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!

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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
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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

November 22, 2007

Pastafari Pirate
first time ever in Top 10??
November 22, 2007

chenin
Cool!
November 22, 2007

garyv
I want to wish everyone the BEST DAY EVER!
November 22, 2007

chenin
Crazy.. never seen a thing like this. Are you guys still asleep over the pond?
November 22, 2007

vange
happy thanksgiving
November 22, 2007

cma82
Top ten!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Enjoy your turkey!
November 22, 2007

waibeans
top ten!

happy thxgiving to everyone!
November 22, 2007

Kdawg
top ten?
November 22, 2007

misswinegirl
Happy Thanksgiving!!! Thanks Gary…for suppling a little fun for today!!! Can’t wait to pop the corks!
November 22, 2007

Badger Ann
Happy Thanksgiving! Eat, drink, and enjoy!
November 22, 2007

dank
vegetables meets the corner of a college dorm room, yum!

Happy Thanksgiving to all.
November 22, 2007

winedsurfer
Still waking up on the west coast but psyched to see the episode so early before all the craziness begins. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
November 22, 2007

Eric S.
Happy Thanksgiving! Thanks for the 4-pack Gary! We are going to pop the Torrentes and the Pinot for sure. Have a great day, and of course….GO JETS!!!
November 22, 2007

papamike
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Go Lions!
November 22, 2007

Ryan M.
Happy Thanksgiving! Even though I’m in Canada lol. Almost made it to the top 10…
November 22, 2007

purplejuicebruce
Great show! Happy Thanksgiving I’m going to have a sippy sip
November 22, 2007

CliffAberson
Don’t make fun of me dad! You know you want this wrist band!!! Great show Gary. Loved the intro. Even got in an ODB reference! Happy thnxgivin!
November 22, 2007

Luke B
Happy Thanksgiving all!
GO JETS!
November 22, 2007

John Blue Label
GV,
Wonderful episode. You nailed the holiday: it is the best of the year, because it is all about family. No pretense, no gifts, just food and fellowship. And in a special way, we can remember those who are no longer with us, but made up such a big part of our lives.
I miss you Mom!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, and to all the Vayniacs!
November 22, 2007

In Vino Veritas
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Thanks Gary.
November 22, 2007

Glen DiGirolamo
Happy Thanksgiving Gary!!!!!
November 22, 2007

MagnumGourmet
Top #20. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
November 22, 2007

stevek1510
Happy Thanksgiving GV!…I still have 9 bottles of the Tumbling Tractor that you were pounding the table on last year….Thanks for a years worth of great shows.
November 22, 2007

Shadowbird
QOTD: I didn’t get to buy the four-pack…^_^’>
November 22, 2007

John P
Thanks for the Thanksgiving Show !!!!!!!

Next year…..I’ll get the Thanksgiving Pack…
November 22, 2007

Jaykid007
Happy T day! Thanks for the 4 pack. Did anyone catch Gary’s rating on the last wine? I went back twice and no rating.
November 22, 2007

bmw
Best wishes to your family on this thanksgiving day! Nice episode for all and great variety of wines.

Too bad the grapes aren’t free – we would’ve enjoyed the 4pack.
November 22, 2007

Dr T from N. Carolina
Good teaching show. You might be linking to this one often. I hope your Jets have a good game.

“T”
November 22, 2007

Timothy Burke
Gary, Hope you have a great Thanksgiving. Another great episode, and I am sure the family will love it. Enjoy the day, enjoy the family and the happiness that today brings.
November 22, 2007

KingLurker
Happy thanksgiving!! Thank you for the episode, we all loved it! GO JETS!!!!!!!!!!
November 22, 2007

NADINE
So, you want comments, I am going to give them to you. I actually agree with you when it comes to fresh fruity flowery aroma type of wine when it comes to the Torontes. I never had the one you presented on today’s show but I do know the Etchart Torrontes and this one, I absolutely adore when chilled combined with sushi is so yumm or even alone to refresh on a hot summer day and sometimes in the winter when the heating is too high – keeping the cold away as it does get cold hey here in Canada, quite cold, not too cold until know, hopefully this winter will be mild, let’s keep our fingers crossed, lol. I do love Spain, so I will seek out that wine you just presented on the show on my next trip to the S.A.Q. (where we get alcohol here). Hummm, yeah our family doesn’t really celebrate thanksgiving as it’s not a tradition that we got accustomed to but it doesn’t prevent me from wishing you a happy Thanksgiving That last wine Medoc, I have to agree that it’s better when combined with food. For some reason it’s quite flexible with various types of meals. Great job Gary ! Keep it up
November 22, 2007

mrzitro
Happy Thanksgiving!
November 22, 2007

Dave Canada
IT’s thanksgiving??????
Thanks for the show…..would have loved to ahve tasted along with my family.
QOTD – I’m at work…no story
November 22, 2007

Glazer
Go Cowboys!!!!!!!
November 22, 2007

Delicias
Gary & crew,

Muchas gracias. As always, great show!

