The Thanksgiving Wine Episode

The Thanksgiving Wine Episode – Episode #356

November 22, 2007

Today Gary unveils the Turkey 4 pack and walks you through the tasting, make sure to gather all your friends and family and enjoy the THUNDER SHOW!

Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version.

Comments on this episode(151) Leave a comment ›

“Happy Thanksgiving a year plus late! QOTD: No wine shipping to WA st…” by Dessert Wine Nerd
“But please, come to visit our cellar ; you will see that there is no d…” by Nicolas Marie
View all 151 ›

Wines tasted in this episode:

2006 Premiado TorrontesArgentine Torrontes
2005 Cantina Dolianova Monica Di Sardegna ArenadaMonica di Cagliari
2004 Dubakella Pinot NoirOther California Pinot Noir
2004 Chateau Cambon La PelouseOther Red Bordeaux

Links mentioned in todays episode.

151 Responses

Pages: « 7 [6] 5 4 3 2 1 » Show All

November 25, 2007

Adam
Loved this episode. I didn’t get the 4-pack but I did get some siblings to sit around and watch with me. They all are now Vayniacs.

If there is a Christmas 4-pack or a thanksgiving day 4-pack next year, we’re in.
November 25, 2007

Big Nick
Just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving late. Enjoyed the episode, but could not get the 4 pack. Those darn shipping laws. So we did our own 4 pack here:

2004 Wente Vineyards Chardonnay Nth Degree
2005 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Appellation Series North Coast
2006 St. Julian Winery Riesling
2004 Jackson-Triggs Vidal Icewine Proprietors’ Reserve

Most of the family drinks white wine, and I a still getting my legs for red, but I decanted that Zin for 8 hours and it was as smooth as they come. I dranks the whole bottle since nobody else wanted to taste. Great show and family is the real reason we get together. Thanks.
November 25, 2007

Mandy
We’re stoked about our four-pack, though we couldn’t convince our friends to drink with us for t-day. The bf and I tried the torrontes–like pine needles and lemon zest-infused white grape juice. Delicious! Can’t wait to try the next ones. Thanks for a fun and educational experience!
November 24, 2007

Andrew Kellner
In honor of TG, my brother-in-law brought out a ‘78 Lafite Rothschild, leather/fuit, very mature. did the 4-pack on sat nite with a good friend, to introduce him to the vayner-nation — we took out a strawberry pop-tart to make sure we caught the “sniffy-sniff” with the Pinot. Loved the Premiado, the lemon zest freshness is so easy to drink; the arenada/monica was not my favorite, but I’m glad I tried it, the Piont was a big hit with the non-tasters in the crowd who liked the atypical US Pinot backbone; and my favorite was the bordeaux, especially after I took out the leftover stuffing and tasted it again. I agree 100% the food shaped the tanins and made it different. So much fun. Thanks Gary. Family — big picture, that’s all you need to know…only downside…the jets, not only did they fail again, they cheated us out of the success bonus from GV! LOL
November 24, 2007

drew
I have been watching your shows for about a week now and I can’t get enough of it!
I truly enjoy your honesty and enthusiasm. I know that I will be a life long fan. Though I must admit that I am a native Floridian and a die hard DOLPHINS FAN. I guess this is proof positive that wine is the ultimate friendship maker!
November 24, 2007

Christopher J
Great episode. More packs and shows need to be done like this for sure. It is a lot of fun when you have all of the wines to taste along with. Need to do the Christmas 4 pack for sure!!!

I haven’t opened the Pino yet, the monica was not my favorite, but loved the other two so far.
November 24, 2007

pforty
Late post, but my wife and did the 4-pack tasting on Friday. We had a blast. And we loved the wines. We actually tried the wines with homemade nachos!!! Made us laugh but we did notice a difference in the tannins!! And again loved each and every wine. Thanks. We may in fact have a tasting of the four wines with friends while we watch the archived version of this episode soooooo much of WLTV needs to be shared.
November 24, 2007

gerald
the comment about the glove and not wanting to leave the game was soooo funny….thats why I love watching you…..you say whatever comes to your mind..thanks gary…
November 24, 2007

YoungDave
SORRY SO LATE!
QOTD: Well I missed the boat on the four-pack because it sold out so fast, BUT my Thanksgiving was great; shared with family and friends. BUT there is a great story that capped off the night:
> after the feast and card-playing and whatnot, my room mate and I went to my cousin’s house to help him move his couch out of the apartment onto the street to make room for the new couch that was to arrive on Friday. After trying and trying, we couldn’t find a way to fit it out the door, so we eventually just pushed it over the second story balcony of his apartment onto his driveway, and hauled it a block in front of an apartment construction site. Hopefully we didn’t wake too many neighbors when we went the couch sailing through the air to the driveway below!
November 24, 2007

Dulamae
QOTD: I have to say THANK YOU for doing this it was so much fun. I made my fiance watch with me and taste each of the wines. He never drinks wine so it was fun to get his reaction to the smells and tastes. He also wanted to say he ate several pickles with his thanksgiving meal

I really hope you do more of these because it was really awesome.

Rhonda
November 23, 2007

MTM
GV,

Thanks for doing this show. I hooked the computer up to the TV and had six people (wife, stepmom, dad and friends) join in. We would pause the show before you gave your impressions of the bouquet and palate and we would share with each other what we thought. It was so much fun! Please do another one of these again soon!

