Chenin Blanc and Pinot Bianco

Chenin Blanc and Pinot Bianco – Episode #604

January 6, 2009

Gary Vaynerchuk tries 3 wines from 2 very cool and exciting grape varietals.

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Comments on this episode(192) Post a comment ›

“QOTD: Chicza made from natural latex from the Mayan rainforest, biodeg…” by richardvinifera
“ha ha ha, I cant believe you bit the bullet and chewed that gum. QOTD:…” by Dessert Wine Nerd
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Wines tasted in this episode:

2008 Mulderbosch Chenin BlancSouth African Chenin Blanc
2005 Baumard SavennieresSavenniere
2006 Russiz Superiore Pinot BiancoCollio Goriziano

Posted in Pinot Bianco, Savenniere, South Africa, Video, cabernet, california, chein blanc, review, white, wine, wines

View Comments

January 7, 2009

JayZee
Maybe this should have been the “Chenin Blanc sShow That Wasn’t”. Oh well. The last wine was at least intriguing. You are so right, though. I still have friends who insist on drinking freaking Pinot Grigio as their “go-to wine”. I can get them to try new things and even often like them, but they still fall back to the damn PG.

QOTD: Favorite gum? I don’t chew gum anymore. I suppose Juicy Fruit was my favorite.
SQOTD: No, I have never tried a Savennieres. Actually, I’ve never even heard of it.
January 7, 2009

AbsolutLahmi
Man – i could watch the last 1/3 of the show over and over. Classic GV-antics
January 7, 2009

Bryan R. Adams
Finally opened the latest issue of New Jersey Monthly. Congrats on making the list.
January 7, 2009

drew
Raiders 16 – Jets 13
January 7, 2009

Kevin K
QOTD: I used to LOVE Gatorade gum.
January 7, 2009

Pete G
I’ll be on the look out for some Bianco. Did have the 2006 Baumard and it
had plenty of acid.

QOTD: Rain speramint
January 7, 2009

Brian Barrick
I had just opened a bottle of Simonsig Chenin Blanc from South Africa when this episode appeared. Great timing! The flavor profile is similar to what you described for the Mulderbosch. Maybe not the most exciting wine, but very drinkable indeed. CB is so versatile, both in terms of food pairings and winemaking styles. I’ll have to look for a sparkling version from the Loire.

Never tried a Savennieres. I’d much rather drink Sancerre if I’m paying these prices.

I’m not a fan of Pinot Bianco (or Pinot Blanc, same grape). I do love the texture, but it is almost flavorless on my palate. In general I find the Italian style of white wines to be way too thin in both texture and flavor (there are always exceptions, of course). Never been a fan of Pinot Grigio, though I love a good Pinot Gris from Alsace or Oregon.

Haven’t chewed gum in years, but I do remember chewing a lot of bubblicious as a kid, and I’ve always been partial to the Clark’s Teaberry.
January 7, 2009

guymandude
QOTD: Extra Polar Ice, it taste like those wax lips you used to get.
January 7, 2009

Bill
CBG wrote:
“Gary’s watch is an Urwerk UR-202…”

NO WAY that is an Urwerk UR-202 – I can see hands and markers on GaryV’s watch in the still above, two features both missing in an Urwerk UR-202 which uses rotating tumblers and a guage-like swath for minutes.

A Bulova? Entirely possible – I too have a square Bulova and thought it looked somewhat similar.

Oh well, I’d better see the next episode – maybe he said what it is!

Bill the Wrist Watch Freak
January 7, 2009

Gary B
QOTD: Fruit Stripe Gum!!!!!!!
January 7, 2009

YoungDave
QOTD 1: YES I have had Sauvennieres, and I serve the 2004 Baumard in my restaurant!

QOTD 2:
Everyday: Trident White
Desert Island: Big League Chew!
January 7, 2009

KenA
Very interesting show. Even though you weren’t really feeling the first two wines, as a relative newcomer to the wine world (only turned 21 six months ago) it has inspired me to try these two different varietals. I always enjoy trying something new!
January 8, 2009

Nina
QOTD: Hubba Bubba bubblegum…remember the commercials where the guy sounded like he was doing a bonanza commercial? I used to try and chew the entire pack at once. Can we say sugar rush?

wow…I am in your age bracket and I remember buying that gum.

