cares…..it’s golf? A better question is who will win the NBA championship? Answer being my raptors!
April 6, 2007

daniel von trier
Gary,

I think the word you were looking for in the middle of the episode there was … “strateegery.”

Great show.

QOTD: Honestly, I have no idea.

But who’s finally going to give Univ. of Florida a much-needed dose of humility this weekend (on the baseball diamond)?

The Carolina Gamecocks of course!

They already won today’s game 12-2!
April 7, 2007

Doc Dan
Gary, good show. Don’t stop! Even my three year old tells me she wants to watch the wine guy!
QOTD: Tigger!
April 7, 2007

Wendy Elam
can’t wait to try the prunotto! i’ll have to look for that cheese, too! i’ve had a truffle cheese but it wasn’t the half & half kind you had. sounds heavenly. QOTD: huh? oh, i must’ve fallen asleep.
April 7, 2007

Ben N.
Hey Gary,
Great episode. You put a lot of heart and soul in to it.
Have a good weekend.
April 7, 2007

Les
I became a blue cheese fan only after I had it paired with a Sauterne. That’s when I understood. A revelation. What was the cheese on today’s episode again?

Have fantastic weekend!
April 7, 2007

manpod
Building my wine self esteem every week. I don’t know who will top the leaderboad on Sunday, but “The Course” has been the winner of the first two rounds.
April 7, 2007

Elliot Essman
The cheese stroke is brilliant (and an excellent way to skirt the cholesterol issue in such a public way). I’ll be passing by the WL for the first time on Monday and may pick some of this cheese up. I have no opinion about golf, but the Mets are still unbeaten.
April 7, 2007

Acousticdoc
QOTD: Longshot Cinderella story *Bill Murry Voice* …Bradley Dredge
April 7, 2007

tomavino
QOTD: UF, they win everything
April 7, 2007

SoCal
QOTD: Lefty….
April 7, 2007

Justin
Mmmm, I’ll have to pick up some cheese with my next bottle. Great show!
April 7, 2007

Michael Palmer
“Profound” episode today Gary. I love Barolos. Love the cheese pairing. I wish we could buy some cheese online from you. Anyone know of a great online cheese place?

I also agree with Mbannon’s comments about at least having your reviews or Parkers or a trusted friend you can rely on when buying wine. While I can afford to buy several at once (once in a awhile), I too am looking for what I like and certainly hate wasting money on things just to try; i.e. new world fruit bombs. I’ve tried a few, and just not my glass of wine.

Also, wanted to say thanks for your rant on trusting your palette. I’d love to see you spend more time talking about such things and answering more wine questions, and perhaps limiting the wines to two. Maybe do that once a week or so. I’ve been into wines for 10 years, but only seriously the last two, and since watching you over the last 8 months, have learned so much. Thank you.

Keep up the great work you do Gary.
April 7, 2007

Susan
Gary-
GREAT EP!!!!
Thanks for the
education!!!!!
I did not know
much about
bottle variation
until
now.
WOW -
more great cheese!!!!!!
Happy Easter!!!!!!
April 7, 2007

Bobinnati
Having a hard time getting past the first 90 seconds. Keeps stopping at that point. But to answer the question of Michael Palmer in Comment 100, try http://www.igourmet.com for cheese. They usually have a very extensive selection and prices are not too bad.
April 7, 2007

Bobinnati
OK – finally got through the whole thing. Wow, you had my mouth watering for that Prunotto with the cheese….

Thanks for continuing to push people to trust their own palates. If there’s one thing that frosts my butt (other than a 3 foot tall sno-cone) it’s self-annointed wine “experts” who look down their noses at people who don’t happen to share the same views on wine.

QOTD – Brett Wetterich (hey, c’mon, he’s a Cincinnati boy!)
April 7, 2007

KenP
Great episode. I’m having a hard time finding quality Barolos in my neck of the woods, Cal’s central coast. Guess I’ll have to order from WLTV!
Cheers.
April 7, 2007

Justin S
You’ve really got me craving truffles and cheese now!

QOTD: The guy with the lowest score….
April 7, 2007

Jonathon M Chicago
Great episode Gary!!!! I appreciate you asking the question of the day- and you’re killing me; I can’t pick Tiger? when you know he’s my man. OK, if I can’t have Tiger I’m going with my Madison Wisconsin boy Jerry Kelly.

