Jorge Ordonez Spanish Wine Tasting

Jorge Ordonez Spanish Wine Tasting – Episode #588

December 2, 2008

Gary Vaynerchuk welcomes Jorge Ordonez a pioneer in the spanish wine industry and a man who has enormous passion for what he does.

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“qotd: yes, then again this is the 2nd time watching this episode…” by Weston
“[...] Jorge Ordonez Spanish Wine Tasting – Episode #588 [...]…” by Wine Tasting in Enemy Territory – Episode #750
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Wines tasted in this episode:

El Nido 2002
2005 Zabrin Atteca ArmasCalatayud

171 Responses

December 2, 2008

TLR
Maui!

no. 1 today
December 2, 2008

passthecab
#2
December 2, 2008

Deano
top 3 ftw
December 2, 2008

James Marinello(bajayngo)
WOW TOP 5! 1st time!
December 2, 2008

Snarf
Top 10, baby!!!
December 2, 2008

Glen,....winecrazy.com
I LOVE MOTT!!!!!!!!!!!
December 2, 2008

John Farrin
In Florida for t5he holidays.
December 2, 2008

SisterSledge
Love your vids and this one was a gem…great to see Jorge! Thanks bunches for all you do Gary <3
December 2, 2008

Hinrgman
Great episode Gary

Keep the thunder rumbling.
December 2, 2008

Toke-Dawg
top 10
December 2, 2008

MagnumGourmet
Top 10…Woo Hoo!!!
December 2, 2008

Miguel
Gary — good interview!

Wear a light shirt — can’t see the wine in your glass!
See you in the store the week of Dec 16, picking up all that 05 BDX from you!! Hopefully the 3.0L LLC’s will be there!
December 2, 2008

Lawrence Leichtman
Yes, and Jorge has 30 bottles in my cellar.
December 2, 2008

Hido53
QOTD: No, I would have guessed Italy! Thanks to WLTV, I stand corrected.
Very good show Gary! Thanks to you and Jorge for the Spanish wine and wine marketing knowledge and of course, bringing the Thunder!
December 2, 2008

AbsolutLahmi
Really loved Jorge’s knowledge bits..

QOTD: NO!
December 2, 2008

Sharon
QOTD: I did not know that. I thought that was Italy. But they have low yields. Great info from Jorge. He’s a great Spanish wine embassador. I will look for his seal on Spanish wine bottles, totally! And yet another wine to add to my CT wish list.
December 2, 2008

Dr T in NC
QOTD — YES! (PLUS all the caveats)
December 2, 2008

Emily & James H.
QOTD: Yes, though largely in part for my voracious reading of wine literature and my long-standing love of smaller Spanish DOs Really enjoyed the episode today, it’s really nice to get a glimpse into the minds of some of the industry’s great movers and shakers! Hopefully Sr. Ordoñez can help to preserve the winemaking traditions in his native Málaga and stop the tourism-driven land grab in that area. Look forward to the Early Show.
December 2, 2008

David T
QOTD: No!

I will say, Tempranillos from Spain are some of my favorite wines!
December 2, 2008

zac weiss
great show, Ordonez was awesome! QOTD, had no idea. I keep convincing myself it’s france without any evidence, just because I think that’s the way it should be. Though I’ll gladly lend the helm to Spain rather than Italy. Heh.
December 2, 2008

Tony V.
QOTD: Yeah, I knew it. Studied for(and passed) my CS in May. Awesome guest!!

BTW Gary, Were you checking out Jorge’s ass at 32:49…??
December 2, 2008

purplejuicebruce
QOTD…I do now! Thank you .
December 2, 2008

Michael Schoonmaker
Great episode – I really liked this guest. And no, I didn’t know that – but I do now!
December 2, 2008

M
QOTD: Yes, because I spend a heck of a lot of time reading/learning about wine. I’m a huge Spainiac especially in the past 5 years.

I enjoyed hearing Jorge’s story. I’ll look for his imports.
December 2, 2008

Chris F.
I have been drinking Spanish reds since early 90’s and they are delicious.Although the ribero del duero’s are my favorite I recently tried the 2006 clio and it was amazing!!! Thanx for all the great info and your show is great! Good luck with the early show and sorry about the jet’s.:-p
December 2, 2008

Kevin K
QOTD: Yes, but only because I’m a trivia buff.
December 2, 2008

wayno da wino
Top 30…..YEEEEEEEOOOOOOWZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!
December 2, 2008

manonthemoon
Nice show.

QOTD: Yes I did, love the RDD in particular.
December 2, 2008

Neil
QOTD: No
December 2, 2008

JigglyJock
Yes, Mott is the shiznit

Great guest, I have been wanting to learn more about Spanish wines and this was a great show to expand my knowledge. I will definitely be buying a Spanish wine the next time I go to the liquor store.

