Tried the Thunder...very intriguing. Good job. Excellent with sushi. We enjoyed tasting right along with you!

QOTD: Didnt get the secret pack since no shipping to Washington, so all I can say is great show and im glad all 4 wines brought it.

I really liked the Shifrin Zin.

That said, this was the last secret pack that I will buy. There have now been 3 Wine Library backed wines in the last two secret packs. It is one thing to use your show to promote wines that you have a vested interest in. No problem. It is entirely another to continually force them on us when we don't know what we are buying.

Honestly, I feel used. What started as a special way to share the Wine Library TV experience feels just like a product dump where the suckers will take inventory you can't otherwise sell.

It's funny that there was the blind tasting where you didn't want to publish the results because you gave a house wine a high score. That is nothing! With a simple disclaimer, you could have warned us about a conflict of interst. Here, you seem to think it is ok to surreptitiously sell us wine that you have a vested interest in. Shenanigans!

Good episode. Liked it a lot.

Good episode! Even though I didn't get the secret pack, I got to taste Bobby's Zin when I was at the WL. I was impressed.

For Turkey Day, I took GV's suggestions when he was on Fox and Friends:

-2007 Vadesil Montenova Godello: Okay, can I say that the cork *really* sucked? I was almost ready to break the neck of the bottle just to drink the damn thing (and I've opened a lot of bottles). All the work was worthwhile for it though! Great nose (floral, with pears and apples) and the mouthfeel was great! What a steal for 10 bones. And everyone loved it- the Godello was gone in the blink of an eye! So other than the cork issues, I loved it.

-2006 Ví Negre de Nulles: The nose kept changing with every swirl, which kept me on my toes. It was like red berries covered with cinnamon. Yum. And not only did I get to share it with my family on Turkey Day, I also got to have my friends try some that weekend.

Thanks for the suggestions GV!

Was not able to get the secret pack this time around. Looks like great wines.

Had to work a five (5) stretch at the hospital then at the police department.

I cannot emphasize how important family is at this time of the year. There seems to be so much trauma during the holidays, hug your children tight and be blessed to have them.

God bless you all.

The Thanksgiving secret pack and tasting was a big hit with my family! My family sends their gratitude.

QOTD: For me (different family members had different opinions but the first and last were favorites for them)

Wine #1: The sniffy sniff alone was worth the price of admission, as you say. But unfortunately drinking the wine was like taking a swig from a perfume bottle. Not my style

Wine #2 More up my alley. I like the minerality. But where is my sniffy sniff??

At this point my Dad stopped the video and passed out a viognier. I don't remember which one, but it was a good transition wine.

Wine #3 Totally new experience for me. Never tasted anything like it. I like that it tastes savory. Kinda salty. But it lacked a little umph. Kind of like pizza crust with tomato sauce and mushrooms, quite tasty but I kept thinking, where' the cheese? It may be me personally, but I crave a little bitterness or a little funk.

Wine #4 You may make a zin fan out of me yet!! Deep and complex, a little overpowering but with a little breathing much improved.

Thanks Gary

Happy Thanksgiving to all the America's out there. I actually cooked a turkey for the kids at my school in Hong Kong. Unfortunately no wine so I had to make do with a swig of liquor from the cupboard in the cooking room :)

Cheers
Andrew

I have a question for Gary about the comment he made about 'Sideways'. What is his email? I couldn't find it on the site.

The Thanksgiving Secret Pack was a great success. The pinot noir and zinfindel were great.

10 new Vayniacs attended the tasting and loved it. They like the passion you bring to the wine world.

Look forward to participating in more secret packs.

Can't get the secret pack, but glad it was so great for everyone! That Pinot (Bourgogne Rouge) imported by Kermit Lynch looks verrrry tempting! Added it 2 my CT wish list.

Nice show, but I did not get in on the Secret Pack so I cannot comment on the wines. One of these days...

Great show, I really enjoyed this one..so much for the Lions, they are terrible.

Gary & Chris, LOVE the secret packs!!!!!!! LOVE this ep as well!!!!!!!!!! :)

Caught ya!! I was at the store a couple of Saturdays ago and you were there. Among the 85 questions I asked you that day (sorry!) I asked you for the perfect Thanksgiving Pinot Noir under 30 bones. You didn't hesitate for even a nano-second. You walked straight to the Buisson, took it off the shelf, and handed it to me. Now I learn you had never tried it before!!

There's a happy ending, though. I poured it into a decanter the night before (your recommendation) and poured my first glass during "Alice's Restaurant" at noon on T-day (a family tradition). It was fantastic!! My brother was over, and he's not far from a wine newby. This is now his "all-time" favorite wine!! Cudos to your guy that recommended it to you.

Dude - keep doin' what your doin'. You make wine fun. Go COWBOYS!!!!

Great show!!!! Happy Tday!

QoTd
Super nice reds on the T-Pack GV! I did not get them because I received a 4 bot pack from my wine club!

Really enjoyed the Torrontes. Had not tried that grape ever before. I bought two more to try of that varietal from two other South American producers. I agree that the nose is great. We also had the Shifrin Zin with our Thanksgiving dinner and it stood up very well to several other more expensive wines that night including a Caymus. Have not tried the white Thunder Cuvee yet or the Pinot. By the way, as someone who has dissed the Nouveau Beaujolais the last few years, I have to say this year's was pretty tasty for what it is. A big improvement over last year. Regards, sorry about the Jets. My Bears were also disappointing.