Back from a hiatus of teaching too much and forgetting some joys like watching you.
cheers
January 8, 2009

Sonia
Loved the show! That gum sounded gross!!!

I’ve never had a Savennieres… but I have had a Chenin Blanc, it was pretty tasty, but not “thought provoking” in the least.
My favorite gum has to be the the sour apple Bubblicious (or is it Hubba Bubba?)
January 8, 2009

Eric S.
Never tried a Sauvennieres or a Chenin Blanc for that matter. Need a little more persuasion to pick one up after some of those reviews. Impressed you tried that gum and I totally was into 87 topps, definitely the wood border.
January 8, 2009

Marco Raimondi
Hey, I love Italian Pinot Bianco; it’s usu. the best white coming out of Italia! And, it IS to be confused with Pinot Blanc (it’s the same grape). You might want to check out some of the Pinot Bianc from Alto Adige; the wines actually age and gain complexity with a few years in the cellar.

I normally get crisp apples and bread-sticks out of Pinot Bianco; the bonus is NO OAK & it loves food!
January 8, 2009

theemptyglass
QOTD1: no
QOTD2: ice breakers
January 8, 2009

Derek F
Dude that gum turned into dust..NASTY!!!

QOTD: Big League Chew
January 9, 2009

Miguel Cavalcanti
Another great show. I chew gum only when I need an emergency bicycle tire tube patch, but I popped the cork on an ‘04 Laroche Domaine aux Moines Savennières while you tried the Baumard. The dried hay on the nose was nice, and so was the slate minerality, but it was just too acidic to be enjoyable with bland goat cheese and crackers. I do have the Baumard ’05 Quarts de Chaume, the sweet version of Chenin Blanc you mentioned at the start—too bad it won’t be ready to drink until 5 more years.

I’ve enjoyed Pinot Blanc from Alsace but never had one from Italy. I recently tried an Italian Gewürtztraminer and it blew the socks off most of the Alsatian Gewürtz I’d been drinking, so I think it’s time to take your and Marco’s advice.
January 9, 2009

Jayhitek
QOTD: Juicy Fruit!
January 9, 2009

Christine
QOTD: Clove gum
January 9, 2009

Murso
GV, you are cuh ray zee! That closing was excellent. I laughed, even as I don’t know who those pictures of those people are, or what that means.!!

What I do know is that them’s three respectable, to say the least, producers.
Mulderbosch has been perennially, my fave widely available SAUV. Blanc maker in South Africa, and I’m confident that there are S.A. small/boutique producers who are much better. That S.A. practically equals Chenin Blanc makes this 87 a bit of a surprse, but I feel ya. Baumard is ‘the man’s man’ of Loire Chenin blanc, so there ya go. Finally, you said Marco Feluga, and there is no surprise that it out performs the others. Both Livio and Marco make outstanding wines, and that goes for some of the reds, too, which I’d served a good deal of in a high end Rist. years ago.

But my first infatuation with the Pinot Bianco was around twenty years ago, in the guise of Tieffenbruner’s PB Alto Adige, and that was years before the whole Pinot Grigio thing. Loved it. Remembered it.

After weeks of painful, intermittent connectivity issues, it seems I’ back again, enough to add my two cents. Happy to be back. Keep it up! over and out.
January 9, 2009

Sharon
OH, that Pinot Bianco from Friuli is totally up my alley for what I like in white wine. If you ever are able to ship to MA, there will be some sort of path grooved by UPS (or Fedex) from NJ to MA. But until then, *sigh*. I’ve had the Sauv Blanc from Mulderbosch and found it, well, overrated.
QOTD: I don’t chew gum now, but when I was in H.S., I made like a 50-ft gum wrapper chain, so I must have liked it at the time.
January 9, 2009

Pete C
Love the Pinot Bianco/Pinot Blanc, whether from Alto Aldige, Alsace, or Oregon.
January 10, 2009

Steve Spielmann
If you can spend the $, try Huet or Pinon from the Loire. Beautiful wines.
January 10, 2009

Lord Nouda
My one new years resolution is: for every episode of WLTV I watch I will leave a comment. Fair is fair.

qotd: Don’t know the brand or name, but those large ball shaped glazed ones that once you reach the centre release a fizzy lemon sugar goodness into your mouth. Awesome!
January 10, 2009

Dan-o
GV – stay away from 20 year old bubble gum. Thanks for covering Italian Pinot Bianco. I had had several from Livia Feluga (spelling?) that were awesome. I also lke the Chenins, particularly from Savennieres.

