It is almost impossible to travel in Italy without discovering something historic - Italy has the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites on the planet, and there are plenty of things that UNESCO doesn't trouble numbering that are most likely more ancient than whatever you've seen before. This is a land with history.

The southern region of Campania includes the city of Naples and there are several tourist destinations, including the Greek Temples at Paestrum, Sibyl's Cave at Cumae, the Roman ruins at Pompeii and the volcanoes at Vesuvius. Holidays in Italy, whether in town or country, offer diversity, sunshine and a warm welcome from the friendly local community.

?There is more art and architecture witness in Italy than somebody could likely see in a lifetime.

It is virtually impossible to travel in Italy without seeing something historic - Italy has the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites on the planet, and there are plenty of things that UNESCO doesn't get at listing that are in all probability older than whatever you've seen before. Italy is a nation with history.

QOTD: A bottled water (con gas) at a hotel in Italy. It was so hot outside and the water was so refreshing.

Best mini bar beverage... a bottle of water. I was really thirsty.
That's about it! ; )

Great episode Gary - glad to see you carry on without Mott. Good work.

Gary!
This is an AWESOME Thunder Show! I have always wondered what you would say about mini bar wines, and you WENT there! I bow down to your dedication to Wine Library TV, and your respect for all of us who are forced to drink these wines on occaision. The show from your room...CLASSIC! Nobody works as hard as you...! Your 50 percent (working with a cold!) is every other wine reviewer's 100 percent!

Now, next show...Flip Cam From The Air! Taste airplane wine...coach or First Class - your choice! I would LOVE to hear about these! ...and your guest could be the person sitting next to you!

"Thunder Rack" - AWESOME idea! I'm gonna look for it! Hopefully you get some calls from hotels. You GO, G-Man!!

Best drink story: I love hotel loyalty programs - and the Wyndham supplies your beverage and snack choice. Everytime I check in, my room is already set up with a complimentary bottle of wine and cheese and crackers. This is a great welcome after a long commute. However, since most other hotel chains don't offer this, I call the local wine store and have them deliver good wines to my room, so I'm not forced into the overpriced mini bar Clos Du Blah's.

"Me, with a little bit of YOU, we are changing the wine world!"

Sorry, I've got nothing. I've never used the mini-bar. It's always a rip-off.

I have no mini-bar stories. Good job with the flip camera, though. I have one of those too. I have a little tripod for it.

My parents never let me have ANYTHING from the mini bar. Too expensive!

GARY!

Finally got to catch up on WLTV last night, and this episode my friend, took the proverbial cake. I was definitly detecting a hint of MacGyver action on the nose.

QOTD: A former girl scout always packs her own mini-bar.

I love this on the fly type of episodes. It shows your love for us and not ever wanting to let us down. Thank you once again for all the heart and soul you give us. QOTD: Even a mini-bar at a cheap motel is way overpriced for my tastes. Can I afford it? Easily. Is it worth the price? Never.

Weird little episode GV. I never touch anything in the minibar after being charged $12 for a bottle of 20 cashews. That wine had to have been $20.

Awesome show, would love to see short shows from minibars when your traveling....QOTD: Abita in New Orleans. Just feels so right before dinner.

QOTD: Nothing GV...can't say I've ever ventured into one...the prices just make me turn my head

Another classic episode....could have taken your word for it that you were going to spit, did not need to travel into the bathroom with you

QOTD- Ginger Ale at a resort in the Bahamas. My wife and I were sicker than a dog for tow days and the Schweppes got us through!

I travel a lot for work, so I won't knock the mini bar. On a few late-arrivals, it's contained my only dinner option. I'll say my BEST experience is champagne out of the mini bar in Vegas, because well, that means I'm in Vegas!! Who likes the short ribs at Kraftsteak?? THIS girl!

Cuenca, Spain (really all the paradors in Spain but especially this one)...Tanqueray and Tonic from the mini bar with Marcona Almonds to accompany. Everything tastes better when you're looking over a gorge from the window of a converted medieval hospital.

gary--this is an AWESOME, hardcore episode! You are so dedicated to the thunder show you even made it with the blair-witch style camera work! The camera has surprisingly good quality picture though!

Another amazing show. I loved the format but then again I work in the F&B department for a "W"onderful boutique hotel chain.

The Thunder Rack is a great idea. At my location, we went for a mixed-drinks format with a tiny 4oz shaker in the mini-bar and different bottled mixes. Pick your alcohol and your mix. Shake it yourself and enjoy.

QotD: The afternoon spent with my department heads mixing said cocktails and trying them out.