QOTD: I had no clue.
December 2, 2008

Jay
Argh. Everytime you interrupt him when he starts to answer a question, it makes me want to puke.
December 2, 2008

brorjace
Yup, I knew that, but I’m a big wine nerd. Great to see Jorge on the show, I’ve been a huge fan of his wines and have been selling them for a while now. And as far as Spain goes, you know that if you grab a bottle with his name on it, its going to a)great tasting and b)reasonably priced. Great show!
December 2, 2008

Jay Campbell
QOTD: I did not know that but I really hope I can try that second wine you tasted. That description sounds right up my alley.
December 2, 2008

mikek
Mott is THE MAN!

Capcanes Cellers, Monstant 2005 drinking well right now! Loved Jorge’s story and am a fan of the guest episodes. (generally)
December 2, 2008

ev
No, no, no…….Jorge’s right. Get rid of the phone.
December 2, 2008

Dale Cruse
Shout out to my favorite wine spot in Boston, Troquet! And a special shout out to Jorge, who live in the same town I do – Dedham, MA!!
December 2, 2008

Daniel Kemp
It was hard to hear Jorge sometimes, but it was still a good show.

QOTD: No I didn’t know that.
December 2, 2008

Hungry Chuck
Great episode Gary. Mr. O was very informative. I like the way you kept yourself in check and let the guest impart his perspective…
Didn’t know the fact about Spain prior to the episode….
December 2, 2008

Jason S.
QOTD: no, I did not!

awesome show – Jorge is a cool cat
December 2, 2008

wayno da wino
Great Episode, Jorge was a very interesting & informative Dude!!

qotd: I did NOT know that…….
December 2, 2008

catherine.
Jorge reminds me of my uncle, whose name is also Jorge Great guest

QOTD: No.
December 2, 2008

sam
Cool!

Another great guest as part of WLTV history.

QOTD: Nope. I was lost, but now am found!

Cheers to Spain!

PS Mott rocks! (In a very subtle and mysterious way…)
December 2, 2008

BobbyTiger
QOTD- I know now………………
Great Jeprody (sp?)question.
But geez…….I guess they should be. Just look at the size of their country.
While I found the session a little long, I’ll give it to you given the guest.
Good having you…….(clean shaven)…………back.
December 2, 2008

SargieAZ
Yes. More olive groves too. So glad to see Ordonez on the show. I loved the two selections but a couple more would have been good too. Mr. Ordonez, when are you going to hire me? Mott is the man, but thanks a lot for the belly dancing image Gary.

Awesome episode – I’m addicted
December 2, 2008

JimChem
QOTD: Yes.

Jim
December 2, 2008

Peter
had no idea that Spain had the most vineyards. Neat episode, keep it up.
Do me a favor and look into some Chateaux St. Jean.
December 2, 2008

Murso
Gary and Senor Ordonez-
Muchas, muchas Gracias!!!

I’ve been a huge advocate for a number of years, and just had the privledge of pouring your wines for the Fabulous Food Show!! Paso a Paso, Vina Godeval, and Volver -all were recieved very well.

My faves have been all of the Finca Luzon, Juan Gill, Nora, Basa. Love ‘em!

Yep. Wine geeks know – Spain has the largest acreage, but the restricted yields is a great part of why so many great wines are produced.

Keep up the great work!!
December 2, 2008

JonE
Holy legendary batman!!! Jorge the king graces the show, wow g-Man I don’t know where you go from here. Cheers and kudos

QOTD:No, as a matter of fact. Thanks for the education.
December 2, 2008

Larry
I did not know. That is one less glitch in my knowledge of wine.
December 2, 2008

Chalz
Hey Gary: I’ve been watching WLTV for about a year and this was the BEST EPISODE YET! We learned so much in a half hour. This guest was terrific and you let him talk long enough to get so much info to us. Your questions were well thought out and his answers went far beyond the initial question.

What was gtreat was that he did not represent one vineyard but expounded about many areas of Spain and several producers. Keep up this kind of show!!

QOTD, No.
December 2, 2008

mark b
QOTD: I did not
December 2, 2008

Kirk (aka: slave2thevine)
QOTD: Yes, i did know…Jorge Ordoñez was the first profile that I was able to taste and learn about as I got interested in wine…it was the first serious “high end” tasting that I was privileged to be a part of…I will never have a cellar without his wine in it….never.
December 2, 2008

Susan
Gary, Chris & Jorge, VERY excited to see the legend that you had on the show today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had a superb experience with one of his wines recently!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Here are the TN’s:
http://tv.winelibrary.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=21115&highlight=
December 2, 2008

psychomike
Best guest ever! He’s the only distributor I respect enough that I’ll buy his wines on sight—I’ve never been disappointed in one of Jorge’s wines. I’m also really glad he raised the issue of transport and handling of wines. Spanish wines arrive in this country in great shape, while nearly all Italian wines are cooked (and I go to Italy regularly, so I know they’re not “supposed to taste that way.”) I think today’s guest deserves a lot of the credit for that.
December 2, 2008