Pregunta del dia: Didn’t get the pack–doh!

BTW–You did a sake episode…I suggest a tequila show next. Just an idea!
November 22, 2007

ev
I’m just sitting here chewin on my glove and holding my peepee in “gloomy” Seattle where we have had zero clouds now for 4 days straight soon to be followed by 2 more. However, it is THE land of the mightily scary four foot BANANA slug, who says “Take a sniffy sniff of this one, will ya?”
November 22, 2007

Mark Wilder
Happy Thanksgiving Gary. Great Show. You want my comments about the 4 pak, I shoulda got one!!!
November 22, 2007

Michael
We will be enjoying the Pinot today (decanted for three hours).
Thanks for WLTV. I am drinking more wine than ever.
Have a great day with your family.
November 22, 2007

Ken
Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends from us up in Canada. We had ours back in October, but fortunately I married an American, so I get two a year. Wohoo!
November 22, 2007

Jason
Thanksgiving Story: Everyone is sick and we moved it to Saturday.
Jason’s QOTD: Why do I not have a delicious 4 Pack? I need to start watching as soon as WLTV is released so that I don’t miss out. Can’t wait till Saturday when I can enjoy the wine, family, friends, and food.
Great Episode
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Go Jets
November 22, 2007

CindyW
Happy Thanksgiving, GaryV and fellow Vayniacs!
November 22, 2007

Ferrigno
GREAT SHOW! HUM, NO THANKSGIVING HERE… BUT I LOOOOOOVE PUMPKING PIE! SOOOO HOPE THE JETS WIN, AND HAPPY A NICE HOLIDAY…. BYE!
November 22, 2007

GrapeStuff
Happy Thanksgiving GV! A big CHEERS to you and your family! And to yours MOTT!!

GO JETS!!!!! (fingers crossed, but not holding my breath against the 9-1 Cowboys)

LOL @ “Holding your pee-pee”. Classic.
November 22, 2007

Ben N.
Happy Thanksgiving Gary.
November 22, 2007

SoCalDaveL
Family, Food & Football…. Can there be a better pairing?

I think not. Happy Thanksgiving Vaniacs!!!
November 22, 2007

John Blue Label
Okay, here’s the follow up: QOTD
A Thanksgiving miracle at the Walker house: Dad liked everything(and he always complained about something), and the kids even liked the Sour Cream/Garlic/Chive mashed potatoes. And not a miracle, but the Seghesio Prati Zinfandel was delicious. Cudos to Brandon Warnke for the recommendation.

Now, to give ourselves a chance to recover and have the Black Bottom Crust Strawberry Cheesecake for dessert!

JWB
November 22, 2007

Grape Expectations
Happy Thanksgiving to all.

No family to spend it with this year, but I’ll be with friends and we’re having a “Northwest Turkey” (salmon en croute).

Couldn’t get the 4-pack (no shipping to Washington) but enjoyed the episode. I’ll definitely be seeking out a Torrontes and a Monica. I’ve never had either one.

Thanks Gary, for bringing the thunder once again.
November 22, 2007

Craig S
I missed out on the 4 pack. If you’re slow, you loose. We did have a great time with some Zinfadel from Bogel winery, and Ravenswood, as well as some Sauvignon Blanc from France and the Phelps winery. All good, but the Ravenswood needed to open up and needs to be decanted prior to being consumed.
November 22, 2007

Social Brian
Happy Turkey Day, big GV! I have the 4 pack lined up and ready to go. Not sure if I’ll get to it today (at the in-laws), but I’ll try.
November 22, 2007

Jason S.
Happy t-day Gary!

QOTD: Ordered the wine pack to my parents’ house in CA and made ‘em watc today’s show with me and they loved it. Our opinions differ dramatically on the wines, but why start liking the same things now? Parents liked the pinot and Bordeaux best, I liked the Monica (which I’ve never had before – so thanks for the new experience) and the Bordeaux best. All in all – fun tasting along with WLTV for the first time. Look forward to doing it again soon!
November 22, 2007

Pete
Thanks Gary, Happy TG to you and your fam!
November 22, 2007

Chris S
Hi Gary

Really excited about the Thanksgiving wine tasting and the four-pack. I invited some friends and plan to watch and taste along with you. Its only 2:10pm here in LA and am hoping it’s going to be on iTunes today so we can watch you on the big screen with the help of Apple TV. Love the show, hope you and yours have a fantastic Thanksgiving.