Loved this episode. Very cool, hope to see more like it.

qotd: Craziest beverage was a red bull ripoff called Mad Croc. Scary stuff.

Never touch mini-bars, I'd rather drink from the tap than pay for the premium.

A show to make a lurker come out. ROCKED! TFF! Lovd T. I never touch the mini bar. Too Cheap! rather go down to the lounge / mingle. They never have good s**t in that bar. CdP,CdR,Vac,Gig... Orange, that's where my peep's are. Unless the food calls for something else of course... Love u Gary, come to Montana and visit.

Interesting show - we all have been there.

QOTD - in a small hotel in Germany, there was a bottle of a "grower's" Champagne that was really good. Can't remember the name, just the fact that I was surprised.

a hoot of a show. I travel a lot, so the mini-bar is sometimes all I have when I arrive late at night.

QOTD: In my experience, the only good drink you can get out of a mini-bar is that last drink of the night after returning from drinking at a REAL bar...although that last drink may cost you close to your entire night's tab at the REAL bar.

yes gary i agree-that wine is shxxxxty-some people love it -always bring my own wine to the hotel-hotel wine lists are real lame!

Hey Gary

Good fun

QOTD: Never, ever drink from it, prices are too rediculas. Normaly just get some drinks on the street and drink them in the room if I feel like it ... THough I think once I had a can of lemonade when I was very hungover...

Cheers
Andrew

Oscar, I agree patxaran is amazing! That was my favorite aperitif in Bordeaux (one of the family members went to Basque country a lot, so he'd bring back goodies). Here's some more info on it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patxaran Great stuff if you can get your hands on it.

QOTD: I never get stuff outta the mini-bar. Too damn expensive. Although one time when I was stuck in Paris and staying at the Paris Hilton (insert joke here), I bought a lovely demie-bouteille of white at a grocery and drank it that night. Best unexpected delay ever!

I was just at a hotel in Portland and they had a Pinot I didn't hate. I think was called A to Z...not sure. The wine came with the room but what I got from the mini bar was not liquid, just something to munch on. Cashews. Way over priced, surprise, surprise.

BTW, I hope the Sofitel gave you a discount!

Miss you Mott!!! - Awesome job though Gary..... for a second i thought you were going to spit in the toilet!

QOTD: pretty dissapointed by the few mini-bar drinks i have had,

I love the dedication to the show Gary though I must say I always get a headache after watching, you need to polish up on your camera skillz..HAHA
I also love the fact that you will walk all the way to the bathroom to spit the wine in the sink, I laughed so hard...HAHAHA :-)

Thanks for this on location shows bro!!

Classic episode, Gary! Changing the wine world, one hotel-screw top-mini bottle at a time!

Very cool style of filming.. although some of the camera movements can make you feel a little sick haha

I think you may be on to something with the Thunder Rack.. except most hotels would probably rather you sat in their restaurant/bar than have you drink in your room.

IMO I think its great that you are posting from a camera. It more of what I like to see, shows that great programming can come out of something so simple and at the moment.

I've been watching your show in and out for the past 8 months and I've never commented anything. I'm actually drinking some wine for the first time while watching your show. I wanted to semi-answer your question of the day.

Last New Years, we went to new york. I'm from the lower east side and I don't think i've ever stepped foot in a hotel in the city. It was a nice one called the London. And their mini-bars had anything from bombay to remy to glenlivet. If I had some, I would think any of these were the best, probably the bombay. But since it was was New Years, I took your advice on Juve y Camps Brut Rose (very good by the way for the price) and some Balvenie 15 year scotch.

Hope that was a good first comment. I'll be watching your show and hopefully commenting more often.

Still in LA? I have some great restaurants (and wine friendly lists) to suggest for you. Send me a Twitter!

Wow!! Cannot believe your dedication to the show and the Vayniacs by banging out a impromptu episode from your hotel room. Great format and thinking behind that one for sure.

QOTD - Nothing stands out, though I did crack open a nice bottle of pol riche whilst chilling with my girlfriend outside out beach bure in Fiji recently. Stunning.

Great show- long time lurker first time commenter. I like that you reviewed a "grocery store" type wine. A whole episode of that might be nice in this wintry economic climate.

I'm all about the Thunder Rack-- I'd love to see you make that happen!

Best mini-bar experience was this prosecco we had on our trip to Italy last summer.

Arrived in Rome, and we were upgraded to a master suite (!!!) instead of our rinky-dink room that we originally booked. In the master suite, we received complimentary potato chips (love how the Romans roll) and the choice of one beverage in the mini-bar. We opted for the lone bottle (split) of prosecco.