Ben Janssen South Australai
The demand for Aussie wines into the US has decreased but increased into the European marker. Germany is gobbling up Aussies wines more than ever. With the Euro kicking the Aussie dollar everything is a steal!
December 2, 2008

Bill
Good guest. Good show. It seems that you didn’t really love the El Nido .. Wonder what score you would have given it in a blind tasting.

qotd: no, but what’s the point?
December 2, 2008

Susan
Gary, Chris & Jorge, I must say words can’t describe how much I have learned about Spanish wines since I had The Ateca in August!!!!! I have learned so much MORE from this episode!!!!!!! WOW!!! Fabulous education on this episode!!!!!!! In my opinion, Jorge is the best guest you have had on your show ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 2, 2008

Susan
Sorry about the spelling, I see it one way on the cork and another on the bottle? Is it Ateca or Atteca??????????
December 2, 2008

thisIslandEarth
Great show. Mr. Ordonez was a wonderful, informative and interesting guest!

QOTD: Yes – Gary has mentioned this before.
December 2, 2008

Murso
Had to cut short that last comment to go kick my GF’s ass in Jeopardy.

And now I’m Back. Went to the basement, and had to get an Ordonez, so compelling is this man’s work and presence. Vina Alarba, Old Vine Grenache Calatayud. 2005(Current release). People, this is under $10 wine, and it’s leagues ahead of the swill we make here in USA, or in Australia, at this price.

In fact, I first poured it into a cruddy wide-mouth 8 0z.”wine glass”,and sipped about 3 oz. Now I put it into a Schott Zwiesel Forte Red (break-resistant titanium crystal,under $10), and it’s nose blossomed at least three- fold.

Vayniacs, what you need to do is go to Wine Library, or your Local wino shoppe, and get you a CASE of various Jorge Ordonez wines, and start ripping into ‘em. Many are around, or even under the $10 mark, and those under the $20 mark are GREATER in depth, still. His ‘more significant’ wines will impress your family, and blow away your wine snob friends.

There’s plenty of opportunity to share wine this month, so get crackin’.
December 2, 2008

Susan
Chris, I want to see you belly dancing!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!!
December 2, 2008

Susan
Gary,Chris & Jorge, Juan Gil???? You distribute the Juan Gil????? I LOVE that one as well………seems you distribute all of the Spanish wines that I LOVE!!!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!!!
December 2, 2008

Susan
Gary, I must say I like Mott and Matt!!!!!! Do you only hire men whose first names start with M?????????????????? ?????????? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 2, 2008

ScottEJ
Jorge is one NO nonsense dude. 10 more minutes and I think he was crack some Vaynerskull. Like a Kermit Lynch import, a Jorge Ordonez wine always peaks my interest and usually ends up in my cart.

QOTD: Read it somewhere, but could not have repeated it by memory.
December 2, 2008

Susan
Jorge, QOTD: No, I did NOT really know that Spain has more vineyards than any place else in the world B4 this episode!!!!!!!! I learned this & SOOOOO much more from you!!!!!!!! Thank You Jorge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 2, 2008

Oakmon's BF
Great show Gary. I haven’t commented in a while but I still watch every episode. Your guest has pride and passion for what he does and you let him tell his story without interruption. It was great.
December 2, 2008

WineWoman
Fantastic! Great guest.

QOTD: Yes. Only because I took a Spanish Wine Class a while back.
December 2, 2008

Dominus
One of your best if not the best interview of a wine guru/importer/legend in the wine world.

I am also glad you made sure he wasn’t a cheatin’ Pats fan! I love that look you give the audience when you ask that question.

QOTD: Of course.

Sante!

P.S. I’m having a glass of the ‘04 San Roman from Spain. I believe it was #thirty-something for WS. Reallllly good stuff. Plus, the DVR will be rolling tomorrow morning.
December 2, 2008

Richard Ritter
NO CONTEST!?!? This was one of your best guests I’ve seen since I started watching. He is the definiion of cool. Kudos to you Gary for letting the man speak (what control).

Those labels ROCK!!! I love them. Very progressive for such an old world producer. I’d like to know who designed them.

Q of the D: No I did not, and thanks, now I do.
December 2, 2008

ponuppy
Nice EP. QOTD: Nope…
December 2, 2008

MattUD
Great show, really informative and interesting. QOTD: No, I did not
December 2, 2008

bill wrollcia
qotd? NO IM A FOOL FROM NJ, THE DIRTY JERSEY
BUT I HAD THE 2003 CLIO TODAY AND , NOW I AM A GENIUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 2, 2008

Robin C
I’ve tried the Clio, but I guess that’s all. Very interesting to to find out about an influential figure in the wine world whom I knew nothing about. Thanks, Gary. Thanks, Jorge.

