Sparkling Shiraz and Syrah

Sparkling Shiraz and Syrah – Episode #211

April 9, 2007

Wines tasted in this episode:

Sparkling Shiraz is something many of you have not had, today Gary Vaynerchuk tries 2 and a few other Syrah wines.

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

165 Responses

April 9, 2007

CW
SSS
April 9, 2007

mikeyrad
#1?
April 9, 2007

Billy G
3?
April 9, 2007

Tahmedee
4?
April 9, 2007

waibeans
what’s the number today?!

happy monday
April 9, 2007

Fiorentina!
TOP 5YEA!!!
April 9, 2007

Randy
Gary!

I just plugged your podcast so highly on Sonoma radio today! I expect no less than two more subscribers added!

I’ll send a link to the audio when I get my podcast up.

–R
April 9, 2007

Benji
Sparkling shiraz? Interesting.
April 9, 2007

GottaGoDrink
Back from vacation and on the board!
April 9, 2007

CW
QOTD: Maintaining a consistently inconsistent thing.
April 9, 2007

leatherpalate
QOD: Weighing in at about 14 pounds
my 4 3/4 month old son Zach. He is the
man!
April 9, 2007

mikeyrad
Beautiful clouds of rainbows? QOTD: My thing? The Mets!
April 9, 2007

Randy
Cool episode Gary!

BTW, the radio station in Sonoma I mentioned earlier is KSVY (ksvy.org), they do stream online, so if you’re not busy from 1-2pm Pacific Time on Mondays, have a listen.

Getting charged again for the SF event!

QOTD: My thing is my kids. Can’t imagine a world without them. Other than that? Podcasting, baby.
April 9, 2007

cgf
nice episode gary. i have never had a sparkling shiraz. Thanks for putting the spotlight on yet another overlooked wine.

QOTD: My thing these days is praying for the arrival of spring and some warm weather.
April 9, 2007

hinrgman
Syrah is hot right now
April 9, 2007

waibeans
QOD: after watching near 8 hours of golf this weekend, I got the craving to out and take another shot at the links. even tho I am a below average player, theres more to the game than just getting the ball in the hole. Its such a good excuse to spend an afternoon outside! yea.. gotta get back into it (now if I can only find a cheepo public course in union county)
April 9, 2007

Tahmedee
QOTD – Winemaking. I am reading and learning and trying to make my own wines. It is a fun hobby and I love it.
April 9, 2007

SoCal
G,
Nice job with the Sparking Shiraz.
QOTD: buying wine….SA and French Syrah mostly… some Bordeaux…next on the list 05 futures…when do we get to see the videos from your trip?
April 9, 2007

kingfunk
i belonged on the links in augusta, i went to the driving range saturday, took a shot with my 5 iron and the head of my club flew 60 yards. Not to Shabby.
April 9, 2007

Shir-Az
You’re killin me dude……you do a Syrah/Shiraz episode and don’t try the new Yarra Yering wines you just got in!!!!
April 9, 2007

Norcal
Thanks, GV! Wordup.
April 9, 2007

njbabs
QOTD: Roasting coffee.

Got a fiend with a home roaster who’s just back from Ethiopia with all kinds of beans. You’ve never really tasted coffee ’till you can roast it, grind it and drink it all yourself and all in the same hour. Fresh to the extreme and full of wow. I can’t go back to Starbucks. A world with Winelibrary TV and Coffeelibrary TV would really be a perfect place.

Thanks for a great episode. I’m all over Syrah – although I’m partial to it from the Rhone.
April 9, 2007

Shir-Az
QOTD: Wine, Women & Song
April 9, 2007

SteveB
So it sounds like the Majella bottle must be made by the same makers as the Clone 5.
April 9, 2007

Louisiana George
not trying to schmooz, but for the last year my thing has been WLTV. gotta get my fix every couple of days.

Louisiana George
April 9, 2007

TheDumbPhase
QOTD-
My thing is make sure the people important to me are happy & healthy.
April 9, 2007

TheDumbPhase
That shirt is ugly as hell! You look like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle!
April 9, 2007

carnyc
My thing is scuba diving…trying to combine it w/ drinking wine somehow…a trip to the Great Barrier Reef perhaps!
April 9, 2007

Fiorentina!
Hey Gary-
Fun episode….way to bring in the sparkling shiraz! Now here is the thing…what would you pair with it? My first thought would b a dessert…ya know alittle chocolate…alittle dark berries….but what about pork or rabbit or lamb? If you could have any meal with the Majella Sparkling Shiraz…what would it be?
QotD- My thing lately has been weird food & wine pairings. Not weird as in Chardonnay and Pizza, but weird as in non-traditional pairings….trying something new. For example, a big, smokey syrah with a Carl’s Jr. Western Bacon Cheeseburger, a Petit Verdot with a grilled plum & Vanilla Gelato dessert, or (I have yet to try this, but it sounds like it could be good) even a Chilean or South African Cab. with BBQ grilled Snake. (is it even legal?) I have yet to take a food & wine pairing class and have just been exploring, but it’s been fun!
April 9, 2007

