Discussing Cork vs. Screwcaps during a Grab Bag Wine Tasting

Discussing Cork vs. Screwcaps during a Grab Bag Wine Tasting – Episode #654

April 7, 2009

Gary Vaynerchuk and Liza “The Wine Chick” Zimmerman taste 3 totally different wines and debate the relative merits of cork and screwcap enclosures.

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Comments on this episode(254) Leave a comment ›

“GV, I really find it hard to believe that screwtop wines flavors are g…” by eharms
“I enjoy the show, and Gary’s always very entertaining. I love the Pet…” by Ben
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Wines tasted in this episode:

2007 Mythic River Sauv BlancGreek White Wine
2006 Bleasdale Langhorne Crossing Shiraz/ CabernetAustralian Red Meritage
2007 Descendientes De Jose Palacios Bierzo PetalosBierzo

Links mentioned in today’s episode.

254 Responses

April 7, 2009

Holladown
Yo First. WOW!
April 7, 2009

Slushpuppy
Yo MaMa.
April 7, 2009

Phil G
Ready for the debate – here we go!
April 7, 2009

Kevin K
Interesting. I’m partial to screw caps while I’m traveling because I don’t always have a corkscrew. Can you take a corkscrew in carry-on luggage?
April 7, 2009

Baroo
Norm?
April 7, 2009

Hinrgman
Hi Gary!

Another great episode

Like the concept.
April 7, 2009

jason
top 10
more later
April 7, 2009

jimkay
Top 10! Haven’t done that in a while. Now to watch the show…
April 7, 2009

Baroo
This lady is a little rough, trying to out knowledge GV, which is fine, but sure does have a face for radio
April 7, 2009

Beverly
Good show. Thanks.

QOTD Marula fruit. (Yes, I did google it!)
April 7, 2009

Simon A (Derby UK)
QOTD: The fruit of the marula tree.

Your pronunciation of Worcestershire Sauce made me smile today. It should really be like wuster-sher (like buster with an added sher (like her). I’ve confused you even more now haven’t I?

Great show as always….
April 7, 2009

Holladown
I found this show fascinating.

Great guest, and y’all got down to it on some good subjects.

And then I went and read up on brett. Thanks for that.

No clue on the fruit.

Cheers

Hollis
April 7, 2009

guymandude
Cool show ,great guest.
QOTD; The Marula tree fruit.To make Amarula.
April 7, 2009

Kevin K
QOTD: I don’t know. The only thing I have seen elephants eat off a tree is a sausage fruit. I saw this great video of giraffes eating them too.
April 7, 2009

Justin
This was a fun show. It’s neat to see a few wine geeks chatting it up about what they are passionate about. It was also made fun by the fact that I downed a whole bottle of Pinot Grigio this evening. This is exciting to me because I was about to give up on the Pinot Grigio. I’ve tasted several different bottles of this wine and have not liked any of them. Tonight though, I had a 2008 vintage Vigneto Campo Dei Gelsi from Brolo that was really a great bottle of wine. And I know because like I said, I finished the whole bottle. Mmmm. This makes me excited to get out and try more of the Pinot Grigio types of wine to see what else out there is as good as this one was.
April 7, 2009

Alexander
Great Episode, loved The Wine Chick. Please feature her again sometime and let her bring wines she likes.

I also really enjoyed the nerd stuff. I don’t think screwcaps harm wine that’s going to be drunk young, because I just don’t know how that would happen. Give us a little more about aeration, yeasts and the process of winemaking, perhaps with another knowledgeable guest.
April 7, 2009

Pappy Ralph
WOw another great show. Love the guest.Liza The wine Chick, really knows her stuff.

Keep up the good work.

QOTD. I had heard of the drunken Elephants before ( I googled it)but didn’t know the name of the fruit.
April 7, 2009

Paryb
I thought at first this show was clown shoes…but it turned into something pretty cool. Though I didn’t agree with some of the stuff Liza had to say, she’s the first guest in a while that actually argued with Gary…lots of guest just sit there like a deer in headlights and agree with him.