Regards

Chris
November 22, 2007

CyberTLH
GV, Loved the 4PAK, great noses all around. We definitely have an appreciation for AI wines in common.The Bordeaux was a monster!!!
November 22, 2007

Karl Laczko
Happy Thanksgiving Vayniacs (The American ones, that would be the VayniYanks? ) – have a good one….you too Gary!

Nice wine selection, I still haven’t had a Torrontes and it’s been more than 5 years since I was in Sardinia so I can’t remember if I’ve had a Monica di Cagliari or not.

QOTD – Don’t have TG, couldn’t get the 4P, so not QOTDA. But you’re right about family.
November 22, 2007

JC
Hey, Happy Thanksgiving to all! I was too late and the 4 packs were sold out!
November 22, 2007

Michael
Great episode, I am also thankful for your efforts to educate us. You have a good style and your continued emphasis to try for ourselves is appreciated.

Did not get a Thanksgiving pack but if offered next year I will

Oh BTW Cowboys 21-3 at the half. Go Cowboys (sorry)
November 22, 2007

Norbert
Uhh so sorry bout the jets cant win all of them can you.
QOTD: Thank you so much for the 4 pack it came through nicely I am going to have the Pinot on Saturday but the rest was awesome funny story as I was pouring the wine my mom was trying to put the turkey into a plate but it got stuck to the bottom really bad it took 3 people to remove the turkey out of the pan into the plate and it was before anyone had a drink
November 22, 2007

Andrew
Goodwork Gary

Sorry no ‘Thanksgiving Pack Story’, I’m in Hong Kong and watched the show with a coffee and breakfast as I do every morning before heading to work.

Andrew
November 22, 2007

Sassodoro
Gary, today’s show was terrific! I wish I could be with my family, making them watch.
November 22, 2007

chenrys
Happy Thanksgiving, Gary. Enjoyed the show with a few sips of Zinfandel and Pinot Noir.

No Thanksgiving pack here thanks to our no shipping laws…sorry.
November 22, 2007

Bryan S (from TX)
Hey dude. happy thanksgiving. i am having an extra good thanksgiving because the cowboys won tonight. wish your team could’ve done better. anyway, keep up your great work and we all love you bro
November 22, 2007

chrisb
How bout them Cowboys!
Great episode. Loved the Torrontes and looking forward to trying the rest of the 4 pack. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Keep up the good work.
November 22, 2007

David Dickinson
Great show Gary. Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving. Sorry about the Jets: 34-3 Ouch! I really wanted the free shipping. Would you offer it anyway?
November 22, 2007

Robin C
I didn’t get the 4-pack. I told my husband that I’d package up 4 of our wines instead. We had very nice Thanksgivings (3 consecutive days). I only had to cook for one – sometimes I get cranky after cooking for 3 days (I like to start early), but there were no problems; everything went very smoothly. We liked the prosecco very much. It is great getting together with family and friends.

You should have your mom in the background one day and see if people can tell the difference between “Ma” and “Mott”.
November 22, 2007

Araldite
Hey, Gary, Happy Thanksgiving!
Got the 4 pack. BTW, great value, IMHO, tks. Holding 3 & 4 for to age. Saving the Torrontes to taste with a Canceree and Vionor. I was told it’s an interesting comparison and will have a taste party when I get a good Vionor in the house. Never had a Torrontes before. Had the Monica last Sunday with lasagna. Didn’t stand up very well by itself but went well with lasagna. Shows the importance of pairing.
November 22, 2007

Harley Stan
Great show to watch on a very full stomach!!!
QOTD- I should have ordered the 4 pack
November 22, 2007

Bryan and Karen and Jack
Dear Gary:

First off, I would just like to point out that I think you are magical. We’re talking like, extremely magic, as in, Lucky Charms meets “Heroes.” You’re kind of a big deal and we LOVE you.

We have been having a luscious Thanksgiving and have been drinking along with you and your choice wines all afternoon. We collectively would like to posit the following question:

When you rinse your glass and then “dump” the wine, and, similarly, when you spit into your delightful Jets bucket of awesomeness, do you perhaps regret the waste of wine that is so delectable? We are just curious.