QOTD: Maybe I once knew and forgot it.
December 2, 2008

Shawn_944
Awesome Show Jorge was great.

QOTD… No
December 2, 2008

thefanjestic
Qotd – I did not know that. Great show! One of the best guests I’ve seen in a long time.
December 2, 2008

kaybee
QoTd
Did not know! Jorge was great and very knowledgeable!
December 2, 2008

amgryger
Jorge was a really great geust. Very interesting show today.

QOTD: No. Or at least, I have probably heard that before but forgot.
December 2, 2008

Robert Howells
YES
December 2, 2008

E dog
Me gusta el vino espanol hombre!

I thought Jorge was excellent.

QOTD: I didn’t have a clue, I thought France had the most vinyards. Just goes to show; you learn a little more every day.
December 2, 2008

David
That was a good show, I will agree with all the others on that one.

I have not had any of his wine, but now I have some looking to do. Any chance of a link to a list of some of his wines over at Wine Library?
December 2, 2008

Alex
Jorge was great, more more more………Thanks Gary
QOTD- Yes
December 2, 2008

Chris in Tulsa
QOTD: Yes I had read that and knew Italy was second. Really love Spanish wines. They have great value wines and alot of the more expensive ones are always on Wine Spectators top 100s.
December 2, 2008

DavidC
Several years ago I was told to look for Jorge Ordonez’s name on the back of the bottle if I was looking for good wine. I have followed that advice and have rarely been disappointed.
December 3, 2008

4wdave
No; I thought Australia had passed everyone…
December 3, 2008

Pete G
Good show w/ another great guest. Nice to get the inside skinny.

QOTD: Yes. I’m an avid reader of wine encyclopedia type books and do
remember that little nugget.
December 3, 2008

J Crazy
Yup! Knew it. But always wonder why not many people talk about Arien and La Mancha. La Mancha is the biggest wine grape growing region IN THE WOOOORLD. Quality might be a reason? But, yo, give the men(and women) from La Mancha some shout out love. I mean Arien is the most planted wine grape IN THE WOOOORLD. There are some good ariens out there. I love Spanish wines and I have the most mad love and respect for Senor Ordonez and have enjoyed many of the wines he represents. I think we’re just at the tip of the ice berg as to what awesomeness Spain will bring to the wine world.
December 3, 2008

J Crazy
I just searched “arien” in the search box and came back with “nothing”. I know the reasons for it not being the most popular grape but I’d like to see some Arien tasting on the Thunder Show.
December 3, 2008

Eli
Gary,

I’ve never seen you intimidated by a guest before. Jorge never answered any of your questions — use of oak, control of winery styles, new world styles, etc. He is a very slippery guy, and you let him get away with it. This guy is a obviously a salesman who stays on message and won’t get sidetracked by your questions. In fact, he looked like a politician. And you seemed almost scared to say anything even remotely bad about his wines.

I used to love Jorge’s wines because they weren’t as fruity and oaky as the wines carried by Eric Solomon and Leonardo Locascio. Jorge’s wines are starting to taste the same, but I always gave him the benefit of the doubt. But after seeing how slippery he is, I am totally turned off by his wines.
December 3, 2008

Nicholas Lazarus
QTOD: I did actually. Surprising since I’m such a noob.

Good guest.
December 3, 2008

Rani Haykal
Great Show!!!

In my opinion, easily one of the top three guests on your show. Definitely provided a bunch of knowledge. Crazy thing is I was just at Spec’s (local liquor store) earlier today and purchased 4 bottles of the Clio and 4 bottles of Bodegas Atteca Old Vines 2007. What a great coincidence.

QOTD: Nope, I did not know that, but now I do.

–RH
December 3, 2008

Eliot
Great Show!!! I’ve noticed that Jorge doesn’t spit. Bravo for Jorge!!!

QOTD: Yes
December 3, 2008

Yimosan
“G”

Ole España!

I love Garnacha, especially when blended with Tempranillo and Cabernet…those are the kinds of wines that make you want to fight a bull.

QOTD – Si

PS. No “Sniffy Sniff”?!?!
December 3, 2008

Herb
QOTD: No, I did not know that. Thanks for the info.
December 3, 2008

master1228
I think I missed the glowstick-rave episode with Mott belly dancing… I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not…

Great show Gary!