TheDumbPhase
Or Freddy Kruger!
April 9, 2007

aktormedic
QOTD – My thing is Travel. There is nothing quite like stepping off the plane/train/automobile into a new culture and immersing yourself into it for a while.
April 9, 2007

Jeremy
QOTD: Ironically my newest “thing” is syrah/shriaz.
April 9, 2007

geespot
Good ep, G. I’m not big on syrah but, that Majella sounds like it’s off the hook, wonder if I can find it out here in Vegas. QOD? Well, the Masters is over, so, back to wine! And I agree with DumbPhase, toss that shirt bro, like now.
April 9, 2007

3dvw
What temperature do you drink the sparkling shiraz at? Also should you serve it in champagne flutes?
April 9, 2007

Jay
Fun episode. I’m glad you did Sparkling Shiraz as I think not enough people are giving this a chance. Granted, there are some awful examples, but good ones are not only fun, but complex and very interesting to drink.

Among my faves are the Majella and the Elderton sparklers. The Fox Creek Vixen is good, but maybe a bit over priced. For QPR, my wife and I like the Wyndham Estates Bin 555S. Very solid bottle with enough body and flavour to make you come back for more. Banrock station has a very inexpensive bottling on the shelves. Not great, but not bad.

Go out and grab a bottle and try not to judge the stuff before drinking it.

And for you traditionalists who are thinking to yourselves “not another crappy new world wine trend”…. sparkling reds, like the screw cap, were actually first produced in France several decades ago. Granted, they did not have the concentration and new world overtones of the Aussie Sparklers.

I’m a classical musician…. naturally, pretention is my thing.
April 9, 2007

TheDumbPhase
Actually that shirt is like Freddy Kruger’s gay brother (NTTAWWT).
April 9, 2007

Garret Nagle
My “thing” right now is being engaged and getting Married to Karyn George on August 24, followed by 10 days in Italy and Spain.

My other “thing” is traveling. I fell in love with Karyn while we were in Siena, Italy, a town of about 60,000 people in Tuscany.

Here are some pictures.

http://www.flickr.com/people/garretwnagle

And hey Gary, my question of the day to you is, what do you think of Lambrusco? I think its a great refreshing wine to drink in the summer – haven’t paired it with food as of yet.
April 9, 2007

Jennifer
Excellent episode, Gary. Thanks for doing Syrah, near and dear to me. A sparkling shiraz never would have appealed to me. Will have to try that one.
QOTD: What’s m’ thang? Besides GV & WLTV? Auctions & antiques. And _still_ AD.
Too darn cute with the stripes today!
April 9, 2007

Acousticdoc
Read all the comments on my pda. Can’t wait to go home and watch it.
April 9, 2007

Eric S.
QOD: I’m getting into the upcoming CHICAGO WLTV PARTY!! Also, Golfing and the Sopranos (after last night’s episode).

Great episode Gary!
April 9, 2007

stevo
QOTD: besides wine lately…snowboarding is my new thing. I’ve been obsessed since Thanksgiving when I tried it for the first time. Since then, I purchase a board, boots, goggles, helmet, the whole deal and went 12 times this season and I’m dying for next season to come. They say the learning curve with snowboarding is fast – it’s true. I couldn’t do anything for the first 3 days and then all of a sudden I could turn both ways, stop, go off some small jumps, a small rail, etc. I’m hooked.
April 9, 2007

Herm
http://www.cositoledo.org is my thing…..great episode….I can’t wait to try a sparkling shiraz
April 9, 2007

spautz
Medium-time watcher, first time poster…. Thanks for all the episodes — they always bring me back to life after a dreary day of school work. =)

QOTD: My thing is hot tea, although lately it’s been shifting steadily towards wine (in large part due to Wine Library TV and the free shipping offers). I’m actually a huge fan of Silver Needle (which is a white tea, not an oolong!) I haven’t had “white cloud” before, but it sounds interestingâ€¦.

I haven’t encountered a wine which reminded me of tea before, but I’ve never had a sparkling Shiraz either…. The Majella is way outside my normal price range, though, and itâ€™ll be a while before I can afford enough wine to justify a regular-shipping purchase — is there any chance of a free shipping offer for it?

I have a question (or questions) relating to this episode:
Did you open the sparkling wines several hours ahead of time too, or just the regular ones? I’d previously heard that sparkling wines should be opened and consumed immediately, with a minimum of disturbance (ie, no decanting or swirling) in order to preserve the bubbles — does that only hold for cheap, non-vintage whites? (Or is it even accurate at all?) When you’re drinking sparkling wines on your own, do you open the bottles ahead of time and swirl them in the glass, or is that something you only do for tastings, to bring out the flavors (and potential flaws)?
April 9, 2007

organicguy
Great episode….love syrah…QOTD…diving…meeting two of six kids and their partners in Little
Cayman in two weeks!!!
April 9, 2007

jack
qotd: food + wine!
April 9, 2007

KenP
GV,
Fine episode. Your honesty never fails to amaze. Trust your palate, and you do. I was at a tasting, no blinds, when one of the wines I have worked on was served. Man, I pushed and pushed… but there was one guy present who kept insisting on va. He was right. I tasted it too but preferred, for obvious reasons, to overlook it. In the end I agreed with him. Wine tasting is about many things, especially honesty. Your WLTV presentations has it in spades. Kudos, Gary.
QOTD: Cornas. My kids. Bandol. Bookselling. Madiran. Fireworks. Irouleguy. Aboriginal songlines.
April 9, 2007

BP
My thing is playing golf and watching Gary…
April 9, 2007

Dom
Interesting shirt. “Pounding it”? Only one thing came to mind but now I can add wine tasting to the repertoire.