QOTD: Clown shoes.
April 7, 2009

NY Pete
top 20 … hey Liza
April 7, 2009

mrfroopy
I think that you might not be as sensitive as some to cork, like I am not so sensitive to brett or VA…I thing its 3-5% for a very sensitive person. As to your guest, Screwcap does evolve.. and the reductive argument is not valid when the wine is made correctly for screwcap.
sorry Liza
April 7, 2009

NY Pete
we know you don’t drink wine …
April 7, 2009

EP
Overall liked the episode. I was kind of freaked out by Liza’s mannerisms, but I could not turn away. It was strangely fascinating and I couldn’t help but stare at her. Trust me on this, watch it again and you will see what I mean.

Love the blind tastings. Keep them coming.
April 7, 2009

Mike Pos
Marula. Great Show! I loved how you told her what was up with corked bottles. I have had A LOT of bottles of wine and maybe 3 that I could legitimately say were tainted by cork fungus. The only fungi I want around my wine is Gary Vay-ner-Chuk. Peace.
April 7, 2009

JimChem
Great show. Your guest was a good match for the discussion on corks and corked wines. In our wine group we find more corked wines than you might expect and it is not just being “nerdy”. They are definitely corked. Now this “reduction” claim by screw cap opponents. I am not so sure about that.

Jim
April 7, 2009

ZinRiki
I agree with GV. 1/2500. 90% should have screw caps. Only a fraction are capable of age.

Got a great show. DUST!!! My first terroir love was Rutherford Dust. Kind of a cedar dusty thing. Some Russian named Tchelistcheff!!!
April 7, 2009

RANDI
GARY!!
xo
Liza’s cool… But I was daydreaming that if you ever had me as FanGuestHost, I would seem so silly in comparison! I slurp..I get excited..I love a little of everything…cork, screw cap..whatever..it all has the potential to be good! LOL

Gary, how about wines that pair well w/certain types of music!! (Afterall, wine can taste different depending on your mood and environment)

Great show..thank you!
xo
April 7, 2009

terroirist
Good show. It’s nice to see guests on you your show that know what they are talking about. I am with you Gary – I love Pinotage. A guy I used to work with (selling wine) always said it tasted like “feet.” I always laughed and said “thats what makes it good.” hahah..

aka Mike in Nebraska
April 7, 2009

Kyle
Amarula.
April 7, 2009

Chris V
First, Gary, The Browns never came back. They went to Baltimore and are still there and still suck. The Browns are a new team and the only reason my Steelers wanted them to have a team again is because we beat them up so bad every year. Go Sixburgh!

I am a cork guy all the way for the romance.

I liked the guest today, very knowledgable….kept up with GV!
April 7, 2009

jerkheadface
I’d say that I’d go halvsies on the actual number of corked wines…out of the last 500 I’ve tasted there’s been one instance where something was actually corked. There have been plenty of times when one person has said a wine was corked when it was just too funky for them, usually everyone else jumps on board due to insecurity and not wanting to seem like an idiot for calling them out.
April 7, 2009

jason
i was diggin this show. it was a little inside fun and that is fine. some opinions were thrown around and we like that.
screw caps i am warming up to for young wines. why not. i am into the romance to, but for a summer rose, why the hell not.
reduction – that is the topic i am truly lost on. i have no clue how to pick that up in a wine. maybe i have and had no idea what the hell it was.
i think the stink is good
qotd – who friggin cares and some jerkoffs did google it. now i don’t need to, i can just look at the comments. merci.
April 7, 2009

Joe Fernandez
awesome episode, now if only all your guests were this lively.
April 7, 2009

Adam J
Great show with a fun, charming guest… you are killing it this week Gary!
QOTD: Sorry, dont know how to work the google machine.
April 7, 2009

Couves
You’re right Gary, Dao is the sleeper of Portugal – I love the perfume and old world palate of the reds.

You’re also right about corked wines- they’re something of a myth and lab tests have proved this. However, I think wines do go _off_ (perhaps from mishandling?) with some frequency. I’ve had old bottles of beer that have taken on that “wet newspaper” taste, so I’m guessing screw caps would be susceptible as well.
April 7, 2009

Dr T in NC
QOTD — no clue without looking it up!

Interesting show today
April 7, 2009

drew benz
Really nice show, solid guest, and I loved the little debate/talk about corks and screw caps. I am more along the lines of Gv and think that all the industry numbers are bullcrap, things just don’t add up in the end.