Happy Thanksgiving, Gary. Hope you and yours are just great. [[Bryan, who is less politically correct than I, hopes you are all tanked.]]

Best!

Bryan, Karen, and Jack
November 22, 2007

Stu
Happy Thanksgiving. Big Packer Win! Gotta get back to the Family.
November 22, 2007

Taylor
Loved show I watched twice because everyone kept talking, but I think I got the Fam hooked, they even complimented me on my wristband and Oak Monster T after watching the show!
QOTD Was pleased with my four-pack and my wristband I’ve worn it everyday since it came in! My grandma was drinking the kangaroo chard and I had to tell her what was up.

PS we had pickles too today, never noticed em, until you had said something about them. Tradition I’ve missed every year. Happy Thanksgiving everyone and enjoy the company while it’s here.
November 22, 2007

Bryan and Karen and Jack
P.S. We need more white wine. Now. Can you help?

x o x
November 22, 2007

Mr SHY
Being an Eagles fan – hate the Cowboys – sorry they beat your Jets.
November 22, 2007

MikeH
Opened the Pinot Noir before going to the inlaws for turkey day dinner with the family and let it decant for about 6 hours. Inlaws don’t allow alcohol in their house so the wife and I watched the show and tasted it along with you when we got back home. We will finish this bottle tonight while watching the colts and falcons and try another one tomorrow. Great show. P.S. Sorry about your jets but happy about my boys. Hope you and yours had a great Turkey Day.
November 22, 2007

Pastafari Pirate
QOTD: didn’t get the 4-pack. And I am NOT happy that you’re tipping others off to the Premiado Torrontes, or any Torrontes for that matter. It’s been my clever little ’secret’ that has made me appear oh so savvy and cultured, and now everyone is going to be in on my secret. btw, y’all should look into carrying Gimenex Riili Torrontes at WineLibrary. Fantastic bottle – please try it.
November 22, 2007

Kai Dog
Aloha Gary & Mott. Formerly a LURKER. Have watched the show for nearly a year now, and the THUNDER of this Thanksgiving Day show brought me out! Need to say a well past due thanks on this Thanksgiving Day for all the past episodes I’ve enjoyed. Sorry no 4-pack comments, at this time you do not ship the pineapple express to Hawaii.
November 22, 2007

stewart l
I just returned fromT’giving dinner with my wife’s relatives. My son, brother-in-law and I watched the episode and tasted the wines. Then we had dinner. Actually, despite being a red wine drinker, I enjoyed the Torrontes the most. followed by the sicilian wine. I was most disappointed by the Pinot- more earthy than I enjoy, and I didn’t think it matched well with turkey and stuffing. The Bordeaux was too young despite decanting for 4 hrs. It was an interesting experience, but I think I would have enjoyed it more with my own selections.
November 22, 2007

Kristen
Happy Turkey Day everyone: Eat, drink, and be merry! GV, loved the statement of the day. It’s very true what you said!

QOTD: I will fill you in when I do this tasting. I’m going to share the 4 Pack with my wine group in WI at school on December 2nd. Lindsay will be there too! We’ll let you know. And now I think I need to buy a decanter for that pinot!
November 22, 2007

Kevin
Hm. No 4 pack here. Dang. If I could only buy a white wine for $6.99, never mind one that didn’t tremendously suck. I think I need to move south of the border.
November 22, 2007

mikeyrad
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Gary, sorry ’bout the Jets. I guess we’ll have to wait another week for Kellen Clemens to take center stage.
November 22, 2007

Grapedigger
Great ThxGiving show…You’re right, FAMILY should be FIRST..Cheers
November 22, 2007

Billr
WOW…WHAT A DAY and what an episode. The only thing that has bothered me about the whole day is the disappointment I am feeling about the number of comments made on this Turkey Day episode. Only 69 comments when I started typing this and it is 915 pm here in Texas. The statement was made a few episodes back by GV that over 400 Turkey Day Packs where sold and there is only 70 or so comments. What the heck??????????? Anyways…………