Yes, master, I will trist my pallet…;-)

Kahuna! Love the Marlboro man pic!!!! Hillarious!!!!
April 7, 2007

daniel von trier
Jason or whomever it was over in Gourmet offered me a sample of that truffle cheese the first time I visited Springfield in mid-March of this year. I thought it was good, but not so much my thing: I ended up buying this remarkable provalone he had there as well as a swedish cheese that was like a cross between aged Gouda and parmesan (two of my favorite cheeses).

Can I just say: I miss my cheese lady in Trier, who used to drive her delivery wagon over from France twice a week, but the Gourmet section in the store at The Wine Library helps me fill that void somewhat.

But for those who don’t live within driving distance of Springfield, NJ, and in reference to comments 100 and 102:

there are a number of online cheese places. One of my personal favorites is Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor, MI. Just go to http://www.zingermans.com and you’ll see: they have cheeses but also vinegars, olive oils, etc. A little pricy, but their stuff is top quality.

Also, I hope I’m not giving away anything, but I’ve heard it’s already in the works: as of the Fall, you’ll be able to order your gourmet cheeses and suchlike products at Wine Library’s site and have them shipped to your house. I certainly hope that’s true.
April 7, 2007

Ryan V.
QOTD: For the first time, in nearly forever I’m actually watching the Masters this weekend. This is chiefly because the Yankees are filling my heart with utter depression. It doesn’t matter though, they’re just holding me over until the nfl draft. Oh, and after recovering from an ADD attack, I’ll answer the question, I think Zach Johnson will pull it out.
April 7, 2007

geespot
QOD: Harrington pulled out a 68 yesterday, 9 strokes better than round 1! Watch out for him, 68 at Augusta is a feat, if he keeps that up today he’ll push to the top. But, I gotta give props to Appleby, he’s maintaining -2 today through 9 so far.

Otherwise, great show, man I wanna try that cheese. My lurker status has been revoked permanently with post #2.
April 7, 2007

TagWorld Brian
Kahuna, comment 44 link was profoundly immature, but funny. WLTV photoshop phriday. Too crazy.

I don’t follow golf either, so if I can’t choose Tiger Woods to win, I’m locked out of the QOTD. (If you get a chance to see the UCLA Dynasty on cable or netflix, I highly recommend. Great bio of John Wooden and the UCLA hoops juggernaut. Makes me feel better after getting fist bumped by Florida twice in a row.)

That first barolo sounds great.
April 7, 2007

Derek
Hay Gary, Great episode man, you have me hankering for some nice cheese now.
Keep up the great work bud!!!
April 7, 2007

Slick Nick
Gary,
Great episode. So true about trusting your own palate.

I’m listening to you and watching the Masters. These guys suck!! They can’t handle the pressure! I can’t believe they’re going to let Tiger back in to the win the Masters. They can’t make a short putt today, wait till tomorrow when Tiger takes the lead.
April 7, 2007

dude
Agree with above. Great rant about trusting your own judgment, that’s what makes you so hard to imitate. If you haven’t seen the dude slam some maple syrup on the winelibrary contest, check it out. QOTD: Tiger > all
April 7, 2007

Garret Nagle
Gary,…

Tiger is a LURKER! Just probably not on WLTV…….

One shot off the lead to begin the final round
April 7, 2007

Shotgun
Good episode Mr. Vaynerchuk. Your “Rat’s Ass” comments are dead on. Usually the last question that people ask themselves when tasting a wine is, “Is it a good tasting wine?” Instead they want to know the Wine Spectator or Parker score, or play the vintage-chart game, as if they wouldn’t be caught dead drinking a wine from a less than superb “vintage year.” Or what does the label look like. There really is a lot of bullshit when it comes to wine and the wine business, and in the long run it is damaging and runs people (customers) off. QOD– I will DQ myself as I am writing on Saturday late and watched the carnage of the third round unfold. It will be Tiger unless he completely goes brain-dead (like he did on 17 and 18 today). I will be pulling for Appleby though. Good Aussie mate who knows a thing or two about wine.
April 8, 2007

NY Pete
GV…you are still the MAN ! Golf is boring… my question of the day is… Who is going to win the Stanley Cup ?
April 8, 2007