QOTD 1 – Yes I have has Savennieres and love it.
QOTD 2 – Not a big gum chewer, but liked Bubble Yum in its day.
January 10, 2009

Andrew D
Thanks Gary

Great show and good work trying to eat that gum. I’m really not a big gum fan, but my favourite is Wriggly’s ‘PK’, but that’s only becasue of the conitations that PK has in Cantonese.

Cheers
Andrew
January 12, 2009

GlennB
Yo Y,

the Savennieres was too young perhaps? I find they age like crazy.
just drank a freaky 1997 that was still a baby. I do like the SA chenins (can you say Steen?) also apparently the #1 white in S A.

I personally love aromatic floral whites so I generally like the Italians and southern french and Loire whites and Rieslings.

AS FOR GUM pass! me no likey.
January 12, 2009

Bobby
Keep doing what you are doing.
January 12, 2009

Bijan Himself
“You know what I haven’t had in a while? Big League Chew”
January 12, 2009

ev
“Granny Apple Smith”……….who’s that?

Zooming in on gum pitouey??? Well, that’s the last show.
January 12, 2009

Ray Barnes
My condolences to Chris on the Giants loss yesterday. That gum segment was funny. Very typical GV will try anything to expand his palette stuff.

QOTD: I have not had a Savennieres for a long time, but enjoy good Chenin Blanc – I prefer the Quarts du Chaume. I have no favourite gum.
January 13, 2009

ex-lurkdawg
subqotd: haven’t had one yet, but I have a bottle in the wine fridge
qotd: juicy fruit

Gary, I loved your enthusiasm for the third wine. I would also like to see you taste some better wines more often. I didn’t read all the comments, so I’m not sure if its been said or if I misunderstood, BUT it seemed like you said pinot bianco was not to be confused with pinot blanc. I believe these are two names for the same grape.
January 14, 2009

C-Lo
“like the friend that peaked in high school” – hilarious!

QOTD #1 – never had a Savennieres, but i have had some pretty good Chenin Blanc’s from South Africa….

QOTD #2 – Extra Polar Ice is very nice!
January 15, 2009

brorjace
I’ll pretty much chew any gum. That topps 87 was the first year I got into the baseball card scene, I still have a complete set somewhere in an attic.
January 18, 2009

Kristen
Speak it brother! Italian whites have almost never disappointed!

QOTD1: Never a Savennieres, but I’ve had plenty of Vouvray and other Loire whites. Yum. Chenin blanc is great!

QOTD2: Stride
January 20, 2009

Heather W
QOTD: No, no Savennieres, but Chenin Blanc from Australia that left a lot to be desired. From my childhood, definitely the zebra gum, but now I like orbit because they have all those funky flavors like mojito mint and sangria fresca.
January 26, 2009

yowens
Great show!
January 31, 2009

Maud
Hello there,

Thank you for your enthousiasm. Yesterday I drank a Savenniere from 1995 from de vinyard of Madame la Roche et file. It was very very good lots of herbs and minerals. So you see, Savenniere can be kept quite some time, more then the 8 years you mention if I understood you correctly and it only gets better. The taste is a little less between 2 and 6 years old. Less complex and mature. You can best drink is very young or leave it untill after ten years. Enjoy, Maud (Netherlands)
January 31, 2009

Dessert Wine Nerd
ha ha ha, I cant believe you bit the bullet and chewed that gum. QOTD: I was always down with regular Big League Chew.
December 23, 2009

richardvinifera
QOTD: Chicza made from natural latex from the Mayan rainforest, biodegradable too!