QOTD: Due to so many family members being scattered over a dozen or so states now a days we was only able to have three generations at the table today. The wine tasting went great. Gary, there was several of us that thought you hit the nail on the head with every wine as to smell and taste. I was really surprised. My father, one Uncle, a Sister and two Brother’s had somewhat a different palate than the rest of us though. We had both an oven cooked turkey and a deep fried turkey and the Arenada along with the Bordeaux both tasted different with each of the two types of turkey. Really weard. Everyone but my wife liked the Pinot Noir and it had been opened three hours prior to eating. I wish I had more of the Pinot so that we could of tried it later in the evening after it had sat longer but with 16 of us doing the tasting we only had a small amount for each of us to taste as it was. I had initally asked most of my family who would be interested in a wine tasting on Turkey Day and only about five of them seemed interested at that time but once we got started everyone wanted in on it. If I had only known that everyone was going to take part I would of ordered another pack. It was really funny because I had brought 8 big ass wine glasses with me for the tasting, my sister had 4 more smaller wine glasses in her cabinet and we had to go knock on several of the neighbors doors to borrow the other 4 glasses needed. Those neighbors must of thought we was all nuts and or a bunch of winos. I was really surprised that only one of my brothers and I had ever watched WLTV in the past so needless to say everyone else was just totally blown away with you and your wine expertice. THANK YOU for such an invitation to make some very original memories with my family today. Your the greatest, Bill……….

Oh yes, just a little poke for fun at ya GV: the Cowboys was winning 24 to 3 when I had to leave to head home. Your number 24 ????? Hmmmmmm was having a little trouble….. :):):):):):) Go Cowboys, catch em JETS…..
November 22, 2007

PaVo
QOTD: Ordered the great thanksgiving box. I was really excited when I saw the wines, especially since I had had none of them! For this first Thanksgiving at my place I had my girlfriend (chelsea) and my good Friend Alejandro over

Torrontes: All of us LOVED the nose, none of us are white drinkers and this was a great start, really nice and fresh and lovely. GOD that nose. All of us have been turned on to Torrontes now. Thanks!

Monica: We really liked the nose on this wine. Those dirty socks just made it lovely. It complemented our cheese and pate for the start.

Pinot: “I” loved this wine. Loved the fruit and the GOD the nose, jesus the nose. Fan freakin tastic! I tasted some vegetal elements in this wine and I really liked it all. Alejandro wasn’t such a fan, but Chelsea did enjoy, and god did I love it!

Chambon: We let this wine decant for a couple of hours and I think it paid off: The nose on this was really interesting. Alejandro was head over heels for this wine. Myself I liked the earthy nose and the heavy tannins. I really smelled a vegital component and then on the taste was fantastic. A great super different close to our night.

Four wines, three people…we’re happy times!
November 23, 2007

Robert Howells
Gary, Enjoy a nice meal and lots of wine with your family.
November 23, 2007

flippy
Hope everyone south of the big long border had a great Thanksgiving (which answers the QOTD – no 4-pack, no shipping to Canada).

And good luck on Black Friday!
November 23, 2007

CellarDweller
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! So much to learn just from watching GV go through these four winesâ€¦ 4-pack or not. Much love and best wishes to everyone going into Black Friday and the whole holiday season!
November 23, 2007

J Cray
Had some Montes Alpha M, and Vellebelbo Il Palio Barbera D’Asti and Kakutomo sake for dessert with my wife, friends and peeps over here in Japan. Thankful for a lot. You’re right, Gary, at the end of the day all you have is family. Just think, will your boss or employee or whoever stick with you through thick and thin? Hells no. That’s why family must always come first and Thanksgiving is the day to really express love for all them.

Happy Gobbler Day
November 23, 2007

Fred Liu
Hey, Gary, you are right. My father is in hospital this Thanksgiving. We were there being with him. His getting better very quickly, really nice. Family is important, Happy Thanksgiving!
November 23, 2007

NicoleE
Wahhhh! Not only did I not get the 4 pack, but I’m stuck in a foreign country where Yellow Tail is $40/bottle and everything local is just as pricey and corked to boot! I love the idea of being able to taste along with the show. Happy Thanksgiving!
November 23, 2007

pforty
Hey GV,

Happy turkey day. Can’t wait to try our four pack. We were away yesterday, but will be doing the tasting tonight (Friday!!)

More comments then!
November 23, 2007

joel delon
Hi, gary for thanksgiving i would like to hear “chateau la pelouse” with “the” for “la pelouse” at the end try again ! was funny to hear you with your thunder french accent !
have a good work ! andshow a little respect for turkeys
November 23, 2007

Brian Kachel
Big fan of that Pinot.. Normally not a pinot fan but I have to say that IT paired the best with our food… it was amazing and I will be a repeat buyer of that!

Sad to say we were done with the food before the La Pelouse and it probably would have been better with food … but we drank it anyway
November 23, 2007

Trucbinouche
WOW!! Thanks for having one of my best wines on the show – ChÃ¢teau Cambon La Pelouse. I’ve been drinking this wine for the past 3 years now and never been disapointed. I still have a couple of 2001’s and 2003’s left sitting in my cellar.