QOTD – Maple Bars
April 7, 2009

Chris Nelson
Gary, love the show! I started watching after you appeared on Diggnation with Kevin Rose. My in-laws are wine drinkers and I have been looking for a way to relate with them. Your show has educated me and helped give me an understanding of wine. I am subscribed to your podcasts on iTunes and I am catching up on my iPhone. I look forward to each show and enjoy learning about new wines each time I watch.
April 7, 2009

QUE
Great show, she really knows her stuff.
I think every flaw in the wine gets blamed on the cork. But i also think 2 percent of bottles are corked. It was interesting to hear you mention brett in the same episode as corkiness because many people are sensitive to that and say the wine is corked and the offending factor is brett. I am in agreement to you Gary because wine is consumed so quickly that most of the wines can only benefit from screw caps and loose by remaining with cork, the exception, age worthy wines. Just a thought

Loved it!
April 7, 2009

sharon
Interesting smart guest and I like her putting in a plug for cork.
qotd: No idea and I can’t be bothered to Google it. I save that for crossword puzzles.
April 7, 2009

William
Great show! I appreciate the willingness of Liza to banter and disagree with Gary. For me, I think that screw caps are sufficient for most of the wines that I drink.
April 7, 2009

Per Storm
Great show – ang good discussion on cork screw cap.
Personally I agree with GV – anything that is supposed to drink 0-4 years is simply a waste of mother nature to seal with cork. There is limited cork in the world – so let’s save this for all the big reds and white – even more important for wines like Vintage Port and Madeira that are to cellar for 30+ years.

BUT Gary – please try harder NOT to interupt your guests – Liza was only allowed to end approx. every 5th sentence (I think) without you cutting her off.
It’s a bit sad – and could have spoiled a great show – luckily Liza was very good at keeping focussed and has not affected by it. She kept on manking her point.

To make it short : “GV, Ask your question – sh.. up and listen.

No offence – just a friendly advise from a great Fan of yours !

I’m looking forward to a show on great portuguese wines in near future. It’s seems obvious with the love you show for these wines.

Is’n it time for a Rosé tasting – Porgugal and Spain make excellent Rosé wines.
April 7, 2009

castello
Brett or bread? Is that a spoiled wine or what? Great guest. She knows her stuff. I think about 5 percent of wines are bad for some reason. Either storage issues or cork issues. You often say there are no good wines, just good bottles. How many corked or off wines have you had on the show? I can remember a couple and you said you usually check them before the show. If the cork people say 2 percent they would be leaning toward the low side.

I had amarula once, and it was a little like a fruity Baileys or some such.
April 7, 2009

ChrisR
QOTD: without Googling I don’t know the name of the fruit, but I know the name of the liquor is Amarula or something like that, and it seems like sort of an acquired taste, at least for me.

Do you know what else is an acquired taste: Funky wine blends, like that Bleasdale Langhorne. And I think it’s time to have an episode dedicated to some funky wine blends!!!
April 7, 2009

Cuse Wino
Great guest and great show. Nice to have someone with opinions and the experience to back it up.
Corked- Interesting discussion. Googled percentage of wine corked and came up with anything from 2-5% to 9.6 to more than 10%. I just had a corked bottle of Rosso di Montalcino (didn’t buy it at WLIB) but that was maybe the second that I have had in my short wine drinking career (5 years). Interesting to see how the wines will hold up/evolve under cork. Happy to drink my share in the future all in the name of science
April 7, 2009

castello
A friend of mine has been buying up to 12 cases a year of screw top wines. I will find out how long he’s been doing it and get him to taste the oldest with me. These are big red zins and petite sirahs from northern Sonoma and the new ones taste like they could age nicely. Is ther any data on ageing screwtops? I guess I could google it.
April 7, 2009

agriffin
Gary!!

Just wanted to say I’m a new HUGE fan of yours! I actually discovered you via the college humor guest shows and even though I could see many of your fans didn’t “get” those guests…THANK YOU because otherwise, I might not have stumbled upon all that you do…and now I’ve been watching religiously!

keep doing your thing and expanding the palate of a 24-year-old beginner wine drinker
April 7, 2009

Pittsburgh Alex
Gary-
I had could barely watch this episode today because I was white hot with anger. If there is one thing that I hate more than a Browns fan is a Fair Weather Browns Fan. His other team is the Steelers? What mental institution did this cat Peter escape from?