Great episode since I love red sparklers though finding a good one is hard to do so Majella is on the list. Bigaro Moscato di Asti is a crowd pleaser.

QOTD: My thing? Enjoying new wines and getting ready for Spring and the tennis season.

Cheers!
April 9, 2007

Bobinnati
Top 50. Early for me. Sparkling Shiraz. Who knew? Sounds delicious. Why do you make everything sound so darned good GV? QOTD – golf, wine, fitness, music.
April 9, 2007

amgryger
QOTD- Right now my thing is my thesis for architecture school, due in 3 weeks. Gary is my only break from thinking about it.
April 9, 2007

OttawaB
My favourite sparkling Shiraz is the E & E Black Pepper Sparkling Shiraz. They all have a funky taste to them because they are soooooooo different from Champagne, its not the flavours you expect when you think of Champagne. Your mind is saying sparkling wines and conjures up the flavour profile, then you drink the sparkling Shiraz and it throws you.

QOTD ; Other then my 2 beautiful children (they will always be my “thing”), I would have to say it is the beginning of the Stanley Cup Playoffs (hockey) where hope springs eternal and THIS WILL BE THE YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Sens!!!!!!! My third thing is WLTV where I continually enjoy the info and banter. Thank you GV.
Its Springtime baby. Life is good.
April 9, 2007

Susan
Gary-
Super ep!!!!!!!
I laughed
& laughed
the first 4 -5 x’s
I saw the part with the
‘new sparkling form’!!!!!
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
funny!!!
April 9, 2007

amgryger
Just to expand on my previous comment, I’d like to give a shout out to Gary for giving me the much needed daily break from my architecture thesis, which helps me keep my sanity in these final weeks.

Thanks Gary!
April 9, 2007

Harold
Nice ep Mr. Vaynerchuk; for the first time ever I have actually tasted on of the wines that you fetured. It was the Chook; I liked it a bit better than you but wasn’t blown away by it. I’m really intrigued by the Majella and will be buying a bottle (at least) the next time I’m putting together a case. QOTD: Lame as this might sound; wine is currently my thing…learning about it rather than simply drinking it but don’t worry I’m still drinking it as well.
April 9, 2007

Greg
Good one Gary. Yet another type of Wine to try, Nice! My THING right now is Winelibrary TV. I’m an official addict.

Thanks Gary
April 9, 2007

John Blue Label
GV,
Fun episode. Always expanding our horizons: I did not know that sparkling shiraz existed. Sounds like I will have to try the Majella. I am a huge Syrah/Shiraz fan.
QOTD: Really getting into Italian Red wine these days, as well as Syrah. the other thing: Ford just announced a Shelby GT500KR “King of the Road” Mustang. 540 horsepower. Sort of like a new world fruit bomb of cars. Keeping my fingers crossed that I can nab one next year.
JW
April 9, 2007

Susan
Gary-
The Rainbow in and out of your nose???????????
It reminds me of that
great old classic song-
‘The worms crawl in
The worms crawl out
The worms play pinochle on your snout!”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GGGRRRRREEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTT
stuff!!!!
April 9, 2007

cub rudy
Good episode: QOD: getting married in 3 weeks and trying as different wines as possible.
April 9, 2007

mbannon
Sparkling Shiraz, eh? Now there’s a wine I can’t profess any knowledge of. Thanks! I’ll check it out.

QOD – Triathlons.
April 9, 2007

mas
Sparkling Shiraz?? Learned something new today …

QOTD: Winemaking and wine collecting – right now my attempt at a Super Tuscan is aging in a new French oak barrel – grapes came from the Sierra Foothills, 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Syrah. Stop by next year before bottling and you can rate the barrel!
April 9, 2007

Susan
QOD:
My TTTTHHHIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGGG
right now is:
my nephew.
I think we would
ALL look at life
differently
if we had the
ENTHUSIASM
of a toddler!!!!
My nephew, Mark, just really gets
excited and enjoys
EVERYTHING around him.
I have been a little
“whatever”
for a while about life
and
now I LOVE LIFE!!!
April 9, 2007

Caren
how would you compare a sparkling shiraz to a sparkling chambourcin? I read about the dâ€™Arenberg The Peppermint Paddock Sparkling Chambourcin (fortified w/vintage port) a few weeks ago and have been craving it ever since….too bad it’s available in Australia only? Is there a way around that? QOTD- anything Hawaii
April 9, 2007

wine-ot
Mr. GV…my preconception…wasn’t gonna like the episode…thought I knew everything about syrah…Well, I was wrong, it really finished strong! As much as I love your honesty, I love when you love wines, especially aseteric ones, thank you!
April 9, 2007

Lars
Gonna have ‘ta look for that red sparklie stuff. Thanks for the episode.