TR
If Tiger weren’t so fat (look who’s talking) with his sympathy weight, pregnant wife, presumably from scarfing too much creamy truffle cheese, he’d be wiping his buns with the lame competion. I know its cold and windy and the pin placements are hard, like Michelson’s math but I’m not seeing any PROFOUND golf shots ala Nicholas in ‘60 British Open, with much worse conditions and equipment. They are all worthless and weak and no one can putt .’. Tiger will win, not that I like his nerdy arse one bit.
What were we talking about, Italian wine…2005 Sangiovese from Puglia outstanding QPR.
April 8, 2007

cdavis
Gary I loved your rant on how wine snobs can get way ahead of themselves, sometimes. Similarly I find that many people who are new to the wine world (or sometimes not) will tell me, “I hate Merlot” or “I hate Chianti” and then they never will try another wine of that varietal again! Such a shame! I give love to all wine. New world, old world, all varietals, etc. In fact sometimes I walk into my local wine shop looking for grapes I have yet to try. Some days I want the silky structure/tannins of an old world Bordeaux and other days I love me a young strong CA Pillar Box Red! You tell ‘em Gary! Took the words out of my mouth!

Comments people!
April 8, 2007

Trish da' Dish
After clicking the 1st link below, scroll down to the “Master’s Club” entry, and read. Also check out the About.com link. Both links discuss the foods served at past Champions Dinners.

http://www.masters.org/en_US/course/landmarks.html
http://golf.about.com/od/majorchampionships/a/champdinner.htm

I find it rather strange that only 2 of the menus mention drinks that were planned to be served (Tiger Woods-milkshake and Mike Weir-Canadian beer)? I wonder if they serve wine at all at the Champions Dinner. Or maybe people who want wine get the house wine? Since this is a wine forum, I just started wondering which golf champs are wine lovers.
April 8, 2007

Atreyu
Hey Gary,
thanks for doing Barolo!
I have bought that Prunotto 2001 in Italy and it was 30euros, which is not as scary as 45dollars. However, worth every once in a while!
April 8, 2007

Fingerlaker
Congrats the Zach Johnson…
April 8, 2007

ChrisR
.
April 9, 2007

daniel von trier
QOTD: Zach Johnson…;o)
April 9, 2007

KC Dan
Great Ep G Man !!! The fist bump thing was way cool . Made it feel like i was right ther with ya . QOTD Gary vaynerchuk [ Master of The wine world ]
April 9, 2007

dadobs
Let’s give the cheese “a whirl?!?” Profound.

I’d rate this episode an 88+. It would have been a 92 had not every damn thing on the episode been rated a “plus.” Somebody needs to get a little edgy again.
April 9, 2007

BobbySee
Long time lurker comin out. Love the Cheese episodes Gary. IMHO there is nothing better out there that wine pairs with. I have never found any food (and this is just me talkin hear) that improves on a wine like cheese and the wife and I have literally drank thousands of bottles of wine over the years. I will usually sip on a glass of wine while cooking and not touch it again until after the meal is done. Anyone else out there like that?
April 9, 2007

Bobinnati
Way to go Daniel! Your powers of foresight are matched only by your access to the final results! 8-))
April 9, 2007

mikeyrad
What, Barolos and no Brian Chen throw-up?
April 9, 2007

Pete J.
Is Ryan V. brilliant or what-picking Zach. Let him pick a half dozen wines for you to taste! Keep up the good and informative work!
April 9, 2007

Matt
Gary,

I think you may be selling your wine drinking fans a little short as I find it hard to believe everyone of them expects the wine to taste exactly as you describe or as good as you describe. That goes for Parker and Spectator as well. The information the three of you provide does not tell me what to like, rather it provides information for me, the consumer, to make decisions about the wine I might buy. The more the consumer buys wines that the three of you rate and taste, the more the consumer can understand your tastes and make an even more informed decision. While the thrill of simply grabing a wine off the shelf and trying it blind is valid, I would much rather make an informed decision about my purchase, especially when I don’t have the money to throw around frivilously on random bottles. Now, if it turns out I don’t like a wine you, Spectator or Parker recommend, I don’t blame you or ask myself, “why don’t I like this?”. I simply chalk it up to experience and learn about my tastes and yours. I have a feeling many of your fans have the same sensabilities and infact do trust their own taste. Also, I would bet that people generally agree with your tastings much more than disagree.

