A Master Sommelier From Germany Stops By To Talk Wine

A Master Sommelier From Germany Stops By To Talk Wine – Episode #605

January 7, 2009

Master Sommelier Hendrik Thoma from Germany stops by and chats wine, german wine and shows us his great personality.

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Comments on this episode(423) Leave a comment ›

“I missed the favorite song question at the end there. ,…” by Bob78
“Terrific episode. Great guest, great Bulava video tacked on at the en…” by Daria Kushmelyn
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Wines tasted in this episode:

1992 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Spatlese RieslingGerman Riesling
2007 Cartagena GewurtztraminerOther Chilean White Wine
2006 Becker Pinot NoirOther German Varieties
2006 Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling AusleseGerman Riesling

Links mentioned in today’s episode.

If you want to contact Hendrik

423 Responses

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January 9, 2009

brooke
I have to try the Chilean Gewurts I’d love to see something about Fingerlakes (central NY) Riesling, Gewurts, etc. I’m not a professional, so I would like to know if these are actually any good. Also, a newer winery here (Bloomer Creek, I think) has a pretty decent Pinot Noir.
January 8, 2009

BW
Once again, great show !

Hendik, you rock! Thanks for coming on!

GV, keep the guests coming …. any chance of getting the “Big Kahuna” himself on (RP that is) ?????

QOTD: I have bought some very good wines under $8 – wines I would score in the 90 pt range. To get to be in the “great” catagory – you need to be in the 93 or above range in my book. Just did a quick sort of the cellar database & found my least expensive 93 pts or above is the 2006 Glaetzer Wallace ( Shiraz 80, Grenah 20, 93 pts Jay Miller) for 19 bones. An extremely good deal, but over twice the target cost. I did have a bottle in Australia – Possums Vineyard Shiraz I believe – which James Halliday gave a 95 pt score to (I find he is usually a bit generous), but was about $15 Australian or just over $10 US, That is as close as I have seen. I also understand that there is some subsidies in Australia – so the price point (+ the weak Australian $ vs US $) may not be a fair comparison. Even with those factors – it still didnt make the cut.

In talks with my boss who has a vineyard & his winemaker, the TLC & extra labor – both in the field & the winery – are key in making a stellar product. This is why most stellar wines are relatively small production – they have to be to maintain the quality. Labor like this doesn’t come for free and has to be reflected in the price of the bottle.

So, I would say that in theory, yes it may be possible, but in practice, it is impossible & I have yet to see it yet. That being said – GV if you find a wine that fits the definition, let us Vayniacs know as many of us are all about QPR.
January 8, 2009

benny z
gary, you should become a master sommelier

answer of the day – grow you own grapes and make your own wine

when my wife first heard the term sommelier, she had just started waiting tables in an upscale restaurant, and she goes “what is that? french for wine steward?”
hey at least she guessed it.

and the real answer is the marques de riscal rioja rose $7.50
January 8, 2009

Kelly Goff
BY FAR one of my all time favorite episodes! Hendrik was awesome, one of the best guests, and then the video at the end sealed the deal. This is why I keep watching! And your great too Gary….

QOTD: Definitely possible, probably not easy though
January 8, 2009

Laura
I agree with Rowland above…NYC may not have vineyards….but what about The Finger Lakes? You might pour him some Dr. Frank next visit.
January 8, 2009

Mari
Bring back Hendrik! What a cool cat!

QOTD: I guess that depends on what you regard as a “good” wine — I’d think you may be able to make it, but you might not make a profit. So in that case it would never be made. Although I’ve had some pretty great wines around 12, which is still fair!

PS, AWESOME video at the end. Great job this past year. Gary, your face at the end of the Champagne episode is FREAKIN ADORABLE.
January 8, 2009

Jazzylee77
QOTD

Well sure! You’ve seen the replicators on Star Trek, right? Just around the corner, the best wines in history for $2.00
January 8, 2009

Jazzylee77
Hendrik was cool. Stop by again sometime!
January 8, 2009

impromptuwine
In my top ten favorite episodes
January 8, 2009

AbsolutLahmi
OH dang-
had so much fun, forgot the QOTD:

Yes, it’s DEFINITELY possible.
Vina Borgia from Spain, 100% Grenache, under 7 bucks! It’s all black pepper, red fruit, spice in your face!