Dany
http://raad.wordpress.com
December 3, 2008

Jim Stephens-Wine Dude
Are you ready for a short novel??? Good! I was stoked to see the Moses of my Spanish wine world on your show today. Jorge Ordenez and his wines are the driving force behind my already burgeoning Spanish wines sales in New Mexico. I have the utmost respect for his prowess not only in vineyard/winery selection and upkeep, but in marketing as well. He takes a unique approach to his book; offer three or more tiers of wine from varying vine ages and price points from the same estate, thus capturing three times the wine drinking audience in his web of vinous rapture! For example, I carry three Garnacha from the Bodegas Ateca estate in Calatayud, Spain. The old vine (I believe 45 years?) Garnacha de Fuego, a juicy and spicy little brother to the family, the extra old vine Atteca (80-100 year old vines) that is laden with ripe stewed strawberry and licorice hints, and of course the venerable Atteca Armas that you featured on the show. Priced at $9.99, $15.99, and $46.99, respectively, these wines respresent TREMENDOUS quality and ENORMOUS value. You would be completely nuts to walk in to a wine store over the next week and NOT buy one of his wines. Cheers brother, keep up the good work.

Kampai!
December 3, 2008

Withnail
QOTD: No.
GREAT ep – really enjoyed it!
And happy to be present at the birth of a new catch-phrase: “Home team situation”
December 3, 2008

Jim Stephens-Wine Dude
So sorry to leave two comments, but this is good stuff! Try out the Ordonez & Co. 2005 dessert wine in the 500ml bottle called “#2 Victoria” from Malaga…Whhoooooey, is it one gorgeous sweetie that is devoid of the cloying and heavy palate of most dessert wines. incredible and elegant, it is the pinot noir of dessert wines.
December 3, 2008

Andrew D
Fantastic show guys, thanks

QOTD: NO I didn’t (looking back over my tasting notes, it’s strange but for some reson Spain is reamarkable unrepresented, I really need to drink more Spainish wine)

Cheers
Andrew
December 3, 2008

rimarfish
QOTD: No, i didn’t know…but it was a very instructive show. Excellent!
December 3, 2008

Susan
Gary, After MUCH care & thought, I have made the decision……………………… to just be a lurker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!
December 3, 2008

ryan
Plenty of clonal selection going on in Spain. Tons of it! To say there isn’t, is just plain silly.
December 3, 2008

M
I looked in my cellar to see if I have/had Jorge Ordonez wines. I’ve had the Tres Picos Garnacha. In fact we enjoyed it so much, we gave it as a holiday gift to many friends one year. I’ve enjoyed the Finca Allende rioja. Locally I’ve seen the Llicorella Priorat. I’ll pick some up soon.

I wonder if he imports any bierzo.
December 3, 2008

M
http://www.tienda.com/reference/ordonez.html
December 3, 2008

SaraMHCRU
Awesome show. I did not know that before. I have been finding a LOT of super-cheap wines with the Jorge Ordonez label on them that have been really fantastic for everyday drinking. Spanish reds are my new go-to. I am loving them.
December 3, 2008

theemptyglass
The glitch was actually kinda cool, i thought it’d been done on purpose

QOTD: No, but it doesn’t surprise me.
December 3, 2008

Phil G
QOTD – knew Spain, France, and Italy were at the top, but didn’t know the order…

That was fun and really interesting!
December 3, 2008

ex-lurkdawg
Thank you, Jorge, for being on the show. Thank you, Gary, for your ability to have such great guests (we’re getting spoiled now). This was a wonderful episode. Jorge, I have tasted quite a few of your wines and am often impressed by their quality.
qotd: yes, I did know that
December 3, 2008

Andy
QOTD– No , but us vino heads kind of forget about the old Spain… They have great wines for great value . Thanks G.
December 3, 2008

Rossodio
QOTD: Actually, yes – the last winetasting I did at my place was spanish wines, and when researching all this stuff to make a handout for people, I discovered this. Interesting, though so many of the whites that are made in the country stay in the country as blah-quality wines.
December 3, 2008

glenn
Spain is such a beautiful country and Malaga a lovely city. loved watching Jorge play with corks while you played with the toy wrestler!!!

just looked thru a few Spanish wines in my cellar and they all have Jorge’s brand on the back!

QotD: i did not know Spain had more different varietals than any other country. i do know i adore Spain and want to return. THUNDER CRUISE ON THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA ONE DAY???
December 3, 2008

Emily & James H.
It’s Airen, guys.
December 3, 2008

Julie
Going to Spain next fall while my nephew is there for college. Can’t wait! Valladolid is located approximately two and a half hours northwest of Madrid. The city is rich in artistic and historic heritage and popularly known as the center of the area where the purest “Castellano” Spanish is spoken.

QOTD: Yes- our wine club researched Spain quite extensively last year and our household drinks a lot of Spainish wines.
December 3, 2008

Deano
Good episode I am loving the blind shows and the guest shows.