Speaking of Pittsburgh, could you have Mott link up information for the Pittsburgh Fallen Heroes Fund. The money goes to the families of the three officers that were murdered in the line of duty this weekend. Here is the Link to the information: http://www.pittsburghpolicefop.com/. Thanks Gary.

QTOD: Marula.
April 7, 2009

RichE
Great show, I loved the ying and yang

QOTD:
Marula fruit
April 7, 2009

Steak Monster
Awesome episode, love the discussion. It’s true that much of what I’ve learned from WLTV is brought up in off-topic discussions or random brain farts. I have never had a wine that was corked and I’m not looking forward to my first. But I don’t think I would mind a bread wine…
April 7, 2009

KenP
Superb episode! I agree w GV on brett and corked wines. The cork industry has greatly improved.

Wonderful guest. A classy, generous show.
April 7, 2009

Steve F
Great show! Awesome guest, she really knew her stuff and was true to herself throughout the tastings. I totally agree that people have bias to certain regions (and grapes) and either don’t embrace it and want to force the palate to change or over embrace it and only drink that particular grape….definitely a Catch 22.

QOTD: I have no idea and I’m not going to give some half ass, copied and pasted answer from a page I Google…not my style
April 7, 2009

Jay Campbell
Great show for me because I have a couple of tie ins. One, had my first corked wine EVER this weekend. It was crazy because earlier that day I was talking with someone about how I hadn’t ever had one and only hours later…

Two, I’m glad you did the 2007 Petalos. I had the 06 and it was crazy good. I went to a wine shop at lunch today and saw that had the 07 on the shelf. Just some crazy coincidences.

Anyway… QOTD: It’s already been answered a ton but I did know that. Thank you “Thirsty Traveller.”
April 7, 2009

Andy Price
Great show, I like how you did not back down on the screw caps, give it to em Gary. Also I was wondering, my mom cannot have sulfates but wants to drink wine with me. Are there any good wines that do not have sulfate? I appreciate the help for an old, I have been watching since episode 47. vanyack
Andy
April 7, 2009

Kevin K
I think this is one of the best episodes I have seen in the last few months. Gary and Liza acted like equals which was nice. Sometimes there is a little too much ass-kissery on the part of the guests. I truly enjoyed her banter.
April 7, 2009

M
QOTD: OH MY GOSH!! I work in a a wine shop and last week somebody told me about the fruit an elephant eats. I FORGET.

I have the 06 Petalos Bierzo in our cellar. I’ve been a fan of bierzo wine for a few years.

I had a great 05 Chehalem pinot noir that had a screw top. I like screw tops. I’m not romantic with the cork idea.
April 7, 2009

F Jackie Martling
I tried to like this episode but man she has a lot of issues with wine. California (no), Oregon (no), Australia (no), Pinotage (no), Spain (no) There are exceptions! Corks (Yes!) Portugal (Yes!) Artisanal Jerky (Yes Yes!) I don’t get how someone with her experience in wine so easily dismisses entire wine regions.
April 7, 2009

Jay
awesome episode. lol @ Gary’s response to the QOTD
April 7, 2009

Deborah
Great episode. Loved Liza. Loved your interaction.
Please add me FIRMLY to the cork team.
After spending two weeks in Portugal, and wondering through the awesome cork forests, I can’t imagine a world where screw tops replace cork.
Ecologically ALONE, we should be supporting cork. A renewable resource, cork forests help fight pollution, and provide habitate to many species.
Screw tops, on the other hand use resources and fossil fuels in their production. I’m also a supporter of the “Save Miguel” movement.
April 7, 2009

Paul in CT
Great show.

Very interesting debate regarding cork vs. screw top. Kudos to Plumpjack for taking the screwtop plunge. I can’t see how it could be a perfect seal. Soda has been going flat with screwtops for years. If carbonation can get out over time, then air can get in. It just may take 25 years to accomplish what cork can do in 7.

Whitehall Lane has been doing some pretty cool experimentation in this area. Have you seen the glass stopper that they used on the 2003 Reserve Cab? When we went to the tasting room, an assistant to the winemaker said that they were testing all kinds of materials that they believed would allow air to get in. Should continue to be an interesting debate.

