Love this movement and great show!

Want to see more Virginia and Chilean Chards go this way too!

QOTD: In theory a substantial amount with food but I often eat quickly at home so am left with wine to drink just after, which can suck if you have a disappointing wine which is then an effort to drink! For me, midweek drinking is a large glass with/immediately after food, weekend is two large glasses with/immediately after food.

"Im a huge mango head" 20m07s. Gary V. 8 August 2007. Lol.

Great description on the chelahem....How do you actually come out with such descriptions...wow...really awesome

QOTD: most of the time without food

Im on the Nose Band Wagon, at wine trade tasting events people have made comments about me smelling wine hah. that and my swirling

I've gotta have a vayniak t-shirt with perfume-sprayers being pelted with papayas!!!

Never had a naked Chardonnay before ( i dont think ), so this episode will def. make go out and try one. I wouldnt really call myself afraid of the Oak Monster, but geting hit in the face with a 2x4 (from a crazed Hacksaw Jim Duggan or the Oak Monster ) doesnt really appeal to me. Letting the fruit do its own thing is def. something Im a fan of as well. QOTD: 10% with. Ive been stockpiling a lot of wine that needs to age, so I have to wait a few years on them. I joined a club in a wine shop, so now I will be able to go to there and look at a larger selection of wines I can buy and drink now.

It’s taken me a long time to get around to this, but I’ve been meaning to express the impact that this episode has had on me. It has helped me to figure out some aspects of the relationship between the Oakster and myself. My wine life started 25 to 30 years ago. My dad would serve a jug of Gallo Hearty Burgundy, with a big bloody slab of beef, a baked potato and plenty of veggies. (Mom probably prepared the potatoes and veggies.) Green was good but red dominated the meal. This was a meal fit for the Friday night of a hard working man. I remember my dad once mentioning that Gallo used stainless steal for aging and that wine snobs only looked down on this because they didn’t go with change very quickly.

As I mentioned once before, I started bringing home vintage California Cab, Zin and Pinot. I discovered oak, but I didn’t know it was oak. To me it was a new exotic taste. Furthermore it was a taste I found in vintage wines which I didn’t find in the cheap jug wine. These circumstances tend to give that taste the label of being a good thing that is only found in the quality product. It was also meaningful that I was making a contribution to the family’s meal and the family’s pallet evolution.

[Fastforward to 21st Century] When I started watching WLTV it was old episodes from the days when your oak appreciation was at a low. I found it odd to hear you say manure is good. Dirt is good. Sticks, stones, grass, leaves and bugs are all good. But wood, wood is bad. It seemed to me that wood should fit in the same earthy category with those other tastes. I later caught on. The manure taste isn’t due to winemakers adding manure (I hope! I hope!! I hope!!!).

It’s fun to figure things out. My tastes change and your tastes change. For me, at some level memories of family, my late father, will impact things.

You missed an opportunity here Gary. You should have done the show shirtless with a visible pile of clothes in the background with boxers on top. Do it straight with no reference to attire or lack thereof. It would have been a nice response to those who want you to be serious.

Gary your killing me, i'm pulling a little wltv marathon!!! will you do a bad boring episode so i get tired and can get some sleep, does the thunder ever end??. its 1am and i have to work tomarrow, with your enthusiam i fear i am going to be up all night.

Qotd. Maybe 70% of wine i eat with food, but a lot of that bottle/s are drunk before or after the dinner itself.

Name change to "The Stainless Steeal Monster"

#473 - Talk about comment juicing!

Great Ep Gary,
I became a fan of the less/non-oaked chardonnays about 4 years ago. I had to get a little education on the difference before I realized what to look for.
I totally agree that the more acidic, low oaked chardonnays are more versatile with food. That said; QOTD: my guess is 25% w/food.

I purchased the Four Vines Naked Chardonnay for me and my flatmates to drink during the meteor shower this past weekend. My friend Erika who loves her oakey Kendall Jackson, could not get enough of this stuff. Good looking out for the CKCs with this one.

Gary -- not true about the 4 vines! Just a few months ago, you gave the Boekenhoutskloof Wolf Trap an 89+... and it was $2 cheaper! Best value EVER.

Looks like others are catching up like me. Anyway, I like "Naked" Chardonnay. It's definitely got a refreshing taste to it. Thanks for the episode!