QOTD:
-Nope I didn’t know that
December 3, 2008

Tom T.
No I did not know that, great episode.
December 3, 2008

David Dadekian
QOTD: No. I’m not entirely surprised to hear it though. When I visited Spain and drove around the country side I remembered being amazed at the amount of grapevines. I was also completely taken aback by how many olive trees I saw. There had to be more than Italy.
December 3, 2008

Chippewamike
QOTD: Yes, I did

Great guest. Great show!
December 3, 2008

jer
Did not know that! Love Garnachas. Got to find that ‘05.
December 3, 2008

Ken B.
Gary,

I haven’t posted in a long time. I really enjoyed your guest today and his perspective on the wine world. I drink alot of Spanish wines, so it was great to hear his view of Spanish wines and their rise in popularity.

Ken B.
December 3, 2008

danseng
QOTD: I did know that Spain had the most vineyards, but also thought they produced the most wine, so I learned something.

Great show. Loved Jorge Ordonez as a guest as much as I do his wines. The Clio is my favorite year after year. I remember buying the ‘02 on closeout and now the ‘06 sells out in an hour. Crazy.

Jorge – Do you have a website? I’ve searched the internet for one for a long time and have yet to find one. It would really be a nice addition for your company. Thanks.
December 3, 2008

Naysen
Yes. And, yes this was one of my all-time favorite episodes. While I agree with some others that Jorge was a little slipper on the questions and salesman-like, I have to respect his energy, enthusiasm and willingness to expound on certain areas of his field. I was very glad to see Gary give him the leeway to talk-on and finish his muses without interruption. I see no reason to badger a guest for answers to a specific questions (not in this medium), especially when he/she is so willing to communicate his/her ideas and ideals. We can judge for ourselves where someone stands — give ‘em the rope, if they hang themselves, so be it; else they may make a ladder … or whatever, you get the point.

BTW, doesn’t Mr. Ordonez have an uncanny resemblance to a certain HBO depicted gangster going by the initials TS? Maybe that’s why Gary was so deferential this episode.
December 3, 2008

Derek F.
Awesome show guys, I really love Spanish wines.

QOTD: Yes I did
December 3, 2008

Laurie in VT
We all love Mott! I don’t know about the belly dancing, though…

QOTD: nope

Thanks for a very enjoyable show & a great guest.
December 3, 2008

fangorn81
This guy reminds me of Tony Soprano! Not in a bad way…
December 3, 2008

JudeMurphy
Wow, I didn’t know that! Pretty cool, man ; )
Nice show Gary!

Drinking a Pouilly-Fumé as I watch and I must say, as I always find with them,
it is “ridonculously” good! You should definitely do a show on them!
December 3, 2008

JudeMurphy
PS- I really want to see Mott belly dancing!!!! : P
December 3, 2008

DAve A
Very good guest! wow,, I learned a lot. Very impressed.
We love Mott! No belly dancing, unless it’s a guest.

QOTD: No. I did not know. wow. Spain rocks!

Question to you: What do you do with the 1/2 bottle of wines left after each show? Have you consider how much $$ you show in a week? hundreds of dollars. cool.
December 3, 2008

OSCAR FALCON LARA
QOTD:
YES !

Spanish wine is my favorite by the way, but I seek out different wines all the time to educate myself (and to have a pretext to drink amazing and not so amazing wines).

On a side note, there is a very special Spanish song, a traditional song in fact, called “La Dolores de Calatayud”, search for it and listen, it will make you seek out a fine Spanish wine.
December 3, 2008

Ray Barnes
Very interesting and informative guest, thank you Gary. Excellent show.

QOTD – No
December 3, 2008

Mike B
QOTD – Of Course…..went to Spain last year. Rented a car and drove through Rioja. Wonderful. Best wines for the money. Its amazing how friendly and open the wineries are to visitors. It’s not like Napa where you can drive from one to another without appointments.
December 4, 2008

Rick O'Shea
Very nice show. I really enjoy the guests. Jorge was awesome!
December 4, 2008

Jeff R
Great show! Another of the top shows! The list of them is getting longer! A true honor to have Jorge in attendance. First Janics Robinson, next Jorge a few weeks later. Truly ratcheding the show up notches.

I too enjoy Spanish wines and his offerings are about 90% of my total Spanish holdings. Keep up the good work.

QTD – no, I may have heard this in the past and might have guessed it but I didn’t realize it as a fact.
December 4, 2008

Carlitos
QOTD. Yes, as a wine loving Spaniard I HAD to know that factoid.

Great show! Jorge was great. You can recognize a man with conviction and understand why he’s been successful in interpreting the kind of wines the American palate prefers.