My QOTD: Can you guys ship wine to Canada – mainly the province of QuÃ©bec?
November 23, 2007

DannInNH
Crazy Thanksgiving 4-Pak Story…ok.
I bought the 4-Pak for my son/daughter in law in CA. The first delivery attempt was Sat, Nov 17. The delivery was attempted but they didn’t hear the door bell…3 young kids in their home so that may have been the reason The second one was attempted on Tuesday; they left a note for FedEx to knock when he attempted the delivery hoping the deliveror might be smart enough to realize that they really wanted the package and take extra steps to deliver the package…no luck. They missed it again. They were home but FedEx just screwed up.
You’re right, the next attempt came on Wed but they didn’t get it that day either…FedEx came 4 hours earlier than they did on the first two days and they were out. They contacted FedEx to see if they could pick up the wine but they would not provide that information, so no wine for them. Next year, I will have the 4-Pak sent to me and I will then re-pack it and send it out…since I am not a retailer, I can send it without the “Alcohol Labeling”. Next year may be a winner for us…
Hope your turkey was better than this story, but you wanted to know.
November 23, 2007

Derek
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your Family Gary!!
November 23, 2007

Scott
GV: This was one of your best episodes. As I introduce more people to WLTV, this will now be the “starter” episode I will tell them to view first.

Suggestion of the day: How about every Monday you announcing the wines you are going to taste next week so we can track them down and always have the opportunity to taste them along with you?

PS: thanks for ditching the dark shirts and wearing a white-ish one today! It really does make it easier to see the true color of the wine when you swirl it.
November 23, 2007

Aaron
“Left field, 3rd grade, and chewing on your glove. Holding your Pee-Pee.”
Another classic line from my man Gary VAY – NER – CHUK!!!!!!

I’m saving your 4-Pack for left-overs. Better flavors when it’s been sitting around for a few days.
November 23, 2007

WineHawk
Another top shelf WLTV classic great job all around, unfortunately I did not order the 4 pack since I was on call this Thanksgiving, and after reading the comments from previous viewers I think WLTV needs to do a Christmas 4 pack for sure. How crazy is it to think that you would be a millions of household on Dec 25th, personally I think it great. I did however get a chance to catch the Jets being stomped by the CB’s, you really need to look into taking them under your wing. Take care, looking forward to the next installment. Happy Thanksgiving
November 23, 2007

Susan
It was great receiving the surprise 4 pack in the mail–I enjoyed finding out what wines you had picked out. I had 4 adults at my Thanksgiving dinner and three of us were drinking wine and they were only willing to try one of the wines. I picked the Monica from Sardegna and read up on it a little in the Italian wine book by Joe Bastianich–I had never heard of this grape! It was wonderful to try something I had never heard of. We all liked the wine with our turkey, stuffing and potatoes. It went well with everything, not too tannic and was easy to drink. My sister and boyfriend liked it as well. My brother in law did not want to drink due to having to drive. I look forward to tasting the remaining three wines with my boyfriend with foods other than turkey. I enjoyed your Thanksgiving show and your message about family is very true.
November 23, 2007

Adam Hansen
Where is the best place to send a message to you? I think I have too many options and don’t know what the best one is. I am a facebook friend, twitter friend, pownce friend and myspace friend. Or I can leave a comment or email you.

Anyhow… have you heard this? http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16372623
What’s your take?
November 23, 2007

DARREL LAS VEGAS
QOTD: Didn’t get you 4Pack did my own!
Cristalino brut Cava
Handley Gewurztraminer
Kangarilla Road Shiraz/viognier
Four Vines Zinfandel
But your 4Pack was pretty COOl!
November 23, 2007

Kevin
Just pushing the count over 100 for ya.
November 23, 2007

wayno da wino
Woooooo GV!!
Dat wazza cooool, fun selection of Vino in dat
Four-pack!!!