QOTD – Not a clue. Won’t even pretend to know the answer.
April 7, 2009

Mr Beast
I loved the show. Having knowledgable guests really enhances the interaction, especially if the perspectives are different. Keep it up.
April 7, 2009

John Farrin
QOTD: Google says it’s the Marula tree fruit Like we all didn’t know that little factoid You obviously need to get out more Gary.
April 7, 2009

Anthony L.
Thumbs down to the screw top.
April 7, 2009

Peter
I think you better read the study that happened in Australia when they tried side by side some 30 year old screw cap and cork wine. They were the same wine and the consensus was that the wine under cork was old and leathery with some fruit flavors. The screw cap wine were clearly aged but had freshness that was missing in the cork wine. If I could remember where I read the article perhaps it was in Decanter. Drink good
April 7, 2009

Veronica Raphael
The best way to check out the flavor of wine is to add cheese or chocolate. Good topic for a future show.
April 7, 2009

rowland
uuuuuuuugh Gary I cant afford to do what you say.

lol you just got a 10 book deal and you giving away good ideas!

Ugh it “Montmorreny” sour cherry. geeze, you better get your bunz up to the Hudson Valley this summer and ill take you cherry picking.

qotd: no idea. breadfruit? jackfruit? Banana? mmmmm banana.
April 7, 2009

Caleb Sexton
QOTD: Marula. No Google required. I am that much of a trivia nerd. Plus I have a bottle of the liqueur in my fridge.

I liked the show. More technical stuff please. Don’t be afraid to go a little Sir Gary Vaynerchuk once and a while.
April 7, 2009

Chilemily
Great show today! Liza was a really informative guest.

QOTD: Hmmm I definitely don’t know, but scrolling down the page I soon found the answer!

Also, it’s about a time for a Chilean wine episode, don’t you think
April 7, 2009

Chris V
I just saw that someone else has the name Chris V on here; what are the chances?

For those who read this, here is a link and a great write up on Brett:

http://www.aromadictionary.com/articles/brettanomyces_article.html

I was reading the other posts and I to would like to see an episode on incredible Portuguese wine in the $8-$15 range. It’s out there, I just have not had a chance to introduce myself.

Great episode and now it’s time to find this so called marula liqueur!
April 7, 2009

Brenda
Re: Percentage of corked wine.

Gary,

I’m with Lisa here. I would say more like 1 in 75 but DEFINITELY not 1 in 2500.
I have not had 2500 bottles and have experienced corked bottles. In fact, I purchased a 1/2 case from a good store and 1 bottle was corked, the next wasn’t. The smell was vinegary and the corks looked different. In no way was the bottle drinkable – even after hours of breathing.

Good show.

Brenda
April 7, 2009

gomestar
Gary – I love it when you can kind of “debate” with guests over the merits of wines or techniques, etc.

On your 1 in every 2500 comment for corked wine – I’m watching all of your old WLTV episodes, and you’ve had at least 2 corked wines in your first 125 or so shows (I specifically remember the first being with a guest during a Cali cab episode, and the second being in #121, Sauternes). Just using these 2 and overestimating 5 new wines per show, this would equal out to about 1:312 wines being corked. Is this a fluke?
April 7, 2009

Taco John
The look on your face Gary when she said 5-10% of bottles were corked was priceless. It’s a look of total disbelief that seemed to paralyze your face.
April 7, 2009

Laurie in VT
QOTD: I had no clue, until I read the comments of people who looked it up. Never heard of the fruit or the liqueur before today- fun!
Liza was a great guest, very sharp. I still think cork is not as necessary as commonly thought, but she has a point from an environmental perspective.
April 7, 2009

JCN
dude….. you called your viewers jerkoffs!

I agree though, the QOTD shouldn’t have a right answer, it should spark discussion.
April 7, 2009

Elias
That woman looks like The Joker!!! look when she smiles!!!

I don’t know.. when a guest is not a “wine person”, like either an accomplished wine maker, sommellier, critic, I seem to get bored with the guest… I know I am a whingy git, but hey, this is rainy gloomy england matey!! I like when your episodes are snappy and to the point, like the one yesterday.I think when you have guests you seem to enjoy yourself too much talking about wine, and the episode becomes a bit long. Especially with guests like Liza that do not offer any really informative opinion, a 35 minute episode seems too long.

Keep it up matey!