To that end, thank you for putting your neck out there to make recommendations to us and giving us some idea of the profile for many of the wines you sell.

Regards,
April 9, 2007

Iron Man
Gary, other words you can use when you’ve mentioned profound too many times in one day; solid, virtual-realistic, enigmatic, “pounding”, throbbing…but this may give off the wrong impression.

QOTD I think some guy named Johnson won, so I can’t say.

Other ideas, I heard Dain will be in NY for some pinot fun, would love to see him on your WLTV exposÃ©. What do you think?
April 9, 2007

Tom in Va
Gary: Thanks for a great podcast. I’ve been learning a lot about wines from your shows.

QOTD: Some golf player, wasn’t it, Iron Man?
April 9, 2007

Tony S.
Top 150?

My computer is acting like an idiot, so I’m having trouble watching, but as for the QOD: I know some dude won (I don’t follow golf, never played…I prefer the working man’s sports like football and baseball). But, I watch Sports Center every morning and I still can’t tell you. I think when they started talking about the Masters, I went to the bathroom or something.

OK…see you later,
GO BEARS!
T
April 9, 2007

Matthew L
Way to go Ryan V (Comment #109) calling the Zach Johnson win.
April 9, 2007

Carlitos
Barolo and Italian cheese. You said it all!

I’ve only been able to watch today.

Keep it up, Gary!
April 9, 2007

TommyBoBo of WI
Like I said,,,, QOTD Fellow Iowan Zach Johnson,,,,, Do I win something?
April 9, 2007

Greg
Great energy on that one!
April 9, 2007

sfgiants55
Great Call Ryan V… Zach Johnson owned Augusta this weekend.
April 9, 2007

KAHUNA
And Gary was right I did wuufff down a huge porterhouse and backed it up with a Pastrami Omlette later on in the evening! My wife cracked up when she heard Gary describe my steak eating habits!
April 9, 2007

WineLifeStyle
Hi Gary,
This episode killed the lurker in me- he’s been running wild in head for the last 6 months. Like you mentioned, WSE is #1 if we all want to “GET IT”. I love what you do- you’ve taught me alot. Last year I was drinking “headaches in a bottle” kind of wines. Now it’s nothing but quality and every new bottle is an adventure for my taste buds. Thanks for being such a great teacher and for tasting wines while wearing cuff links. Excellent stuff Gary. Keep it up.
Cheers.
Ken [DC].
April 9, 2007

Lawrence Leichtman
Since I’m reading this on Monday I’m going to guess Zach Johnson. so what do I win Gary?

As to wine tastes, I’ve been doing this a long time and have built my preferences little by little and have seen some of my preferences fade away as the wines aren’t made anymore. If you would have given me a fruit bomb cherry tasting Barolo 20 years ago I would have taken one sip and put it down as that isn’t the flavor profile of Barolo. What has happened is that the influence of the California and Austalian styles of wines has made many of these fruit bombs big sellers. If you want to sell a lot of wine you do what they are doing regardless of what the terroir of the wine should be. I get somewhat tired of tasting cherry cola in everything I drink. Went to an enormous tasting of Syrah or Syrah based wines on Friday. Over 150 wines represented and, for me the French Syrah based wines had the most authentic flavors. Yes, several of the Santa Barbara and Shiraz wines came out well but, for the most part, the CA and OZ wines were blown away in qualtiy. that being said, none of the French wines were close to being big sellers compared to the CA and OZ wines so what is a producer going to do? Make his/her wines like the better sellers. Most wine drinkers in the US are consumers of sugary, overblown wines and not because someone else tells them to like it. That’s what they like.

While I often don’t agree with Parker (I have attended about 12 tastings or shows over time where he has attended tasted and lectured, I respect him for his work. Wine Expectator though, I think shills wines more than evaluates them. Their advertisers seem to get the best reviews and are more often picked in their top 100 wines. That is why I respect your opinion Gary. You pan wines that are big sellers for you and pick wines that you often don’t carry. But I realize that this is still your opinion and I have to taste a wine myself to know if I’m going to like it or not.

Keep up the tastings and comments and we will all be more educated.
April 9, 2007

NathanN
Kahuna comment #44 is best ever. What a dirty mind
April 9, 2007

Jeff M.
No idea why, but I’ve tried to watch this episode about 10 times over the last 4 days. It stops about 1 minute in at the same spot each time and tells me “buffering” for as long as I choose to wait. Anyone else having problems?