Thanks again,
Mike
November 23, 2007

five-0 to wine-o
Gary,

You pick the wine, let the football guys pick the results….Dallas cleans the Jets clock!
November 23, 2007

Dick
Gary, lovesd the wine pack…am an ABC fan
November 23, 2007

Tom T.
This marks one year of episodes. Thanks dude.
Happy t-day.
November 23, 2007

Dominus
One of my fav shows.

QOTD: Sitting here on Black Friday with the wifey-poo with my 4-pack comparing note with the G-Man. We were very close in our scores and sniffy-sniffs though I had #1 and #2 reversed. My scores: 85/86, 88, 90 (the pinot was the best) and then 87.

May you Gary and your family have a most wonderful Thanksgiving.

Cheers!

P.S. Of the 13 people who I slaved over a grille and hot oven for two days, only one may have cared or watched the show last night so I gave your show justice with people who care and put you center stage tonight. Let’s do this again soon.
November 23, 2007

Clifford and Darcey
GOOD JOB Gary … so sorry about your beloved Jets … I stopped watching after the third quarter ’cause I just couldn’t stand it anymore!

Drove solo down to Florida to be with my Mom and Dad, got stranded in the middle of Georgia, but got the car working again and made it OK. Introduced my parents to a very nice Oregon Pinot, and they were shocked when I told them how much I paid for it … they offered me a nice little $5 white Zinfandel, which I politely refused.

THEN I turned Mom on to your show; she enjoyed your sense of humor.

Thanks, as always, for all you do!

Sorry about the Jets … there will always be another year.
November 23, 2007

KNode
My husband and I were the only ones drinking the 4-pack, so we’ve only opened one of the wines so far (to enjoy with Christmas decorating and leftovers). We chose the Dubakella Pinot Noir and we took your advice and allowed it to decant for a long time. We tried it twice: after about 7 hours and then again after about 3 or so more. The first time we tasted it it was very jammy and fruity. It tasted like candy, but was delicious! For me, the finish reminded me of the way iced tea (flavored iced tea) tastes when I put one too many Sweet-N-Lows in there. It tasted exactly like that for me. Is that what you mean by “fake flavors?” That is tastes like artificial sweetener? I was really proud of myself for picking up on that though because I think that’s the first time I have been able to pick up on a random flavor profile (I’m much better with the nose than I am with picking out flavors).

When we came back to it a few hours later, it had lost quite a bit of the sweetness. It no longer smelled like the inside of a strawberry fig newton (like I thought the first time around), and the oak flavors were a LOT more predominant. The too-sweet-iced-tea finish was even stronger for me at this tasting. I think I actually preferred the experience after the 7 hours of decanting as opposed to the 10+ hours.
November 23, 2007

Pete
Gary, great episode. Really enjoyed it. As mentioned by another reviewer, glad to see your strong family values.

God Bless,

–Pete
November 23, 2007

Monstrose
Great episode! We had a mag of 1984 Sterling cab with our turkey: a bit mature, but great food wine. Good food, good friends. Life is good.
November 23, 2007

Siggi from Iceland
Well Gary, first of all I want to thank you for this Thanksgiving shows that you have had here on TV tho we don’t have Thanksgiving here in Iceland I have had a couple of Americans from the Embassy here who are a special clients of mine and just today one came and thanked me for this great paring with a Riesling, tho it was a German one but the idea came from watching an earlier episode, so props to you and keep up a good work:D
November 23, 2007

C-BusWineMofo
Gary,
Great show, I’ve been out of the loop(WLTV) for a while now and this show really moved me. You are so right about family. I’m the one in my family that avoids hugs and saying goodbye because I take for granted that these people will always be there and someday they might not or I might not. So suck it it and show some love. BTW Drank a 2002 Grgich Hills Cab with turkey and it was the bomb.

C-BusWineMofo
November 23, 2007

BF
great ep, gary, thanks for the focus on family and what’s important
November 23, 2007

Tommy Vernieri
Happy Thanksgiving. We watched this yesterday with the whole family. They couldn’t get over how much you sound like my cousin Paul, another lifetime Jets fan and season ticket holder.
November 23, 2007

Tony S.
Hey happy Black Friday! Sorry, I always watch from work at lunch, so I usually always watch the show a day late. I didn’t get the 4 pack though…no one else in my family drinks, except my wife and she’s preggo right now (due on Jan. 10th!).

Anyay, I would say sorry about your Jets, but although I’m a hardcore Bears fan, I grew up in Texas and have always had a spot for them Cowboys…unless they’re playing the Bears.

Well, I had an 03 Littorai PN which showed nicely with all the food, and I’ll see how it stands up to leftovers tonight. Also had a NV Alvear Pedro Ximenez after desert…whoo-whee…talk about raiseny-syrup! It was nice though, just relaxing with that, all the family gone, dishes finished and watching the end of the Colts/Falcons yawner.

OK, have a great weekend!
T
GO BEARS
November 23, 2007

dz
Gary, saw your Jets Cowboy game… that was like being forced to watch Broke Back Mountain again.The 4-pack was much appreciated as the Torrontes was really different, kinda reminded me of Muscat. The Monica I’ve had many times,great Italian peasant wine.The Dubakella was outstanding, definitely a Pinot for people who don’t care about Pinot! Last but not least the Cambon La Pelouse was textbook Bordeaux(yes I do have hair on my chest as well as my back). All in all a great Thanksgiving,keep up the great work.