Zinfandel tasting – Blind.

Zinfandel tasting – Blind. – Episode #583

November 24, 2008

Gary Vaynerchuk is sky high after a huge Jets wine and his beard is getting thicker and thicker as he tries 6 California Zinfandels BLIND right before Thanksgiving.

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Comments on this episode(231) Leave a comment ›

“Used to go to the ZAP at Fort Mason when I lived up in the Bay Area. …” by G
“Gary,
I’m just getting into wine, for I have only been able to legall…” by Brandon
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Wines tasted in this episode:

2006 Sebastiani Dry Creek ZinfandelSonoma Red Zinfandel
Coppola Diamond ZinfandelOther California Red Zinfandel
2005 Thomas Henry ZinfandelSonoma Red Zinfandel
2006 Outpost Zinfandel Howell MountainNapa Red Zinfandel
2006 Rosenblum Richard Sauret ZinfandelOther California Red Zinfandel
2006 Ravenswood Napa ZinfandelNapa Red Zinfandel

Not in this episode

2006 Neyers Zinfandel High Valley.

Links mentioned in today’s episode.

231 Responses

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November 25, 2008

YoungDave
QOTD: Rocked my world recently:

2006 Dashe Zinfandel, Dry Creek
2006 Opolo Zinfandel, “Mountain”, Paso Robles (although a BOMB!!…done well)

Sucked:
2006 Z52 Zinfandel, Lodi
November 25, 2008

CrazyManAndy
“…and pair this up with a hot dog.”

LOL! Sounds like a good combo.

Man, that fourth wine pissed you off! Even slipped a curse word in there, hehe. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so negative and down, and after a Jets win no less! Great show, they can’t all be winners!

CMA
November 25, 2008

chukhead-ted
serious question for gary:

that tannat was sitting out for 3 days and it didnt even start to spoil? i usually feel wines start to oxidize too much pushing 2 days open. can you always keep wine out that long?
November 25, 2008

irvus
the itchy itch will make you grouchy no matter how lucky the Jets got down here. good crusty show. hearing some gripe balances out the sunshine shows. may your beard exceed your lid.
irv

ps-best and worst zin; the good crew and whole darn pouch o’ white zin (yeah yeah)liberated from its Franzia box drank on the last day of high school 1990.
November 25, 2008

medo
Again: great format! I love the “true” blind emotions about the wines.

@QOTD: 2003 Ridge Lytton Springs rockted the house!
November 25, 2008

rimarfish
Great Show Gary! Love blind tasting shows!!!
QOTD: Gotta go with Seghesio Sonoma County. I had the last 3 vintages and they were all superbs!!
November 25, 2008

Joel
so, 2 questions

Do you think the Howell was so cloying with nose vs. palate because it was high quality fruit that was over oaked?

Could you do a blind show that was international wines, all grapes, all bottles under $20? I’m sure many people would appreciate it (though it would drive up the price of the winner! And Ian, no mischief)

I’m a server who attends many wine tastings and has had the opportunity to taste some brilliant wines. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find many wines under $20 for day to day. I have found a few, but it gets really boring drinking the same few wines all the time.

Help a brother out!
November 25, 2008

ChicagoChris
Gary,
Two words – Bordeaux Blind!

I miss you here in Illinois, if you know what I mean.

- Chris
November 25, 2008

Foo Fighter
After reading all the comments so far, I have to wonder:

Why is anyone drinking Cali Zin?

It is so consistently bad at the lower prices and so hit-and-miss at the mid-to-high prices, what’s the point. Even at it’s best it isn’t that good.

Sounds like everyone with a Zin vine should just pull them up and replace them with something better. Or at least more consistent. Table grapes, maybe. Spinach? Sweet corn?
November 25, 2008

Brian
Great, great Zins from Paso Robles. Favorites…Tobin James (Balistic is great, but esp their reserves)and Peachy Canyon.
November 25, 2008

apj_bobswineguy
I’m out on blind tasting episodes. Tried to fight thru but boring.
Please. Less BLIND.
Cowboys are back in it!
Check back tomorrow.
November 25, 2008

chukhead-ted
p.s. keep up the blind tastings!!! thank you!
November 25, 2008

chukhead-ted
Hey GV! MASSIVE congratulations to you and all the fellow jets fans for the huge, crazy big win!!! I was watching and rooting for jets early afternoon and then big time for my G-MEN also on sunday (10-1!)

i have not had any zin in the past year! wow, a shame! i really want to try the seghesio 07 sonoma and some good ridge zin–and i will soon!

i had the 04 coppola zin years ago and gave it about an 86 rating–not something i would recommend at all, but i didnt find it offensive.
November 25, 2008

Foo Fighter
De-Lurked on Friday with that awesome blind.

I. LOVE. BLIND. You must kill your store’s sales of the stuff you rate badly. But I hope, hope, hope the uptick in the wines you rate well make up for it. Reminds me sooo much of the video game industry.