“Holdin’ your pee-pee”…??…Da Internet Sensors
gonna give Ya a XXX-Rating pretty soon….
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.
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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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 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

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

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

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

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

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 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 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

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

Rico
QOTD: cant’ say anything about the 4pack it was sold out really quick and could not get one for me
November 26, 2007

mattyO
didn’t get the 4-pack but i watched on t-day and was wishing i had! sounded fantastic! by the way, in a recent episode i watched, GV made a point that, to him, the best wines in America were coming out of the state of washington…true fact. i had an excellent riesling from washington and plan to try more from that great state. thanks for doing the show gary, we love ya!
November 26, 2007

JeffC
G-man, sorry about your Jets. If the Jets victory celebration offer was to be a good as the Thanksgiving 4-pak, I feel robbed also. My wife and I tried the 4-pak with all of our meals this past holiday weekend and thoroughly enjoyed them all. Thanksgiving dinner, we tried the Chateau Cambon and loved it. The Torrontes we tasted the following day with left-overs and thought it paired very well, another winner. The Pinot we had with beef stroganoff (sp), and loved how it paired with the rich flavors of the dish. I used a little to deglaze the pan so it was included in the dish also. Intial impression was it tasted more like a Zin than a Pinot. Very delicous wine. The last but not least, Cantina Dolianova Monica , we enjoyed with a simple pizza and salad. We enjoyed all of your selections. My favorite of the Chateau Cambon, my wifes was the Torrentes. Many thanks. I liked the comments left by someone else, how about a xmas sampler? Keep up the great work, love what you are doing.
November 26, 2007

MtnCharlie
Happy (late) Thanksgiving.

QOTD: While we did not have the 4-pack, we did have a wonderful meal (my family, my wife’s parents and her grand mother) and a fantastic Sancerre.
November 26, 2007

jim
late post but I loved the show. How about an XMas 4 pack I would be in for that.
November 26, 2007

Kodi
I am a long time lurker that finally has to come out after having a great time with the 4 pack. It was a lot of fun to share most of the day with you but my wife and I only made it through three of the four and found them all pretty interesting. The kids also enjoyed watching and wanted to know why you had a wristband just like mine!!!

We started at lunch (the first round of Turkey) moments before we started watching the show. The Torrentes nose was puzzling us until you nailed it with the lemon floor cleaner – this was a pretty interesting wine and paired well with our spicey deep fried turkey. After a nap we got ready for the pre dinner drink of the Monica with you. This was proabably our favorite but was better the next day. The Pinot did not bring a lot of thunder because I could not get past the alcohol on the nose and we had not let it breath very long (an hour). But after taking your advice we pumped it and reopened it the next day to let it breath for 6 hours on Black Friday and it was much, much nicer.

With the Bordeaux we cheated and watched the video first to see that we needed to let it decant for a while so we will have to put some thought into when to try it.

The one problem with the pack is that too many of the wines were not ready to drink… and we were… And as much fun as we had with it (and we really did)and all that we learned (thank you) the one suggestion for future packs would be to put just one ringer in there that you know most folks will like and is pretty ready to drink. Then I would feel a lot better about buying future packs for friends/relatives (that might not be so adventurous) to try out.

But thanks again for joining us for a great day!

BTW we had a 2005 Yorba Barbera (http://yorbawines.com/wines.html) that a friend gave us the other night and it was pretty awesome!! If you are doing a Barbera show it is a must!
November 26, 2007

Susan
Susan-Glad to see that I am not the only one who wants a Christmas 4 pack!!!
November 26, 2007

Cliff A
QOTD: Gary the 4 pack was a big hit at my sister’s house in North Carolina. Gathered were Mom, sister Patti, sister Susan, brother-in-law Marty and nephew Jim (1st LT,USA). We tasted prior to watching you taste. Pretty much, we were all in the ball park with you. Jim really liked the Torrontes and sipped on it all the way up to dinner. Marty was partial to the Monica and my two sisters and Mom liked the Pinot best. I thought they were all interesting, but finish the Bordeaux. WOW as that guy evolved!! I had decanted the Pinot and Bordeaux 3 1/2 hours prior to tasting and that proved to be the right thing. So thanks for helping to create Thanksgiving memories with the 4 pack.

Oh, with the dinner I added a bottle of the 2005 Coume del Mas Collioure Schistes – DOUBLE WOW. This one is great and paired well with the T-Day dinner.
November 26, 2007

Lb in KS
Looking for some confirmation….. Did I see LARS in an insurance company commericial this weekend…I believe during the KU/MU game.
November 26, 2007

Elliot Essman
I missed this excellent four-pack, but my own wines went over well.

Out of 16 people, however, one drank the white, the other 15 went for the reds.

I will adjust next year, but that leaves two unopened excellent whites for me.
November 26, 2007

late-start
I wished I could have drank along with everyone else. Gary: I think you should do more of these prepackaged mystery boxes and then review them on a future episode.
November 26, 2007

BrianS
Drunkin birds again
November 26, 2007

Mr. Ambassador
Thanks for another great show. I’ve viewed this episode several times (once on Thanksgiving and once after).