Keep it up!
December 4, 2008

Jimmy T
i did not know…
December 4, 2008

Jayhitek
Did Gary check out Jorge’s ass at the 33:00 mark?
QOTD: Yes I did know that.
December 4, 2008

Dan Manu
QOTD:nope
December 4, 2008

RANDI
GARY!! xo
I ADORE Spain! Love, love, love it!
QOTD: No. I didnt know Spain had more vineyards than any other country! Now I love it even more!
Thanks Jorge & Gary..
December 5, 2008

apj_bobswineguy
Love this format. Sometimes you don’t even need the wine. The first 2/3rds of this program would have been enough. just listening to you two go on about Spain and the early days of Jorge’s business was fascinating.
Going to watch the BLIND bordeaux now, but I’ve said it before…hate blind… and find this type of show so much more interesting. BLIND is like watching a game show.
December 5, 2008

YoungDave
QOTD: YES!
But I am glad that YOU (GARY) brought up the common claims that Jorge’s portfolio is filled with wines that are over-oaked, very new-world in style with over-ripe extracted fruit and concentration. Whether anyone agrees with these claims or not, Jorge addressed them well.
December 5, 2008

Mike L
Great guest! Love this format.
December 5, 2008

LauraG
QOTD? Yes. But I did think that Airen, not Garnacha, was the most planted variety not only in Spain, but in the world. So I was surprised to hear Jorge say it was Garnacha.

Cool show.
December 5, 2008

ShawnDK
Man, I really want to like Spanish wine, but I haven’t found anything that could pull me away from the McLaren Vale or the Barossa valley (that being not entirely true). Danish people love wines from the Rioja and I’ve tried quite a few. The interesting thing for me is the terroire. After seeing this episode, I’ll probably start trying more Spanish wine again.

I liked how you tried to get him to say that he doesn’t do enough to expand his pallet. Although his comeback was good, saying that he just likes good wine, and not necessarily what the market is asking for.

QOTD: I did not know that.
December 5, 2008

Kristen
Muchas gracias! Super episode. And then I looked at all my Spanish wine bottles and saw that practically ever one had the JO mark on it. Wow, he brings in some kick ass wines!

QOTD: No, I was unaware of that. However, I am now the wiser. Thanks.

PS- Everyone loves Mott. How can they not?
December 6, 2008

chukhead-ted
yes, jorge, i knew that~! thanks for doing the show–spainish wines rock!
December 7, 2008

tuscanbob
Yes I did know that. What a great episode and tremendous guest. I’ve been a big fan of the Jorge Ordonez brand for years because I’ve never come across a dud and it always represents great value. It all makes sense now seeing the passion he has for what he does.
December 8, 2008

Keith
Thanks for the education about Spanish wines, I think they offer a great value. I’ve never had a really bad bottle from there. Had my first Albarino from Gary’s secret pack a while back and it rocked!

QOTD: I think I knew that but thanks for the reminder.
December 8, 2008

pawncop
What a great episode, and great guest. He does show the passion for his wines.

QOTD – Nope.
December 8, 2008

Dan-o
Great show GV! I had heard of Senor Ordonez on many occasions – Parker, wine tastings, etc. Great to associate a face with a name.
Spanish wines are killer – from Albarino and Rioja whites to Ribera del Duero, Jumilla, Priorat, Toro!

QOTD – I had heard this before, but when coming from a respected guest such as you, I believe it now!
December 8, 2008

Little Jonny H
Fishing, cooking, and Spanish wine… could there be a cooler guest that Jorge?

QOTD: Nope, I thought it was Italy… Stupid me!
December 9, 2008

Tim Wiseman
Very cool guest, and I LOVE Spanish wines, was one of my first wine loves – seriously. Awesome episode.

And Mott rocks.
December 10, 2008

JayZee
Absolutely wonderful show. Gary, are you auditioning for your own “talk show”? Nice interview and a very interesting character, as you say. I have certainly heard of Senor Ordonez and have many Spanish wines in my cellar that are “Jorge Ordonez Selection” wines.

QOTD: Yes, I knew that because one of the wine distributors in Cleveland told me that two weeks ago when he was giving a presentation on Spanish wines at a tasting – not surprisingly, he represents a number of Jorge Ordonez wines.
December 11, 2008

AaronB
QOTD: I wouldn’t have guessed that, no.
December 18, 2008

*/^_^\*
qotd: yes i did kno that! errrr…at least i knew it at one point and then had forgotten, but i;m pretty sure i knew it sometimeoranother.

did u kno algeria used to be the source of much of france’s table wine?
December 24, 2008

benny z
I don’t eat that crap, that was classic
January 7, 2009

yowens
I really enjoyed that show, thanks Gary and Jorge. QOTD: I did not.
January 12, 2009

Victor Ordonez
Jorge is my dad and I gotta tell ya. He really has passion for what he does. I just wanted to congratulate you Papa on all you’ve done. Its really cool to see how many people know about you. You work your ass off for what you do and I want to thank you for the example that you give me.
January 16, 2009

kathy Ordonez
He’s my husband. I love the video, but there’s something funny. He told me he doesn’t smoke………….
January 29, 2009