QOTD: My newly arrived Vayniac Wrist Band. With only one, do I wear it on my shooting hand or non-shooting hand? Perhaps as an ankle band for the fashion statement? Thanks for the schwag!

Lars
April 9, 2007

Paul
Had the Carina 7 Per Cent at the tasting room. I agree with GV. Brought some home, glad to hear it’s in stock. Very worth the money.
April 9, 2007

thefab1of4
Nice explanation of something I would have not even thought of tring- sparkling red wine. Have they shipped out the “free wristbands” yet? I haven’t gotten mone- so i was just wondering. My thing- the end of The Sopranos- beiong a Jersey boy I’m surprised you haven’t incoporated it into a show yet!
April 9, 2007

Chris from NY
I thought that piece of art was really a “nappy headed ho” not the oak monster. Love your show! Sincerely, Don Imus
April 9, 2007

JonE
Agree with you completely on the Majella. Who woulda’ thunk it right?!

QOTD: Bruno Paillard, now there’s a contender. Matt Serra beating GSP, in one of the greatest upsets of recent time. Adam Lee and all of Siduri. Is he a magician? Cuz that dude done made magic in a bottle.
April 9, 2007

KenP
Got my wristband today. It’ll be soakin’ up sweat on a bike ride tomorrow!
April 9, 2007

Doc Dan
Still no Wristbands! Boo! QOTD: My new son, my other three beautiful kids and drinking the vino!
April 9, 2007

Badger Ann
QOTD: Spending quality time with my husband in April – he doesn’t have to travel for work, yay!

Another good sparkling shiraz to try is Rumball.
April 9, 2007

Lev M
Interesting ep. Gary… should we drink sparkling red wine cold or room temp??
QOTD: my thing is searching out true ethnic foods in different communities in the tri-state area.
April 9, 2007

Acousticdoc
Great Episode Gary! I can’t wait to try the Paringa Sparkling Shiraz you picked out for me. I’ll let you know how I like it. Q: Do you drink it chilled or room temp? (I know you always taste at RT, but what is the norm?)
QOTD: I would have to say my wife Laura. She would tell you I would say WLTV!!
April 9, 2007

Brookhouser
GV-

Wrist band has arrived…thanks….I am kind of into counting how many time you say “at the end of the day” in each episode:) Actually since your question about inventory management…I am currently into making a spreadsheet for my wine cellar inventory!

Great Episode
April 9, 2007

wildebeest
QOTD: More and more, my “thing” is wine. Dang it, Gary! (My primary passion, though, is finding and teaching the optimal physical form for humanity — or at least that’s the easiest way for me to sum up my life in a few words…I suppose inaccuracy is inevitable.)

btw, it looks like you’ve already sold out of the 2004 Marjella Sparkling Shiraz. Dang! Do you expect to get any more???
April 9, 2007

rumpole
Great episode. My wife & I enjoyed sparkling shiraz during our trip to Australia last summer. Fortunate enough to have Rockford’s (GREAT) and Peter Lehmann’s Black Queen. Not much to much to choose from here in the Pacific Northwest. Fox Creek Vixen is okay; Rumball is not to my taste.
April 9, 2007

Ryan V.
I am definitely going to have to try out that Majella, I’ve never tried a sparkling wine before and I really should. By the way thanks a lot for the mention Gary.

QOTD: My new thing is Entourage on HBO, love it. Check it out if you guys can. Its on 10 pm on Sundays right after the Sopranos.
April 9, 2007

zuma
qotd?

gotta be wltv……

btw- funny how ya see folks from other sites everywhere…………

mbannon- i see this cat on coolrunning and some other running sites……….small world….
April 9, 2007

Patt
QOTD: Cheese! Trying Roquefort right now. Really like it. Thinking about Maytag next…….
April 9, 2007

Fingerlaker
QOTD: BUFFALO SABRES!!!
all sabres all the time..
welcome back timmy c.
game 1 thurs nite.
say g’nite islanders
April 9, 2007

Rick "The Model" M
Chris, I need your update on your spreadsheet. Great show today my man.
April 9, 2007

Tad
QOD…This time of year it is the Kentucky Derby.
April 9, 2007

AngioRanger
QOD…may sound predictable, but currently is winelibrary tv!
Were the sparkling wines also left open for 3-4hrs???
April 9, 2007

JumboJ
Syrah is over-rated. Tensley Colson Canyon is what I have in mind. Tried it 3 times, and was turned off the more I drank it.

QOD: My thing is value wine.
April 9, 2007

Dave-from-Katonah
Wow syrah/shiraz! I love syrah! Great show.
How about a new show on Rhone syrah?
Ever think about a trip the Rhone??

Hey, thanks for my official Vayniac wristband!