QOTD: I only know the answer because I went for vacation to South Africa and Zimbabwe 3 years ago (when you could still buy bread in Zim…)
April 7, 2009

SCOTTYL
Gary-Great show as always_last week I had the best screw cap wine yet_It was a Felton Road 2006 Pinot Noir,have you had the pleasure yet? If not you should make it part of your New Zealand trip this year!
April 7, 2009

pete C
Go with the Wine Chick’s strength and taste the Portuguese wines. Yeah, I think up to 2% or wines with corks are tainted with TCA.
April 7, 2009

brorjace
Amarulla! I’ve watched the crazy video watching animals getting loaded on it, its awesome! Also we’ve carried it in our store from time to time. As for the cork v screwcap, I think about 90% of wine should have a screwcap or non-cork enclosure. The only wines that really demand a cork are the super high end, and they can hopfully get non-corked corks from the producers. Having had say a New Zealand Sauv Blanc in a screwcap is incredible, so much freshness! Add in ease of use, and its a no brainer for me. Also, I think the 2% of corks being corked is about right, but with corks you can also get excess oxidation/leakage, which is a pain too.
April 7, 2009

Robin C
Wonderful to have a female guest who is knowledgeable about wine and who has lots of opinions.

QOTD: I’ve had Amarula liquor – we have a friend who’s Afrikaans who let us know about it.
April 7, 2009

JB
1. Cork taint is not an absolute value, it is a gradation. It is simply not the case that a wine is or is not corked, and that if it is it is MASSIVELY corked. A wine with a small quantity of cork taint will not necessarily exhibit corked characters, but the result will be a dumbed-down, tasteless wine, leading most people to just rag on the wine instead of identifying cork taint.

2. It is poor myth that seepage of air allowed by cork benefits the aging process of a wine. 1 in 1000 times, a cork in an old wine will have done what it was MEANT to do, which is provide a near-perfect seal and prevent any exchange of gases. These are wines that have aged PROPERLY, and while having evolved in complexity, will also maintain an inherent freshness that it should have. Oxidisation, whether occuring quickly or slowly, it the destruction of the wine. It is simply a result of habitualisation that we consider an oxidised old wine to be a good old wine, mostly because most of us have never tasted a properly sealed aged wine. Those who have know.

3. Vineyards here in Australia have been experimenting with screw-cap vs. cork for 20 years now. Comparitive tastings of aged wines using both seals consistently show screw top to have kept a FAR superior result.

Sorry Gary, but I think you sounded like a patronising sommelier (or wine providor) who doesn’t give the customer’s or consumer’s palate its due credit in identifying corker wines. Sure, there are probably some wankers who might make it up to sound impressive, but they would be in the extreme minority. As I’m sure you’d agree, different palates are differently able and skilled at identifying different wine characters in differing degrees. Perhaps your palate just isn’t that great at identifying low quantities of cork taint. But don’t just assume people are making it up.

The sooner every wine in the world is under screw cap, the better.
April 7, 2009

Jade from Portland
Good show. I enjoyed the discussion about cork vs. screwtops, though i did get a little lost in the thick of it. The guest kept up with your energy level and good rapport between you two. But, GV: keep working on polishing your interview style. Still interrupting too much. We want to hear the guests finish their sentences.
April 7, 2009

BrandonP
I enjoyed the guest, she seemed knowledgable about wine. This show makes me want to drink some portugese wines.
April 7, 2009

Doc P
Loved the debate. I have no preference, but i do like pulling corks
QOTD: I have no idea. I am not an elephant and I don’t really care for liquers
April 7, 2009

Christopher Scoggin
Glad to see the interview format back. And a knowledgeable one on top! Nice random selection of wines. I added the Bleasdale to my list of wines to try.

QOTD: Without doing a Google search… First gut guess would be banana but I honestly have no idea
April 7, 2009

Dr. Horowitz
Bee Guy!!! “Ay yay yay! Naranjas en la cabeza!”
April 7, 2009

A dumb Rhine king
Did you just call me a jerk-off jack-off?

I love the cork debate. There was a bit of editing in there, you must have said something really bad.

