Gary on Conan
http://www.veoh.com/videos/v8982062AtdXHQd?searchId=3215542127282638389&rank=4

Gary, great Conan appearance! You almost had Conan sucking on your sweaty socks. But I guess that would have been too Brokeback, even for him. Next stop: SportsCenter!

Nice job on Conan last night. Not sure why Ann Curry’s broken nose was so hilarious to him yet he deadpanned your opening lines. But you stayed on message and he loosened up; gulping the first wine, eating the rock, etc… I look forward to the next one.

Seriously Gary awesome job on Conan. The taste-off you had with him was brutal. Im pretty sure you won.

QOTD: I did not drink a lot of merlot at that time…I was as you say seduced by the Oak Monster Cabs from Cali…so I did not impact me per say but it did put a negative spin on things…..now I find my self liking many merlot based wines from France, South Africa, and Italy…but no cali….

You are trying to be like Justin Timberlake and “bringing Merlot back”. I was never much of a fan of Merlot. Too many wineries make poor quality efforts, thus I rarely drink them.

Yo Gary,

It wasn’t that long ago you were touting us the Charles Creek “Miradero” merlot. How soon we forget!

Best,

Mike

Good episode…I like the fact that you are trying to “bring Merlot back”. I do enjoy drinking Merlot & thanks for the reminder!

QOTD: I always thought merlot was alright, but I much preferred pinot myself. I don’t go for pinot much these days, as it’s too pricey. Curse you, Sideways!

I didn’t like merlot well before sideways came out. I thought there was always too much oak in it (butter-gag), so I avoided it like the plague. However, I have started to taste and enjoy it. It’s not the first red wine I’ll go to, but I can at least appreciate it and will buy a bottle or two here and there.

Still love the Merlot G —– Really like The St Emillon Blends
from everywhere Like Cali & Bordeux

QOTD: Good wine is good wine regardless of the varietal. I like Pinot Noir, but it’s difficult to find reasonable QPR’s these days. Sideways did a number on Merlot, but now you can often get better value than with an equivalent tier Cab. Gary, I am a longtime lurker that has to come out by telling you that Merlot from Washington State is often times more structured, complex, and deep than Washington Cab and frankly superior to California Merlot. I know I’m shooting myself in the foot here, but you need to seek out Washington Merlot…there are a myriad of outstanding wines for reasonable prices on the market. Long live the oft maligned Merlot!

QOTD – Sideways had no impact on me because I don’t like Merlot and I don’t like Pinot Noir! I am a Cab man and proud of it!! I will pay for great Napa Cab and great Bordeaux, but I also enjoy South American Cabs. Ribera Del Duero is fantastic as well. (Check my purchases at the store….)

I haven’t written in for quite some time Gary, do you still love this Vayniac?? I have not sought out “Lurker” status.

I hope Conan went well.

Karl B.

QOTD- Before Sideways, I figured out that my wife loves Merlot, particularly St-Emilion, so I have always sought out Merlot based wines to keep her happy, very happy. Sideways has had absolutely zero impact on my drinking/buying. I have bought three new Merlots in the last month, one from WA, one from Bordeaux, and one Italy. She likes them more than I, but I never question her palate, ‘cuz she knows what she likes. Cheers and great show GV!

QOTD – yes, but it was more for my wife than me. I never really liked merlot to begin with.

This guy cracks me up… “That was for the Vayniacks who are no longer with us” classic.

I can’t say that “Sideways” changed me too much. Wait, it made me laugh like crazy. And now that I think about it, I want to say that I think Sideways gets a bad-rap for the Merlot bashing (which it did). But ultimately weren’t they just expressing their own opinions too. We just get pissed off because they have the biggest pulpit to preach from. The film really did get me more interested in wine. And Pinot Noir is a finicky group. True. Kudos to the farmers who grow it.

That being said, I just discovered Pomerol thanks to WLTV and my perspective on Merlot has been blown wide open. Chateau Franc Mailet. Chateau Le Gay. Bring it on.

Keep it rolling GV. Nice Conan bit.

QOTD- Sideways did not affect my wine drinking, I believe I was just getting into wine then and only drinking what we had at the grocery market store I worked at.

God I love justin timberlake…and Lion-O.

QOTD: When _Sideways_ happened, I honestly hadn’t heard of Pinot Noir, so it was more of an intro to Pinot for me than a bashing of merlot.

-Nico

Whew…took me a few days but I finally saw this episode. Thanks for it, Gary.

QOTD: When I first started drinking wine, in the mid-’90s, I was told “Merlot is like a blue blazer. Goes with anything (food-wise).” So that’s all I drank. Dipped my toe in some other varietals but was afraid to make more of a committment. So when Sideways came out, yes, I did turn off the Merlot spigot. I tasted many, many more wines, so in that respect the movie was a good thing.

It’s only that one line that Miles says that really killed Merlots. Ironically, I just finished reading the book and that line isn’t mentioned (though Miles’ love of pinots does come through). When I head the wine store today, maybe I’ll pick up a bottle of Merlot and it give it a whirl this weekend.

Whew…took me a few days but I finally saw this episode. Thanks for it, Gary.

QOTD: When I first started drinking wine, in the mid-’90s, I was told “Merlot is like a blue blazer. Goes with anything (food-wise).” So that’s all I drank. Dipped my toe in some other varietals but was afraid to make more of a committment. So when Sideways came out, yes, I did turn off the Merlot spigot. I tasted many, many more wines, so in that respect the movie was a good thing.

It’s only that one line that Miles says that really killed Merlots. Ironically, I just finished reading the book and that line isn’t mentioned (though Miles’ love of pinots does come through). When I head the wine store today, maybe I’ll pick up a bottle of Merlot and it give it a whirl this weekend.

I love the new, “manly” sniffy sniff. Much better.

I begrudgingly got into wine while traveling in southern Africa. I had always thought I hated wine because my parents only drank Merlot and I didn’t like it. Then I discovered some tasty South African wines, which were not Merlot, and decided to become the wino my parents will never be. A couple of years later Sideways merely confirmed my suscipicions. Give me reds one way or the other… Cab or Pinot. Although Sagelands in the Walla Walla Valley does make a nice Merlot.

Hi Gary

What did you smoke? By the way I love your show. How about a show about Bordeaux right bank´s merlots (petrus, cheval blanc….)?