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 8, 2008

jenni
hey gary- i noticed you haven’t done a show about frappato. i’m wondering what you think of valle dell’acate il frappato (sicily)
jen
December 8, 2008

Rob B.
Great episode — George seems like a great guy.
QOTD: Still a cork guy, but had a riesling with the glass enclosure, which was pretty cool.
December 8, 2008

chukhead-ted
great episode, keep the guests coming!

my favorite closure–screwtop–i mean, come on, no corked bottles! This is the solution, and everyone has stop giving cheap looks when a bottle has a screwtop!

I read a wine advocate article today about a chateau palmer vertical tasting–and the 1961 palmer was corked! How would you feel if that was your $1000 bottle that you saved for near 50 years– corked?!?
December 8, 2008

Rani Haykal
Great Show!!!

Awesome guest. Definitely cool to see the dude who wrote California in to the wine world.

QOTD: I’ve always loved corks and will always love corks. Glass stoppers are a definite second though.

–RH
December 8, 2008

my2cents
Really liked this episode. Nice flow on this one ! Background on the guest, fun conversation, good wine. A little sports jab or two. The best guest show I have seen. (I’ve only seen about 30 episodes though)

Cork is what I know most. So I wouldn’t say they are my favorite but they are the closure I have had the most experience with. I have had a few screw tops and they seem fine to me. Easier to open on a picnic or at a housewarming when the corkscrew is still packed. I haven’t seen the others.

My question: Does a good cork lend more to a wine than just keeping it in the bottle?
December 7, 2008

Eugene
Lurker dropping first comment since my daily viewing in May. QOTD: I work in the wine service industry and love the tradition of the cork. Where will the Somms be in the age of screw-tops? Zesty early drinking whites are perfect for the screw-top, lets leave it there. I am def seeing an awkwardness with the synthetic closers and try to avoid them. There simply is nothing better than cork to age wines and they will never be completely replaced.
December 7, 2008

KAHUNA
What is great about the Jets-

No matter what bat the Giants do the Jets do something to trup them.

Plexiglass – Shoots himself
Jets- Get HI on the way to 8am practice

Giants lose to Eagles – a team with a winning record
Jets lose to the LOWLY pants off wearing 49ers

THE JETS ARE THE BIGGEST SACK OF LOSERS EVER! Only thing worse than actualy being a Jet is being a JET fan.
December 7, 2008

Chris in Tulsa
Super guest Gary!!! Loved the book! It was a great story and very educational. Really wants me to check out his new book.

QOTD: I’m a traditionalist and love the whole ritual of opening a bottle of wine with a cork. Kinda like opening up a present. That said I have no problems drinking wines with other closures as long as it’s good wine.
December 7, 2008

dkp
one of the best guests ever.

gary, you should put this guy on regularly.

peace
December 7, 2008

rick redekop
screwcap no brainer
December 7, 2008

Harry
I think screw-caps are great, but like pulling a cork as well. Synthetics are more iffy with me.
December 7, 2008

lawschooldrunk
great episode and great guest! He handled himself better than almost any other guest that I can remember.

I must say that I am for corked closure because I like the romance of it. I have never had a corked bottle before. On the flip side, I always think of cheap wines in connection with screw tops.

I also love using my really cool cork-screw.
December 7, 2008

CraigC
Great show. Interesting guy. You have stepped it up allot lately. I ordered 4 of your books one for me and three for wine friends. Ordered some of the wines from the book and we are going to have a little tasting when I give them the books for Christmas.
Love what you do and all you have taught me about wine.
Keep it up. You are more fun than tv as long as football is not on.

CraigC
December 7, 2008

Danilo
Nice guest!

QOTD: I would say screw caps. Probably because most of the wines I had were young. But I dont know the effect screw caps have on ageing… so, I cant answer.
December 7, 2008

Riche
GV,
Again A Fantastic guest and a fantastic show.
*****Keep these coming *********
I think you love these as much as we do.

QOTD:
No doubt in my mind. Bring on the Glass Toppers

Rich
UpState NY
December 7, 2008

Lawrence Leichtman
Good show. I prefer screw caps. The only wines that need corks are champagnes in my book. I have both of your guest’s books and he is a very interesting guy. I also remember driving to Chalone past the Soledad prison and up into the hills. We saw a bobcat and a coyote on the way up. The winemaker at the time was there and he gave us a private tour and tasting including barrel tastings because it was midwinter and no one was around. No one gets there by accident. Freemark and Chalone go back to my early wine days of the mid ’70’s so I have a fondness for them but they have been up and down.
December 7, 2008

Jason Monohan
Great Guest!! Nice Pick…

QOTD: I still like the cork closure, Especially because I am a chef and I like the service aspect of it tableside. But that being said I don’t think it makes a difference in the wine itself.
December 7, 2008

BobbyTiger
Normally, I can take or leave shows on which guests appear…….but George was the exception. Very informative, and the conversation was fun to witness.

QOTD. When I open a bottle, my objective is to drink it, so I normally don’t have to worry about “closure”.
December 7, 2008

Derek F.
Very very nice show gentleman!!

QOTD: I will admit I do love the romance in corks. On the other hand I feel a little more at ease with a bottle that has a screw cap, I know that I will not have to worry about that wine being corked.
December 7, 2008

Dana
great, great show. your guests are consistently interesting, but George may have been the best so far.

QOTD: the closure doesn’t matter to me. If I like the wine or am interested in it, I’ll buy it regardless of how it is sealed.
December 7, 2008

David Dadekian
QOTD: I’ve always liked the screwtops.

I can’t believe the discount Amazon has on George’s book. I’m definitely picking up a copy. Fantastic guest, Gary. Thanks, George.
December 6, 2008

Goncasurus-Rex
love the guest! cant wait to see the video. QOTD-definatly cork, I hate synthetics they make me angry! and Im not against screw caps but I dont know how I feel about screw cap aging
December 6, 2008

theemptyglass
QOTD: whatever the wine has! i almost never pay attention to it. I guess the screwcap is a little faster to open, which gets me my wine faster, that makes me a happy girl! =)
December 6, 2008

Kevin Galligan
Screwcap. The idea of losing an expensive bottle of wine due to cork issues is crazy to me. I’m fairly new to wine, and have already had 2 bottles that I was really looking forward to turn out to be bad. As a result, 70% of my stuff is from Australia. Plus, Aussie wine is really good. I’d like to try the Zork.

Cork is best for a date, however (feels “classy”, plus there’s some Freudian subconscious stuff going on there).

Synthetic corks are lame. They’re the comb-over of wine closures. If you lose your hair, embrace it.
December 6, 2008

John
Classic show!

QOTD: A big thanks to Mr. Taber for his Q and for his facinating summary of the hx of the cork/closure.