As a consumer who has never had a “corked” bottle (bacteria, TCA, etc) pointed out to me, I can’t ever truly say that I’ve ever had a corked bottle. What would be interesting is if there were a line of wines that you could buy which were corked or have another flaw (for a very, very, very reduced cost). Imagine if wineries made that available. Granted special measures would have to be made to produce these off wines, but it would give a whole new world of information to the average consumer which would help with the negative mystery of wine.

QOTD: I had over 60 of my “jerk-off” peeps to already tell me that it is Marula.
April 7, 2009

coth in MKE
Now…this, is a good guest!

I will never get enough of industry talk.

I loved the guest, especially her honesty, but I agree with you about the cork percentage. I work in a restaurant that sells at least a hundred or so “cases” a year of cork sealed wine. We maybe send back to the distributors six “bottles” in that same time. If ever it is more, it’s coming from the same item. Which is not necessarily the cork so much as the distribution and storage through the importing. I agree further that screw tops have the pole position in protecting wine anywhere on this planet that wine is consumed in the first few years.
April 7, 2009

David Dadekian
QOTD: Yeah, unfortunately it’s a real easy Google to get to Marula fruit. That’s progress!

Great debate this episode, I enjoyed that very much. Thanks.
April 7, 2009

J Mize
QOTD: Amarula, also called the elephant tree!
Great discussion about corks and screwcaps!
April 7, 2009

pepel
great ep! I liked the corked debate and am going to side with CORK. on another note, found myself goign back some episodes and only now discovered sir gary vaynerchuk when i searched for sancerre – excited to see him come back for a guest appearance one of these days.

qotd: strawberry tree
April 7, 2009

Terence Fox
Good show, the guests always liven it up. I don’t like how Zimmerman has so many preconceptions about regions. If there are a “lot of exceptions” to an opinion you have about a region, doesn’t that tell you that maybe regions are too complex and multifaceted to base opinions about wine on?

But I have much appreciation for her being honest and making a case for her viewpoint on wine, and she’s a good critic for that. I can get value out of her writing whether or not our viewpoints are the same because she’s upfront about it.

QOTD: Something weird probably. Litchi?
April 7, 2009

Martin Oliver
Gary,

Love your show, I have been watching it since November of 2008, now I am hooked. I had lots of fun watching the beacon pairing show, good idea. One of my co-workers came across Biodynamic vineyards, specificly Bonny Doon – Santa Cruz. Gary how about doing a show specifc to Biodynamic certified wines, I hear there are alot to choose from? My “Question of the Day” is what are your thoughts on the Bonny Doon brand?

Martin from Southern California
April 7, 2009

Reese
Great show – i get more, from an educational standpoint (which is a big part of why I watch) when you have a guest and have that interplay. You clearly start talking differently. Like being in the huddle of a a good coaches team, instead of taking the ‘rookie’ course.

More guests that can hang, more interesting, topical debates.

Good times…
April 7, 2009

brendan
Gosh that Amorim are good at giving people the touch up.
Cork is history. It’s not just TCA but random oxidation too amongst other problems.
Remember that saying “there’s no such thing as a good old wine just great old bottles” . that was the cork doing that.
Australia started with screwcaps in the early 70’s with Pewsey Vale Riesling. The public didn’t take too it so they stopped it. I’ve tasted those wines at 25 years old and they’ve certainly developed, but slowly and consistently into beautiful wines while their contempories under cork are long since dead.
And don’t give me the romance thing. I didn’t feel romanced when a bottle of Cheval Blanc came up stinking of TCA. I just felt devastated and considerably poorer.
And if 1,2 3 or 10% of your product is faulty because of the seal do you think your milk or soda supplier would continue using it?
There has been extensive studies made in Australia. Here’s a link to a good article. http://www.eldridge-estate.com.au/screwed.htm
April 7, 2009

AaronB
Good episode! I like how she wasn’t afraid to disagree with you, unlike a lot of your guests.

QOTD: The thing about elephants getting drunk from marula is actually a myth. See
http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/499983?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%3dncbi.nlm.nih.gov
April 7, 2009

Ryan Neal
Hello all my thoughts on screw top are if they change to screw top there is going to be a lot of people doing mods to there cellar…..
KEEP THE CORKSS….
April 7, 2009

pawncop
Good show and good guest, she pretty well held her own. Good to see.