QOTD – My things include: my family, my work as an orthopedic surgeon, as well as skiing, golf, the Packers, the Yankees, and of course … wine! That includes WLTV and being a part of the Vayniac nation!!!
April 9, 2007

CampingLisaB
Great Episode! QOTD: My Thing…hmmm…my garden…wish it would warm up so I could start planting!…Oh yeah and cycling with my girls!
April 9, 2007

David Lotspeich
Lurker coming public…
QOTD: Sports in high-def. Who would have thought TV could change my life???

My wife and I bought several cases of Tualatin semi-sparkling muscat from Oregon which still blows our minds. Bubbles now fade quickly on 6 year old wine but the memories live on. And some bottles still sing to you. We ended going up there for our 1st wedding anniversary and seeing where it came from. Keep up the good work.
April 9, 2007

Harley Stan
Gary,
Great episode, I love shiraz now I have to try it sparkling.
QOTD- Motorcycles and VW’s
April 9, 2007

Dave-from-Katonah
I loved the Tensley Colson Syrah. To each his own…
Try the Garretson Aisling!!!
April 9, 2007

E-Rock
QOD = Landscaping and pavers. Getting my yard right is consuming all of my spare time lately. Picking out colors, plants, annuals, perrenials,mulch or stone….It’s crazy. Wine however will always be up there.
April 9, 2007

A
QOTD: My thing has been collecting, understanding and drinking fine tea from around the world. I also have a large collection of fruit trees which includes one of the largest collections of different figs in the USA.
April 9, 2007

Atreyu
It’s nice to see your enthusiams Gary, although I am not a big shiraz fan.
My thing? The new casio watch that I bought, which has tons of function that I will never use, but it is nice to have them!
April 9, 2007

flavasauce
QOTD: Used to be self-exploration, expanding my mind yada yada yada, lately its all about pleasure and “sucking out life’s juicy plumb.” (if any one knows who that quote is from I’d marry you.)
April 9, 2007

flavasauce
Ahem…I meant plum.
April 9, 2007

Leigha33w
Thanks that was fun. Made me kinda thirsty.

QOTD-Segway Personal Transporters. I think I have to buy one.
April 9, 2007

jonomck
Congrats to Zach Johnson; he deserves it!
QOTD: Filling my cellar; driving my 1964 Mercedes 230 sl and touring on my BMW r1200rt around Southwest Wisconsin.

Sparkling syrah??? I had no idea!!!

Nice GV
April 9, 2007

TommyBoBo of WI
Sparkling Shiraz,,,, may be a way for my wife to start drinking red??? Thanks.
QOTD: WLTV,, not sure that’s a good thing?
April 9, 2007

The Smartest Girl in San Francisco
Yeowch! WHAT is going on over there? Light blue and purple stripes?! A watch AND a wristband!? You’re like a wine-colored version of Mork! And who doesn’t love Mork?

Different! Wild! Just like sparkling shiraz.

QOTD: SF Symphony. And my wristband. And the tape on the envelope it came in.
April 9, 2007

Darlene O.
Hey, Gary, as always, great episode. Not sure I would have paired Shiraz with ’sparkling’, but there you go. QOD: WLTV, absolutely. AND…my baby girl is off to ASU in August. We’re doing the ‘college orientation’ thing, and the ‘daughter-off-to-college-soon’ thing, so I’m grabbing every free moment I can with her. So, I guess, my baby girl is ‘my thing’…
April 9, 2007

AndrewB
Gary, QOD: My thing these days is rockin the really short hair, a beard, and going to Washington Nationals games, even though they havn’t been doin that great, They won their 1st game so far against the Marlins on my 24th birthday last Wednesday April 4th and that was an amazing day, 7-6 after an RBI in the bottom of the 9th, so awesome!!! My other things are playing Vollyball, Bad Movie Nights, and the Virginia Wine Festival June 2nd and 3rd. I cant wait! Saturday at Wegmans wine shop are also very satisfying because I love to educate all my customers that come in on that busy day about the world of wine. Life is good. Keep on rockin Gary!
April 9, 2007

Bill
I know this depends on your computer setup and blah, blah, blah, but if I see the word “Buffering” or a percentage one more time, I’m going to smash something. What ever happened to the technology that allowed you to be patient let the whole thing get cached so you didn’t have to start from 0% every time you hit “play”?
April 9, 2007

Jim Walker
Flavasauce: The Zen master Ikkyu, in his poem, “Crow WIth No Mouth,” wrote: “I suck out the world’s sweet juicy plum” (translated). If you’re going to marry me, I hope you’re a woman.