GREAT WINE? Depends on who’s tasting it
January 8, 2009

MikeN-In-BC
WOW!!!…… Awesome guest, you have to bring him back. Great episode!
QOTD: Is there an answer??? I think that it can be done. As to why i think it can be done. If it couldn’t be done than why are we debating about it. i think if it couldnt be done than we are narrowing the art of wine like crazy.
Anyway, 2009 Wine Library has been awesome, I love the idea of your own rating system, or just screw the whole Parkerized system.
Keep it up Gary, you rock!
January 8, 2009

AbsolutLahmi
THIS SHOW WAS A BLAAAAASSTTT!!!!
Very few other episodes i enjoyed as much as this.
Hendrik has GOT to make a second appearance! Possibly the best guest yet. WOW.
January 8, 2009

dkp
this show was so fun i had to comment twice.
January 8, 2009

EternalChild
LMAO MOTT!!!!
January 8, 2009

Pablo Nyarady
Gary,

Outstanding show! – Henrik was extremely enjoyable, and there was excellent chemistry between you two… The show actually inspired me to go down to the cellar and pull out an old Riesling, which I have not done in years… Fantastic show, see ya in Boston in a few weeks… Pablo
January 8, 2009

Rowland
WHAT! Dammit Gary, when some foreigner says that New York doesn’t produce wine YOU NEED TO EDUCATE THEM!

OH MY GOD, this guy needs to take his German customers to the Hudson Valley! They would love it! Its the Rhine of America, a true New Europe.

You should have given him a Hudson Valley Traminette to try. Or how about some wines from New Paltz (Whitecliff or Adair).

Yea for real, $17 is pushing it for a bottle of wine.

ick IHOP is gross.

QOTD: yea im sure its possible to make great wine and sell it for less than $8. But the real question is can you make money selling wine at that price? on what scale? where?

NICE one Mott!
January 8, 2009

jakemachina
By far the best guest you’ve ever had on the show. Hendrik is one cool guy! Have him back every time he’s in NY!

QOTD: Yes, it’s possible to MAKE a great wine for $8, but not possible to buy one. If it’s great, why not sell it as such?
January 8, 2009

Richard Ritter
Great show, great guest, great ending. WOW! That was fun. Thanks!

QOTD: Great? No. Serviceable? Yes.

Hey Gary, Lizzy doesn’t want you to around people who are sick??? Are you not telling us something? Is there a little one on the way??? You’ve been doing a lot of baby references lately!
January 8, 2009

Justin B
What about homemade wines? I’ve just started making wine at home and I would bet you can get some wonderful wine for under $3 a bottle.
January 8, 2009

Kodi
That was a really enjoyable show.

Gary -you are doing a great job of working with your guests more and not cutting them off… thank you for taking our comments after Randall’s visit to heart!!!!

Hendrik – thank you for stopping by. It was nice to see how passionate and enthused you were just from a sniff – maybe even more animated than Mr “Sniffy-sniff” himself. Please come back again some time.

QOTD – Not in California. Maybe somewhere else where everything is cheaper. And even then not sure how sustainable it would be.
January 8, 2009

Provenzano D.
No more lurking this is my first post and I have to say that this is best episode by far!!!!! You and Hendrik have some great chemistry. Bring him back one a month for the Gary V.S. Hendrik show.
January 8, 2009

Harry
Great show once again.
I do think it’s possible to make a good, if not great wine for under $8. Cremants from Bourgogne, Ports from OZ, decent Chenins from CA all come to mind as good bottles I’ve recently had under $9, and could be even better.
Perhaps if more people embraced boxes, thereby reducing packaging and shipping costs, we’d really see a revolution. Tetra-pac power!
January 8, 2009

paul
QOTD: I have no idea. I’ve had some good inexpensive wines, but I don’t make wine so I don’t know if I could make one. (Too analytical an answer?)

To answer your chalkboard question: I love soccer. I referee soccer at the collegiate and semi-pro level. Wish I could play better, but that’s the way it is. As the saying goes: I’m blind, I’m deaf, I gotta be a ref.
January 8, 2009

Omallley
Great to see some Rieslings…(and a great guest, btw).

QOTD: The follow up question, for me, would be “How do you define a great wine”?

Are there some delicious, well made examples of wine for $8 or under? Definitely. Are these going to be wines that you can cellar for years, or will change how you think about life? Doubtful. But, of course, they might change how you think about wine…
January 8, 2009

john maki
great show, great guest & glad to see an old wine!

john