As we live in Washington State and share Thanksgiving with friends and family here we couldn’t receive shipping on the four-pack, though I’ll be the first in line if you’re ever able to ship to us again…

After listening to your tasting notes concerning the Torrontes and checking out some of the user posts it sounds as though this variety is a winner; I’ll be looking to try some when I spot it here.

We assembled our own wines for Thanksgiving including:

McKinley Springs – Horse Heaven Hills Rose (some interesting vegetal notes I think you’d appreciate)
Dr. Loosen Riesling (one of the last bottles I had from a past Wine Library order)
Domaine La Garrigue
Rosenblum “Chateau LaPaws” Cote Du Bone Roan

Sorry about the Jets. It’s funny that the one thing we kept mentioning during the game was how upset it was going to make GV.
November 27, 2007

scc
My gf, mom, and grandma sat with me (and a plate of assorted cheeses) to watch the episode while we tasted along before the rest of our family showed up for dinner. My mom was proud to declare she tasted red currant (although, she has never eaten currant of any sort) and my grandma looked at us all slightly askew as we laughed along as you talked about grabbing your pee-pee in the outfield (to her credit, it was 2:30PM and she hadn’t eaten all day, so it might have been the wine talkin’).
ANYWAY… it was great fun, and so was sharing the wines at dinner and enjoying the leftovers since. I hope you do more “packs” in the future.
(ps, after the tasting we tried the Ski Queen cheese, which i couldn’t pass up when i found it in the store… it was interesting…)
November 28, 2007

Pamela
One out of my three thanks guests joined me for the viewing and totally enjoyed it. The coolest thing that happened today, and maybe you won’t find it so cool but since I have only been “studing” wine for 11 months it is cool to me…ok it is this – the wine glasses got confused and I picked up one gave it a sniffy _ _ _ _ _ and knew it was pinot noir, without really paying attention to what I was doing! it was just a perfect moment, right there on thanksgivings!
November 28, 2007

Pamela
PS the dubakella and Cambon were brilliant the next day
November 29, 2007

SoCal
Sorry No thanksgiving 4 pack.
November 29, 2007

yowens
Everyone loved the pinot
November 30, 2007

Marc
Really enjoyed the bordeaux, liked the Monica di Cagliari, will open the Torrontes tonight. I hate to be a party pooper, but the Pinot sucked beyond belief! First, the cork shattered which made me think “uh oh”. Then it smelled like it had already been open for days. And then we tasted it and after one sip, both of us said “ewwwwwwwwwwwww”. So, we let it sit a few hours and tried again…ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww again!!! The rest found its way down the drain. Bummer.
December 1, 2007

Lyn S
QOTD: Hubby, Mom, Daughter and my Brother and his GF watched with me. Everyone enjoyed the show. Everyone had a few laughs . My brother is a new fan. My hubby thinks your nuts. My Mom thinks I’M nuts for watching. We talked about decanting and other stuff I’ve learned from watching. Thanks for being with us on Thanksgiving Day Gary.
December 3, 2007

Kristen
Ok so we finally did the tasting and it was great. I think you’ve got some new Vayniacs as well! You were spot on about the pinesol smell in the Torrentes. Though after the bottle had been opened for awhile I went back to it and on the nose I got one of those gummy Japanese candies that come in a little tub. I really liked that one. We were all surprised with the pinot- 14.5%! And for the Haut Medoc we had a little test. We kept half in the bottle to decant and used a Vinturi wine aerator to “decant” the other half. It was really interesting- the bottle half was definitely more tannic at the midpalette than the other Vinturi one.
January 10, 2008

angus
Your Jets best opportunity is to stick with as many Ducks as possible! Clemens, another in our legacy of qbs! GO DUCKS!…and Jets. Angus
January 31, 2008

Nicolas Marie
Thanx Gary for this interesting & energetic review of the ChÃ¢teau Cambon la Pelouse 2004,
Best Regards,
Nicolas Marie.
Marketing Manager’s ChÃ¢teau Cambon la Pelouse.
February 7, 2008

Nicolas Marie
But please, come to visit our cellar ; you will see that there is no dry sausages and even less rats ,

See you,
Nicolas Marie.
P.S. : pix of our cellar on : http://www.cambon-la-pelouse.com
December 30, 2008

Dessert Wine Nerd
Happy Thanksgiving a year plus late! QOTD: No wine shipping to WA state!!!! *cries*