QOTD: Gary, you want to know about my “thing”? I don’t like to brag.
April 9, 2007

Jen
QOTD: My THING is… tryin to figure out how to win your contest
I want it so baaaaaaaaaaaad!!! I think I will be filming tomorrow… stay tuned.
Also, my other THING is I’m going to Vegas on the 20th for the SECOND time ever and I am planning to really whoop it up. (Yeah, that’s right, I said WHOOP.) My THIRD THING is this Asian tuna salad that this girl at my shop makes; it is awesome, in a sandwich or by itself. I can’t get enough. ALSO my THING is, always, forever and ever, the 80’s cover band The Spazmatics, every Thursday night at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, CA. They are just too much fun. Yes, that is actually my #1 thing, for about a year now. The only thing I love equally is wine. And the wisdom of Vaynerchuk…….
April 9, 2007

JumboJ
I’ll try anything. Garretson Aisling? It’s not a 15% ethanol fruit bomb, is it?
April 9, 2007

KenP
Garretson Aisling? Good luck remembering your name tomorrow.
April 9, 2007

Marc
QOTD:
A: Turkey sandwich on a hoagie with tomato and spinach. Usually am eating one while watching WLTV, even though the hoagie lately is replaced with matza.
B: Weight lifting. Creatine does amazing things if you don’t mind peeing every hour.
C: Scrubs.
April 10, 2007

Hank
my wrists are cold
April 10, 2007

Andrew G
QOTD: Baseball Season! Go Devil Rays!
April 10, 2007

Winosaurus
The consensus opinion, with sparkling shiraz, is that you get what you pay for. But, at $28 a bottle, I doubt that I would buy the Majella sparkling shiraz.

We drank the Black Chook with Thanksgiving dinner, and found it very enjoyable. It definitely was NOT ‘crappo’. I have also had the more expensive Fox Creek ‘Vixen’, and the less expensive Hardys Sparkling Shiraz. The Black Chook was easily the best of the three.
April 10, 2007

Jaimelia
My thing is to get BUFF! Lifting weights again. Got railroaded this winter and put on insane poundage. So I’m a gym rat. Now if I could just stop drinking all this wine and eating all this cheese…
April 10, 2007

Jaimelia
PS – Those sparkling shiraz-es look like Welch’s Grape Juice.
April 10, 2007

Large Format Fever
MY THING: Large Format of course…. Cant get enough of it. $$$$-IT HAS BEEN BAD LATELY-$$$$
April 10, 2007

Justin S
I’ve been meaning to taste a sparkling shiraz for some time now.

QOTD: My “thing” lately has honestly been wine, I can’t learn enough quick enough.
April 10, 2007

KenP
Test.
April 10, 2007

Jay
Actually, I really like Gary’s shirt. The wristband and the watch though… Well, to each his own.
April 10, 2007

daniel von trier
Great show, Gary. Thanks for tasting those sparkling Shiraz wines. I had a friend ask me about getting those the other week, and I honestly had no clue about where to look. Now I do.

Will you guys be getting more of the Majella, by the way?

QOTD: My ‘thing’? I’ve got 3 ‘things’ right now (not necessarily in this order):

1.) wines produced on the Saar and Mosel;
2.) the cute little Army Sargent girl who lives down the street from me, and
3.) the baseball season: Go Cocks! Go Yanks!
April 10, 2007

Cameron Booth
Hey Gary….awesome, sparkling red!

We first learned about sparkling red on an Australian visit about 5 years ago. People there seemed to drink sparkling wines much more frequently – which was nice – especially when you include reds

Funny story I had to share – seems like most people still don’t know about sparkling reds, and the proof of that was a new years party we had a couple years ago. Our good friend Chuck showed up from a wedding, so wearing a nice tux. When midnight rolled around, he grabbed the nearest bottle, shook it up, and popped the cork.

Needless to say, he didn’t know it was a red! One ruined tux, and lots of laughs were had

Cameron
April 10, 2007

YoungDave
FANTASTIC Ep, Big G. Sparkling reds needed to be done. I’m thinking about mentioning this to the operations manager at the desserterie at which I work because there may be a place for sparkling shiraz on our menu (we offer a REDICULOUS selectoin of dessert wines, Ports, and sparklers, and this could be an interesting addition.)

ALSO- thank you so much for answering the doc. film email- I figured I would thank you here instead of stuffing your email inbox with another message.

QOTD: Well, lately my thing is… writing a spec. script for a sitcom- yep, a full 50 page episode script of “How I Met Your Mother.” Partially by choice, partially because it is the HUGE final assignment for my Writing for TV class…and it’s taking a bit of time away from my wine appreciation.
April 10, 2007

KC Dan
Love Syrah and shiraz , Have to try a sparkler now . Great ep Gman . Qotd Wine and WLTV of course !!!
April 10, 2007

David Canada
Nice to see a good sparkling shiraz in the mix….I have only had 2 while I was in the Hunter Valley and they were CRAP with a capital P!
QOTD – Raptors….Raptors man. They are killin people. They demoed Chicago on Sunday, showed their fight last night against Minnesota and Garnett. THey rule….simply they rule.

Dave
April 10, 2007

tomavino
QOTD: Getting ready for a Sonoma/Napa vacation next month.

Question: At what temperature should those sparkling shiraz should be drank? From the Ep looks like room temp, but, can it be cooler?

