George Taber Talks Wine and Drinks Some Too!

George Taber Talks Wine and Drinks Some Too! – Episode #591

December 5, 2008

George Taber stops by the Thunder Show and talks wine and other things.

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Comments on this episode(184) Leave a comment ›

“This is one of my favorite episodes. Im half way through “Judgment of …” by Pangaea
“What a fantsastic guest to have on the show. It must have been an ama…” by Dessert Wine Nerd
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Wines tasted in this episode:

2005 Chalone Chalone Vineyard ChardonnayOther California Chardonnay
2004 Freemark Abbey Cabernet SauvignonNapa Cabernet

Links mentioned in today’s episode.

184 Responses

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December 6, 2008

digitaldean
Absolutely awesome show. Fantastic to get a first hand perspective on how Cali. wines broke through on the world scene.

QOTD: I usually go to the sub $20 market (can’t afford to regularly buy $40+ bottles of wine). Of those about 30% used plastic/synthetic corks (a lot on the German Rieslings I tried), 10% screwtops and 60% regular cork.

Some of the posts re: the disdain of screwtops, I find strange. If it affected the taste of the wine, I can see it. But if it doesn’t, what is the big deal?
December 6, 2008

Rowland
uh, do you only eat apple cores, cause i dont think they smell different.

did he say “starbucks?”

i love how upset gary looked when that guy said he dosnt have the video on youtube, come on dude, you should be happy its not on VHS

qotd; my heard says cork, but my head says screw cap.
December 6, 2008

brian
boring – no more boring guests!
December 6, 2008

Jacob
QOTD: As an Australian, i’ve definitely been exposed to the aforementioned growing mentality that screwcap is the only way to go, and I absolutely agree with this. I really don’t have any time at all for people who yabber on about tradition and romanticism and the importance of the ‘pop’ of pulling out the cork. I find all that rubbish particularly amusing in the context a show about the Paris tasting. The whole point of that story is that a perfectly unique and exceptional new world wine region was being ignored, shunned and rubbished based on unfair and idiotic traditonalism that so often plagues the wine world, but proved itself against the old guard in a blind, unbiased tasting. I’m sure all the yanks here would rail against any suggestion that Californian wine should still be considered plonk simply because *everyone knows, according to tradition and romanticism, that good wine only comes from France, and maybe Italy and Spain.* With that kind of mentality, American, Australian, New Zealand, Latin American and other wine producing countries would never have had a chance.
Unfortunately, despite consistent research and blind tastings comparing the same wines bottled and aged under cork AND screwcap, all of which generally suggest screwcap to be a far superior seal, ignorance and absurd traditionalism keep the cork in circulation. In the end, it’s been shown that the risks associated with cork FAR outweigh those with screwcap. There is no worse a feeling than to pull out a special bottle that’s been hidden away for 10-15 years on a special occasion, romantically and ceremoniously ‘pop’ the cork, taste the wine, and announce to the party that it’s corked….that special bottle you paid 100 bones for 10 years ago and have been looking forward to for ages….buggered. I think anyone who has had that experience would agree that corks MUST go. I’m starting to only buy Australian and New Zealand wine to put down if it is under screwcap.
Finally, I think the dominance of cork has skewed the concept what is considered to be a ‘good’ aged wine. Even when the is no degree of cork taint involved, the vast majority of corks over the course of a wine’s life will allow varying degrees of gradual oxidisation. This means that the common perception of an aged wine looks, smells and tastes like is broken. The slow destruction of the wine is mistaken for development. In the tiny minority of cases (about 2%) where a cork does what it is meant to do (seal the wine and not permit ANY transfer of gases that lead to oxidisation), the result is a properly aged wine that retains the colour, fruit and natural freshness that a well-aged wine SHOULD have. Unfortunately, people rarely experience REAL development in a good wine. The sooner EVERY wine in the world (including the great wines built for aging) are under screwcap, the better.

Ok, end rant. Haha, clearly a topic I feel passionate about.
Great show GV.
December 6, 2008

italianwinelover
FANTABULOUS Episode!! I think this one should go in the hall of famer!! I like this one better than the Jancis Robinson ep.

QOTD: Like the cork on reds and screw tops on whites. HATE the synethic corks they suck..like the zork and the glass tops.
December 6, 2008

Kirk AKA:(slave2thevine)
Great Show…QOTD: Glass closure that Sineann uses is probably my favorite…it’s simple, solid, and looks nice.
December 6, 2008

Graeme A
Great show with a very interesting guest. Will keep an eye out for the books.

Props to New Zealand, Otago, Pinot Noir. There’s some very good wine coming out of this region.