Too bad I missed out on this one, but the mailing lists have taken their toll. Happy belated Thanksgiving to all.

Loved the 5 second history of Gary Vay-Ner-Chuck and WLTV.

QOTD - what happened to the question of the day?

The Just Grapes Wine Blog has tons of info on holiday pairings, gift giving ideas, and when you are ready to buy just the right presents for the wine lovers on your list, head on over to JustGrapes.net and have it shipped to their door.

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Did this episode (along with the secret pack) with the family/friends on Thanksgiving and it was a HUGE hit. This was a blast and now they all want to do another one!

Another Zin to try.
Sorry about the Jets. Probably a let down after the big win last week.

Gary
Great show, I'm in the US Navy stationed overseas and my wife "AI" pronounced "EYE" is Japanese and also a BIG wine drinker; mostly italian. she LOVES the show, and I say "Go Jets"

All the best without the oak monster
Robert Hawkins

I had 8 other people do the tasting with me on thanksgiving and was really fun to taste along with you. Some watched your show for the first time and now have a different view of the wine world. I didn't get to leave a comment that day because I wanted to taste how the wines developed in a couple days.

About the wines.. that Torrentes was really nice, my first ever.. I will definitely seek that out more often.. I tasted the wines on Sunday and it went from a super tropical nose to a very fruity pebbles cereal kind of smell (my childhood favorite cereal).
The Thunder cuvee is really good! Pretty well balanced. Very interesting blend.
I never had a "text book" pinot noir so now I know the difference from all the other ones.. this was very nice.. it got even more floral to me after tasting it a few days later.
Zinfandel is one of my most favorite varietals and the Shifrin zin is up there.. very nice weight and far from being AC. I see what you mean now that it can last for the next 5-10 years.. it was still dry on the back end when tasting it Sunday but still brings a lot of flavors to the table. I want to put a few away in my cellar.

I happened to have WS # 10 wine which was the 2007 Seghesio zin and did a battle of that between the Shifrin.. The Seghesio won at first (yeah I popped and poured unfortunately) but now that I tasted it Sunday, the Shifrin smashes the Seghesio by far.. they're both very good but the Shifrin is so good!

Thanks for being apart of my Thanksgiving!

Happy belated Thanksgiving. Did not participate in the pack, but did watch the Jets fall to the Broncos today. Hey, who am I to gloat, I'm from the PNW - home of the 'Hawks, the Huskies and the Cougs.

Can't wait to try the Pinot and Zin from this show. Both sound great!

Go Broncos!!

I'm sorry to see your beard go, but I'm glad it was my Broncos that made it happen.

-Jon from Denver

Gary & Chris, Excellent episode!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Will have to get the Shifrin Zin soon................................................ BTW: Go Panthers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In agreement Gary on Torrontes.

Can the Argentine advertorial in Spectator be accurate? Torrontes is less than 2 percent of plantings?! WTF?

Thanks for the Thanksgiving day show.....I really enjoyed it.....I have had a Torrontes and enjoyed it very much and also had a Muscat and Grenache Gris blend that was very good....any info on Grenache Gris?

HAPPY (belated) THANKSGIVERS! Great episode, and I hope tha everyone enjoyed spending the day with their family or at least with loved ones.

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving, Gary. Thanks very much for a great show with some new things.

Discovered an awesome Zin Gary.

Golden Mile Cellars Estate Winery
2006 Zinfandel, Okanagan Valley, BC

You'd appreciate this Italian wine too. It's aged for 18 months in Slavonian Oak, but NO Oak Monster.
I get nice floral notes, Lillies specifically.

Tommasi Viticoltori
"Ripasso" Valpolicella 2005

Hope you had an amazing Thanksgiving my American friend!

Good episode. I didn't get the secret pack (Maryland, no shipping), but I had the Francis Ford Coppola 2005 Rosso (51% Zinfandel, + Shiraz & Cabernet Sauv) and a Gascon 2006 Malbec. At $10 or less each, both were very solid. Then, I even mixed a bit of both together, which made an even better composite wine.

Didn't get the secret pack this time, but had some great wines, including a 2002 Hirsch Riesling Zöbinger Heiligenstein, an E & E Black Pepper Shiraz (also 02), and some delicious cider. I made a video (in three parts due to youtube) with my picks and tasting notes:
Wine Picks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd-0zRV1QmU
Cider Notes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyGGsOxn6yY
Cider and cheese pairing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPxtMDXwdOA

Happy Thanksgiving Mott!! you do great job and make this possible as much as Gary does. See you on the Thunder Cruise!

Very, very nice show, Gary! Loving and loyal effort on your part to offer your Vayniacs (us) a Thanksgiving show. You know what? THANKS! It's thanksgiving day! I hope that you and your loving family had a meaningful and joyful thanksgiving day, as Concepcion and I did. And as I always say.. see you on the Thunder Cruise!!

Happy Thanksgiving to you!!! QOTD: I didn't get this secret pack. Saving my money for what I assume will be a soon-to-be announced Christmas Pack.