Dessert Wine Nerd
Fantastic episode. People like Jorge make me glad to know theres people out there that are passionate about true wine, and not doing it just to make a buck. All heart and soul, as it should be. QOTD: I did not. I would have said Italy….. FAIL!!!!
February 5, 2009

Jon R
Jorge may be right about the acreage but these vineyards have one vine every 10sq yards. He spins it very well. He seems to be a businessman first. I noticed that he got very defensive when Gary turned the heat up about New World style.
If he wants to let the vineyards speak for themselves so bad why does he bring in Chris Ringland, an Australian, to make an over-the-top style wine in Spain…maybe because Wine Advocate loves Ringland. If he wants to display terroir he should have brought in a Frenchman from Burgundy.
I give Jorge credit for maintaining provenance of the wine as it travels and introducing new appelations to the US. I appreciate what he has accomplished in his professional career but hope that he stops pursuing trends in the market and brings in clear cut Spanish wine that brings thunder.
March 5, 2009

John D.
This is the second time I’ve watched this episode and I have to say, I think it’s one of my favorites. I have to take my hat off to Senor Ordonez. The wines speak for themselves and bring tremendous value and thunder to the table. I’m actually drinking the 07 ATTECA Old Vines with dinner tonight and it keeps getting better and better. He obviously has tremendous pride and passion in what he does, and I admire that greatly. Thank you Gary for having him on your show!
March 9, 2009

Ilse - belgian living in spain
wow, I’ve just started to watch the shows I missed during my holiday in Australia and the busy period afterwards…of course, I’m in a very fortunate position as I live in Spain and am continuously trying out new (mainly spanish) wines,appellations and grape variaties. It’s not that easy to try out smaller, less known appellations, as Spanish tend to stick to Rioja, Ribera and Somontano (reds) or Rueda, Albariño (white)…luckily, my local wine shop is eager to have a large selection of nice wines for “every day use”, so for 3-5€/bottle. Plenty of those come from smaller appellations, and once they get known, prices go up. A shame really, but quite logical really (getting a public by being sold in smaller shops before hitting the jackpot by selling to supermarkets or big restaurants nationally and/or internationally)…I only hope that wine will still be made by wine lovers who want to show the identity of different grapes/terroirs, and not want to copy best selling wines…this is done everywhere in the world, not only in Spain! Because in that case, I’ll fall back to my national drink by excellence : wonderful beer!
April 10, 2009

CPal
“Do you eat Twizzlers?” “No, i don’t eat that crap” …. priceless! Wonderful episode!
April 15, 2009

Matt
QOTD: I did! I was reading an article on the wines of Italy earlier today where that tidbit was mentioned.

Fun show, but I wish that the professional guests would sac up and actually tell us what new wine regions they’re excited by. There always seems to be a lot of dancing around that question.
April 17, 2009

GoBig
Great ambassador for Spain and for Spanish Wines! Will he be back soon Gary?

I just wish you had asked about the Packaging. Which would have made this the perfect interview! Since I did it! LOL. Go Pats

QOTD: naturally.
August 30, 2009

Annie B
Jorge O was brought to my attention via Wine Searcher on FaceBook. After a bit of Googling – I found this interview which I LOVED.It not only was it educational – I had to pause half way through to go pop a cork!! I live in Spain and apppreciate the wonderful wines this huge country offers – a greater diversity of wines than any other in the world. Over the past 4 years I’ve lived here, so much has changed re wine – it just gets better and better. In my local wine emporium – only one Rueda used to be on offer – now there are at least 10. The labels get more arty,the prices climb but quality remains great!!!
September 11, 2009

Jose Manuel Ordonez
A great interview.
Jorge Ordonez is my cousin, he’s not only a great professional but also an extraordinary person. Thank you for being so.
We remember a lot about you and your whole family is so proud of you.

Many kisses from Malaga
September 17, 2009

Justin L. Ove
QOTD: as Ace Ventura would say, “I did not know that”
Man that Grenache was Daark! Looked awesome, would love to try it.
September 17, 2009

terroir » Blog Archive » Ode to Jorge
[...] Watch Jorge Ordonez interview on The Wine Library Share and Enjoy: [...]
October 2, 2009

Robert
Calatayud – excellent wines. Spain is phenomenal for value. Atteca is perhaps one of my favourite Calatayud wines. I haven’t come across Ordonez in my wine store travels (which is strange).
October 2, 2009

Robert
Yes, I realize I have come across an Ordonez wine in Atteca. I must seek out more.
October 8, 2009

Wine Tasting in Enemy Territory – Episode #750
[...] Jorge Ordonez Spanish Wine Tasting – Episode #588 [...]
October 12, 2009

Weston
qotd: yes, then again this is the 2nd time watching this episode