BTW Good Ep, I’ve been wondering about sparkling shiraz for a while, never had them.
April 10, 2007

Susan
Gary-
My newphew, Mark
INSISTED on watching you
this morning, Gary.
He knows your name.
He chanted
your name when he saw me
going to the
WLTV Web Site!!!!!
You have a BIG fan!!!!!
April 10, 2007

Capt M
Very nice episode. I had no idea about sparkling shiraz, and now the Majella Spakling Shiraz is on my shopping list. Maybe the Carina Cellars Seven Percent also. QOTD: several things: ConcepciÃ³n. It’s nice to be in love again, and she’s always by my side. My motorcycle: had a nice ride over easter weekend, not just a ride, a trip. Wines: deep into them, enjoying them and appreciating them one by one, slowly. I’m starting to get into the aura or mood of the Santiago de Compostela path, researching and reading about it, to bicycle it with ConcepciÃ³n in 2009 (in two years).
April 10, 2007

Capt M
I’m working on a video for the contest. Will probably upload today.
April 10, 2007

CabernetNoir
Gary just figured out Blues Clues.
April 10, 2007

Tom T.
QOTD – Biking!
April 10, 2007

Autumnfox
QOTD: My thing(s) are love, life, laughter and the time to enjoy it all!
April 10, 2007

dougiefresh
I ordered a few of the black chook a couple of weeks ago when they first came in. (I feel so ahead of the time!) and hey, not afraid to say it, we liked it! A bunch! Very different. I’m guessing I’m gonna love the Majella, but alas, it’s already sold out. Shiraz/Syrah, love it! Great episode.
April 10, 2007

GottaGoDrink
QOTD- The kids; our exchange student from Italy; baseball; ref-ing soccer matches; wine shipping season.
April 10, 2007

luckybecky
Re comment #28 by carnyc: Do NOT drink and dive, Carny! Hit the Reef, and afterwards enjoy some of the great Aussie wines.

Sparkling shiraz? Who knew? I’m going to have to seek this out. But Gary, you are such a tease! You give this huge review that has me slobbering all over my keyboard, and then you are sold out?!?!

Anyway, something new for me to try. I don’t think I’ve ever had a sparkling red, and I love shiraz/syrah. I’ll try to find it here and “give it a whirl.”

QOTD, trying as many wines as I can on a limited budget and trying to learn more about wine. Thanks WLTV!
April 10, 2007

BobbySee
Love sparkling Shiraz. Man that Majella sold out fast! Dude, please..lose the sweater. Maybe the wife gave it to you as a gift, but it’s baad man.
QOTD: wine, of course and Great Danes. We have 3. All rescued from abusive homes.
April 10, 2007

PB
Lionel Richie??? You just lost the (+) on yer rating for that one!!!
April 10, 2007

Kate
QOTD: Wine and photography.

Gary, just wanted to “de-lurk” and let you know that watching WLTV is a great part of my day. It never fails to make me smile. Thank you!
April 10, 2007

Brad
Vaynerchuk, you are fired on rating a ‘brown paper bag flavor’ 87 points! Crappo is not ‘very good’…c’mon, be a man and slap a 76 on that bad boy!
Have yet to find a sparkling shiraz that made me realize tannins and fizz can intermingle; but I haven’t exactly tried that hard either
My thing- Cleveland Cavaliers….seein’ that I’m getting married to an Ohio proud native, it has to be my thing- or else I’ll be couch bound.
April 10, 2007

Grasshopper
very much into Syrah, Shiraz latley..had a bottle of Water Wheel last night and enjoyed it.

QOTD:

1. Food/Wine – Been grilling a lot latley, my Wife bought me a new grill for my birthday and just loving it. Cooking in our remodeled kitchen and hanging with my Wife enjoying each other, the food and of course the wine!!
2. WLTV – been my thing for a year now…:)
3. Chicago WLTV Party 04/20 – really looking forward to it!!
4. Spring (if it ever warms up again) and getting our boat out of storage and into the water!!!

GV – early in the episode you said you were “cocked”…I would be careful after the Marlboro Man reference and the great comment post from last episode by Kahuna!! That was funny, you should get that framed!

Grasshopper
April 10, 2007

thescrewcap
Wow, strangely enough I bought a bottle of the Black Chook last Friday at WL and opened it last night for a special occasion (it being a sparkler). I think I liked it better than GV. Really interesting stuff.

My thing is occasional radio fill-ins: http://wfmu.org/playlists/MD
April 10, 2007

Justmarsh
It’s funny that someone sent in a painting today. My “thing” is art. Maybe it’s time to do a Vayner-portrait of that goofy photo of you that comes up on Google image search. That thing cracks me up!
April 10, 2007

10SGuy
Good episode. Awful shirt. You keep wearing stuff like that and we’ll have to call you Gary GAY-ner-chuk! Your wife must be out of town. No way she would let you leave the house like that!
April 10, 2007

Ken
Nice episode- I’ll have to try that last wine. I think it’ll also make a nice B’Day present for my Sis. My thing: Being here now and enjoying the beauty of life.
April 10, 2007

SP
QOTD:

Wine, Cognac, Scotch, Home Brews

Sports mostly playing all and any, but also watching.
April 10, 2007

DrEdwardo
Gary, the next time someone asks what you would recommend to drink with a traditional (sage dressing) Thanksgiving turkey dinner, you know have an additional answer: Sparkling Shiraz!