Still catching up on old episodes. I'm glad to make a contribution to the sliders effort! Gary you rock man!

took me a while to catch up but I'm up to date. Thanks for this ep. I will now have to give a few naked chardonnays. 70% without food 30% with but that is changing now that my wife is starting to drink wine too.

I know I'm a little late on this one, but I thought I'd throw this in the pile. I recently when to a tasting of a local vineyards first release. Rominger West vineyards is doing some good things here in Davis, CA. I was most impressed by the fact that their 2005 Chardonay had very little oak on the palate and the wine maker says that their next years release will be completely un-oaked. They said that they were very excited about the fact that the publics palates seemed to be appreciating the taste of the fruit more than wanting oak.

I completely agree! Once again great show!

QOTD: 75% with, 25% w/o
Thanks for the 4 Vines recommendation. Mucho tasty, and such a nice price. May replace Giesen SB as our house white.

QOTD- 80% without 20% with. I work nights so I miss dinner five nights a week and my wine is a before sleep cocktail. LOVE it with food but don't get that many chances.

I have been drinking the 4 Vines for a couple of years and it is great to taste the grapes instead of the barrels.

QOTD :: 99% without food.

How do I sign up to be a Vayniac? I can't leave any tags until I sign up, but I can't figure out how to do it. HELP ME.

QOTD: 80% without food (though drinking with friends always involves cheese / cracker plates to munch on), but the idea is to focus on the juice, and whatever "HOUSE" re-run or Packers / Brewers / Badgers / Marquette game might be on the big screen...

Addendum: There is a Jets fan in the neighborhood, but he drinks beer....

I wonder how these unoaked chardonnays would compare to most sauvignon blancs, with the overabundant acidity I just personally have a visceral gag reflex to the grassy/heavy citrus punch they carry. Buttered popcorn all the way, baby.

Interesting show Gary!! I will have to give a naked chard a try, probably that 4 vines. I've been turned off to chards ever since I've started drinking more whites(thanks to your influence GV), can't stand the oak bombs.

QOTD: 50/50

Groundbreaking EP Gary. Love the pelting fruit on the perfume sprayers. QOTD: We invariably drink wine throughout the dinner period, and finish after the meal, so I guess the percentage would be about 70% with food.

The breakdown is probably 60% with food and 40% without... SS Chris... I owe you one the score sheet is big for me. Thanks for keeping that going! Is there anyone interested in an episode where we learn about the benefits of decanting? I'd like GV's take on how to decide about decanting a wine you haven't had before.

Thanks for introducing us to a new, better Chard. I may have to start drinking it again. QOTD - 90% food, 10% no food.

another great show Gary!
Hey, I saw u cary a blue berry port. Ya gotta add that smurf juice whenever u do your next port tasting.
80% without food / 20% with food.

I do love the "whether you like it or not" at the end of your sign-off as a permanent staple on the show. Keep it real and stick it to the (few) whiny nay-saying complainers who have criticized this show... whether they like it or not.

QOTD: I'm probably a 60% with food, 40% without food type of Vayniac.

QOTD: 90 with/10 without

PS-- I almost always drink at least half a glass of the wine before eating though.

I'm very happy you did this episode. I appreciate a traditionally oaky California Chardonnay when I taste one for being well-made, but generally don't enjoy it much. I have this problem: I don't like my wine to taste like butter! Big Chablis fan. Will definitely give the four vines a try soon.

Regarding sniffing, I recently stuck my nose so deep into a glass of red (Tempranillo I think) that I actually inhaled the wine by accident, then sneezed red wine all over my shirt. I had to explain that one to my wife.

80 percent with food, 20 without.

Gary--Hope you and Tim F are having a wonderful time in Napa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:)

QOTD: Typically, 100% of Chardonnay with food, though I enjoy un-oaked chardonnays alone. Otherwise only 30% with food, 70% without.

Great to see naked chardonnays shining and making a great splash! Wonderful show.

Probably 90% without food.

QOTD: 70% with food, 30% without food

Almost all my wine is without food. Even when I have wine with food, I taste the wine alone before the meal.

Sorry I am late to the game G!
I had to be on the road for work.......

QOTD: 75% food, 25% with out