Too bad, I love Barolo.
April 9, 2007

Karl B
QOTD – I’ll take Zach Johnson!!

(That’s what you get when the videos come out with a one day delay)
April 9, 2007

Vivaitalia
Wow, I was really wondering why two bottle of the montevetrano igt were just about the best wine i’ve ever had in my life and the third was terrible. Guess it was variation. Guess it’s too late for me to say Zach Johnson will win the masters, hehe.
April 9, 2007

Marc
Woohoo! My alma mater produced somebody good at a sport! If you consider golf a sport, that is. Go Zach Johnson, Go Bulldogs!
April 9, 2007

The Smartest Girl in San Francisco
Excellent episode today! I enjoyed the Friday casual feel today. Open shirt collar and everything. It’s a nice change up for a Friday. And we actually saw the spit today! Woo hoo!

Never heard the word “newbs” before. Or is it “noobs”? Ick. I’m glad I’m not a noob.
April 10, 2007

Jason R.
CONGRATS TO THE FELLOW IOWAN!!!
April 10, 2007

Steve
Nice episode, only seen a handful so far. Only one negative comment – the Prunotto isnt pronounced Prunatto. Its Prun (like prune)oh-toe. With that being said I suck at pronouncing French wines, especially Brugundies. Maybe we can touch upon that in future episodes?
April 10, 2007

michael
Great segment on the importance of individuality. “WSE”? “CMFW”? LOL. Outstanding!

Gary, hold that vine! Sine Qua Non = ABSURD Fruit Bomb?!!? OK, “tough guy w/ the upturned collar” (lol) you lost me there…definitely different strokes, different folks/palates.
Although, I concur w/ the “over Niagra Falls except it’s not water it’s purple paint” description. LOL. His Syrah’s are very inky and viscous no doubt.
Accordingly, “old world/new world” preference makes no difference, those who view Bryant and Harlan as “gargabe”(??!!??) wine….IMHO, need to re calibrate their palates. WOW.

Moving on:
Couldn’t agree more on Prunotto…consistently good juice year in-year out.

Lil’ Xtra:
RE: Manfred Krankl/Sine Qua Non Wine:
http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Blogs/Blog_Detail/0,4211,899,00.html
http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Archives/Show_Article/0,1275,2599,00.html
April 10, 2007

Kirkland M
Um, I may be crazy, but you can give wine a whirl, but you can’t give cheese a whirl. Unless it’s cheese wiz.
April 11, 2007

boyd
Barolos kick ACE! My favorito…well, maybe it’s a tie with PN.

Anyway, hmmm, my guess on the Masters. I’m guessing Zach Johnson, but it’s just a guess.
April 11, 2007

JayZee
Huh?
April 12, 2007

TSchampaert
Super great ep, Gary. And you nailed it: “tough guy with the upturned collar”, wahaaaaa!
I adore the Prunotto’s. They’re not completely classic Barolo anymore, but they bring such autumnal profoundness with the ample juiciness. Yet, I had a Barb d’Asti few weeks ago, and that was one hell of a disappointment. Structureless, unbalanced, dull, … how on earth … ?
Anyway, QOTD: did or do I know who? What’s that master stuff anyway?
April 12, 2007

Adam from Denmark
Come on Gary! – Just tasted the Prunotto 2001 vs the Elio Altare 2001. I don’t agree – and I know about paletes and stuff…
The Altare is a modern barolo, but not at all shiraz-like. I’va had the Altare several times before, and what I can say for sure is that it is extremely floral, very perfumy, and actually a little like nice Chambolle-Musigny.
The Prunotto is a very good barolo, and much more of a value – however, it has nowhere near the intensity of the altare, and for me, borders more an a new world edge than the Altare. Have you – Gary, tasted the altare before?
Oh, and by the way – I am so much closer to italy, and yet the Wine Library price on the altare is so low! Nice job! (not for me though!)
April 16, 2007

Malarkey
ok, so I’m catching up on missed eps. GREAT speech on the “I only like this” snobs in the wine world. Love it.
November 8, 2009

John J.
Cool episode Gary

Would be nice to see you have a vin jaune on one day