Edwardo
April 10, 2007

matt long
My thing…
Photography
http://flickr.com/photos/memorymotel/
April 10, 2007

flavasauce
Jim Walker, Wow I’m impressed! I guess we better start making plans for the wedding. Yes I am a woman. Just curious how you know Ikkyu? Hope you didn’t google it
April 10, 2007

TagWorld Brian
Picked up a bottle of the 2004 Majella yesterday. Looking forward to trying!
April 10, 2007

alco holland
My thing? Cookies, wine and beer now if only there was a way to combine all three…..eeew.
April 10, 2007

Dom
Food and wine are definitely my thing right now. I love cooking for my wife and watching food network and my daily fix of wine library tv!
April 10, 2007

l_dickerson
Tried a sparkling shiraz for the fist time a couple years ago at Thanksgiving dinner. One of our good friends dated a guy who was from Australia and his parents were still nice enough to mail a lot of wine his way. Needless to say, it was delicious!!
April 10, 2007

Jon B.
great episode.Nice on pulling the rainbow through your nose. qotd wine exspecially spainish wine right now Rioja and Havarti cheese mmm…
April 10, 2007

Ben N.
Good episode.
QOTD Cooking, drinking wine, not any one thing.
April 10, 2007

Lawrence Leichtman
We are big fans of sparkling Shiraz and typically drink Rumball here. I will have to try 3 bottle of the Majella. Sounds great and the price is OK.

My thing is WLTV and trying to not work as much.
April 10, 2007

BV
QOTD: I don’t really have a thing. At least I don’t THINK I have a thing. Unless everything is my thing – which means I love every day. But I don’t have one specific thing. Sometimes my thing is my thing, but I can’t go into that here. Whatever I’m enjoying at any given moment could be my thing. Whatever makes me money or makes me happy could be my thing. I wonder if Iraq is anybody’s thing…

Say, Gar’ — thanks very much for the wristband — but where’s the other one?! You KNOW I need two to fend off the flying corks! Please comply with my request at once!

Another great ep.

Bill V.
April 10, 2007

Dave-from-Katonah
Hey Gary – How does that Carina Shiraz/Viognier compare with the Australian D’Arenberg Laughing Magpie, which I believe is also a Siraz/Viognier blend??
April 10, 2007

Jim Walker
flavasauce comment 143. Yes I googled it. Does that mean the wedding is off? I think we’ll need a prenup.
April 10, 2007

aaronT
QOTD: My thing = motogp racing (an american won the championship last year, just gettin rollin this year… go nicky!)
April 11, 2007

wayno da wino
Gary, Great Episode ! I’m slobbering all-over
myself after watching ya drink the Majella !!

QOTD: 16-20 mile moutain hikes, God’s Country !!
April 11, 2007

craig
QOTD: I pulled my 20 year old remote control car (Tamiya Frog) out of storage and it still works! So I’ve been tinkering around with it, so I guess that’s my thing…
April 11, 2007

flavasauce
Jim Walker, You break my heart. :.(
April 11, 2007

Dale Cruse
My “thing” is my new gravatar.
April 12, 2007

TSchampaert
Tough you are. So, QOTD: my thing is cheese, just for now. Wow, I can feel it in my mouth, a good Pecorino, or a Chevre d’Ardennes with Rochefort beer.
April 12, 2007

Michael Goldberg
Episode Suggestion: Best wine bottles to use as weapons and which to drink before you strike. The 2004 Majella Sparkling Shiraz Bottle would be first. Now that is a funny way to tie wines together!

QotD: My thing is…running with my Nike Plus Ipod thing.
January 1, 2008

The Fanjestic
This is why I’m glad all of the old episodes are posted – now I’m buying with a bottle of the Majella! I had some Goosebumps (mollydooker) sparkling shiraz at a tasting and loved it! This is about $18 less and hopefully will bring the same amount of satisfaction!
March 5, 2008

thefanjestic
Ok – I’m back and I’m drinking the Majella – Gary is pretty much on the nose with this wine, except it might be a little too creamy for some. 93 points is a little high in my opinion but 90+ is very reasonable. Spend the extra 18 bucks and get the Mollydooker Goosebumps – now that wine has the structure that this wine is somewhat laking. But this is still a great bottle and a good buy at $28.
June 28, 2008

Bacari
Good episode. While I have my own palate that differs from Gary’s, he has always been a great help to me in selecting wines. I called my local wine cellar and they recommended the Black Chook shiraz and sparkling shiraz. I will now also try the Carina Cellars and the Majella; hopefully they will take my shiraz experience to the next level. As always, thanks Gary.

QOTD: My thing is the four (4) W’s. Watches, Wine, Wheels, and Women – in that order.
October 21, 2009

Gid
funny, I just made my own shiraz / viognier blend at home last night!
November 9, 2009

John J.
qotd any rare, unique or out there varietals, wine styles, or wine areas. Lately it’s been the vin jaune’s from Jura. Would love to see you have one on the show Gary.

Sparkling Shiraz and Syrah – Episode #211

Wines tasted in this episode:

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