This episode is case-in-point why normal people **have** to depend on point scores. You just burned through **$140** worth of wine and only **one** bottle was really worth buying and drinking. We’re supposed to blow a bill and a half to find a decent bottle that matches our pallets and drinks OK with turkey?

To answer your question of the day (QOTD in these parts?): I predicted the results before you even started. I’ve had so much frankly **shitty** Calinfornia Zin in the past two years I refuse to buy it any more.

Congratulations California Zinfandel producers. You’ve self-destructed your market. I mean, the price point of everyone I know who drinks wine is $8-$15. We’ll stretch to $20-$30 if it’s a big occasion and we’ve had the wine, know it’s good, and matches the tastes of the people who’ll be celebrating with us. California Zin should nail this in the US, but we have an Epic Fail on their hands.

I’ve had these exact vintages of Coppola, Henry, and Ravenswood this year (all at office functions where they want to have a nice label, but don’t want to drop to much coin on alcohol). Garbage, swill, I’ll take a rail gin and tonic next, please.
November 25, 2008

Zinfreak
Great show Gary,
Unfortunately none of them really showcased California’s favorite varietal (OK my favorite varietal).

Too bad “The Vault” by Banknote Wine Company wasn’t in the mix, it would have blown the others away! Its a Zin blend similar to “The Prisoner” by Orin Swift.

I have an idea……..

Taste off: “The Vault” vs “The Prisoner”! Napa Valley Zin blend showdown!

QOTD: “T-Vine” Zinfandel, Brown Vineyard, 05 if you can find it, but 06 is almost as good. Amazing Zin producer.
Also I have to mention “Valdez”, Rockpile Zinfandel 06, this one blew me away!
November 25, 2008

wayno da wino
Yo G, FUUUUUUUUUN & COOOOOOOOL Episode, even if the Vinos weren’t so
hot!! Hey, Ya can’t have everything. Hard ta follow up on a Great Jets
Victory…… How coool would a Jets/Giants Super Bowl be ??!!

QOTD: Had two Seghesio Sonoma County 1997s the other day & they were still bursting with flavor!! Haven’t had a “bad” one lately…..
November 25, 2008

MarkoftheGrape
Even though lousy wines, still enjoyed the episode and the blind tasting format – I love the unpredictability and the unbiasness.

Go Jets! And thats coming from someone born & brewed in Wisconsin. I think I’ve watched more Jets games than Packer games this year…

QOTD: I dont like most Zins – just not my varietal, I guess. But did have the Seghesio 07 tonight while watching the episode, and enjoyed quite a bit. Dont see it anywhere near the 93pts or #10 of the year like WS does – but still probably best Zin I’ve had.
November 25, 2008

David T
Lack of quality just happens sometimes, unfortunately. I bought a merlot recently from a producer I thought I had heard good things about, only to find it to be watered down crap.

QOTD: I also seem to recall a recent Ravenswood vintage (I think it was the ‘04) to be not that great. I had the 2006 Bogle Vineyards Zinfandel Old Vine about 2 months ago and thought it was pretty darn good.
November 25, 2008

Terence F
I gotta say, the best wine of the bunch had the worst packaging, despite the little tear-off info, it was totally a musty country club looking wine, and the rest weren’t great either. Come on guys, you live in California, get good graphic designers.
November 25, 2008

Lauren Tedeschi
I’m liking Gravity Hills, Tumbling Tractor Zinfandel from Paso Robles, CA (gotta rep the home town). Great price point for the quality of wine. $13.99
November 25, 2008

Matt R
LOVE LOVE LOVE the recent blind tastings! What the wine is worth tells me a lot more than a 0 – 100 score.

Two suggestions:

1) DO MORE BLIND SHOWS!

2) Focus less on guessing the right price. Give us the price at which the wine is a buy.
November 24, 2008

Cuse Wino
Bummer of an episode-
at least you have the JETS!

QOTD- Have not been drinking any Zin lately but one of my favorites is Peachy Canyon.
November 24, 2008

Pete G
In light of the suck ass wines on this show, I think you need a David
Lettermanesque “Smash Wall” – a white cement wall where you take crap
wines and smash the bottle agaianst the wall. Think that would really
make a statement as to how you feel.

QOTD: Although I’ve had a boatload I honestly can’t name any crapola
zins – so bad I musta forgot them. On the bright side – Four Vines
“Maverick” 2005. Very good juice.
November 24, 2008

David
Lodi zins have been very good. Cosentino makes several outstanding examples…his CigarZin at $15 what a deal

Oh, and Paso. Biker Zin was one of my favs of all time. A beauty.

But I have to part ways with Gary. I think zin is too powerful for Thanksgiving — unless you are stuffing the bird with short ribs.
November 24, 2008

AT
7 Deadly Zins is where it is at!