Tip of the day. Don’t bungy jump AFTER consuming wine and food…

QOTD: Although a romantic at heart I also have a very pragmatic streak which means that screw tops for me are the winner. Its just so simple, no broken corks, no lost bottle openers, easy to reseal and I must repeat that one of the most frustrating things in the whole world is to either forget to take a bottle opener with you on an outing or to rip apart your house looking for a bottle opener that you know is there somewhere, but where, your not sure and finally standing there with a chisel in one hand and a screw driver in the other and knowing that this is going to get messy….
December 6, 2008

sharon
Terrific show! I loved your guest and his stories.
qotd: I don’t like percolated or instant coffee and I don’t like screw tops and (barf) plastic stoppers. Think about it…if a wine is lying on its side the acids in liquid are leeching out not only bad flavors but some pretty creepy chemicals from the tin and plastic. And of course cork is more romantic and fun to open. It’s not just the wine but the process.
December 6, 2008

Smahlatz
QOTD : screwcap. I don’t have a problem with cork, however synthetic cork – urghhhh – it stinks, and ruins the wine.
December 6, 2008

Toni
QOTD: Cork for sentimental reasons. Plastic foam cork is probably the best way to close the bottle. It’s porous almost like a regular cork, but works 100% of the time.

I seem to prefer the stuff under the cork.
December 6, 2008

Bernie
GREAT show, Gary. Except for the fact that he’s a Pats fan, George Taber is one solid citizen. Entertaining and educational; thoroughly engaging. I’m really looking forward to his wine tours book.

Corks–definitely. The visceral joy of working the corkscrew and hearing that sound adds so much to the experience. To me it’s as much a part of the pleasure of the vino as the sniffy-sniff and the ultimate “whirl-giving”. I collect them, too–can’t do that with a cap.
December 6, 2008

SurfCityJay
AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME! I read George’s ‘Judgement’ book in ‘06… it is a MUST read for anyone who is into wine…

Also, by chance, was able to buy a few ‘04 FA Cabs to lay down a month ago… hope they age well…

QOTD: I don’t shy away from enclosure’s other than cork, but do still enjoy the nice ‘pop’ now and again… Cardinal Zin was the first I ever tried with a screw cap… still buy it…
December 6, 2008

Shawn_944
Great Show.

QOTD: CORK!
December 6, 2008

Bal H.
George was excellent.

I like corks and screw tops. Most important is what is in the bottle.
December 6, 2008

Pete G
Great show. George was thoroughly entertaining and informative. BTW I am
a HUGE Central Otago Pinot fan – ever since my first sip of Gibson Valley
I’ve been hooked.

QOTD: Screw It all the way baby. Nothing better than when you go back to
that half finished bottle a day or two later and hear that ‘Tsst’
when you open it up. Freshness garunteed!!
December 6, 2008

Oklahoma Michael
QOTD= Whatever just put a cork in it already
December 6, 2008

Jimmy T
GV, Taber put it on you today. Great personality and no shrinking back when it came to the “Giants” bucket. LOL.

QOTD: I am still a cork man. Traditional I guess.
December 6, 2008

JCN
gotta go with the synthetics because it’s the best of all worlds. the romance of popping the cork remains without the fear of crumbling.

excellent episode. i enjoy the chalone chard but find it tough to spend $20 on a bottle. to me, either drop the extra $10 on a bottle of cakebread or pocket $10 and pick up something less expensive of similar quality.
December 6, 2008

Rick D
George was a very interesting guest. May have to read his books.

QOTD: I guess I’m a traditionalist since I prefer corks for all the reasons noted by Richard Ritter. Although I don’t mind screwcap wines, if you want to drink “down under” wines you have almost no choice.
December 6, 2008

Dr. J.L. Sifuentes
Wow! Excellent interview and informative. Gary you should have Warren Winiarski on to further explain the Paris Tasting.

QOTD: I prefer cork and perhaps always will. Something about “screw caps” just doesn’t do it for me. The ritual and spirituality of umcorking a fine bottle of wine is lost in just unscrewing a cap.
December 6, 2008

JROD
Excellent show; GT was entertaining and very interesting. Can you make him a regular guest, maybe once a month? Read his first book and can’t wait for his third. As for his second, see below.

QOTD: I only want to drink wine sealed w/ cork. I feel like I am missing something without the cork…like taking away the sniffy sniff. The worst is at a restaurant, the waiter presents the wine then twists the bottle and is left standing there looking like an idiot. At that point I am almost too depressed to taste the wine. Maybe I am just too old to change, plus what would I do with my 10+ openers. As for the imitation corks, why even make the effort; just plain lame.
December 6, 2008

Barrelmonkey
I’m suspending judgment. However I slightly prefer cork because I can keep them.
December 6, 2008

Jim in Atlanta
Great show. I enjoyed reading George’s book a couple of years ago and have given it to others to read. QOTD – I am starting to lean towards the screw top enclosure lately.
December 6, 2008

Chris Bartow
Screw top. I fear that it may have issues in the long run, but I think the jury is still out on that.
December 6, 2008

wannaBconnoisseur
Great guest, fun show! GV you are doing much better at allowing your guests to talk.

Q – I like cork and screw top, but i have to say over the last few years i have gone from refusing to buy a wine with a screw top to being perfectly fine with them.