QOTD – no clue but will look it up.
April 7, 2009

Lurker
Amarula…not sure on the spelling…great after din drink.
April 7, 2009

CPal
Very good guest!
April 7, 2009

Richard Ritter
Love…hate…love…hate…she blinks a lot and dosen’t like to play, but Liza was a very real and honest guest, and I appreciate that.
I can’t believe you gave away your ultra secret ninja wine buying negotiating tactics on the show.

QOTD: Most of the people who posted before me got the answer so I didn’t even have to Google search at all. I’m happy Liza was prepared for the QOTD, but an open to interpretation question works best.
April 7, 2009

Chris in Tulsa
Good show. Strongly disagree about other countries such as Greece or Germany needing to make wines with friendlier labels. Maybe for the mass production kinda wines but I love the uniqueness of the different wines of other countries! I hate catchy labels! Wanna know that I am getting the real deal and not just another wine aimed at the American market.
April 7, 2009

Big Al Evans
I had the 2005 vintage of the bleasdale Langehorne Crossing Shiraz/cabernet at atomica restaurant in Kingston Ontario a few weeks ago, and thought it was FANTASTIC with a spicy pizza (hot peppers, salami calabrese). One of those blow your mind wine moments. I later tried it by itself and although it was still very enjoyable, I wasn’t blown away like I was when it was paired properly, so your bang on with your assertion that it would go well with pizza. I also agree with Chilemily, time for a Chilean episode, I can’t even remember the last time you mentioned a Chilean wine, let alone tasted one.
April 7, 2009

Mary Ann
That was a really interesting & entertaining episode! You two had fun banter.
April 7, 2009

Josh S
Great show, enjoyed the corked discussion. Now I’m thinking any wine with a cork is Wonderbra wine – not sure what I am going to get when I open it. Kind of like opening that present under the tree and and hoping its not a Giants jersey….

Guest was okay, glad she had her own opinions and held firm.

QOTD: I had no clue until I red a few comments.

PS. Big belated ups on the book deal – I think the wine world just heard some thunder!
April 7, 2009

J dubs
Great episode… so often guests are disarmed by your personality or they are intimidated by you… when that happens they turtle up a bit. Liza was an exception. I thought the banter was great, but the constant lauding of Portuguese wines was a bit much (though i agree with you i love the honesty) I wonder if anyone else would agree that she was some what the anti-Gary and i mean no disrespect in saying that. She just seems to have some very strong regional leanings that would cloud her objectivity. Again she was awesome, and you were as well sir…. These jerk-off’s are all gonna google it… so funny.
One last thought for Liza… Prostelitizing (in religion, wine, etc…) generally turns me off as it does many people… your desire for Portuguese wine to be accepted makes me think of the Swingers effect… for years someone tells you how unequivocally awesome a movie is then you see it and your like “Yeah what ever it was OK” I agree we probably over look Portugal but… the fact the wines there are good doesn’t make other wines bad… I might be a little over the top here but this was my honest reaction… again i want to stress i thought Liza was F*#@ing badass!
April 7, 2009

Alan C
This show brought the thunder! great guest, i enjoyed ever minute and all the discussion
April 7, 2009

Mary Ann
One more response- This to @A dumb Rhine king- I was thinking the same thing about wanting to have corky wine to taste so you could learn to appreciate the difference. At SXSW, at Cork & Co. (aptly named and apparently one of Gary’s haunts), my friend spotted a corky wine. The owner came over and smelled and tasted it and immediately agreed. I really believe he truly agreed (not just trying to disguise a substandard wine) We had ordered the same wine a few nights before and liked it, so my friend based his assessment on that. When the owner went to remove my glass of corked wine, I asked him to leave it and became slightly obsessed with comparing them. The difference was very subtle to me (subtle enough that I wouldn’t have independently called it). I wonder how much of the ability to tell the difference is acquired, and how much is that some people might have a naturally more nuanced palette? Gary- how much do you think is learned? Can everyone really learn? I’ve heard that some people have more taste buds than others (literally I think). Just got me thinking.
April 7, 2009

sam
Very fun show!

Nice guest, good debates. We need a cork vs. screwtop show: Same wine, different closure (like that’s possible).

I’ve had the Pétalos before. My opinion: IT ROCKS! Try opening it 8-18 hours before. Amazing difference. Very animal, rusty, meaty, wild berries…Big and respectable!

QOTD:The BAOBAB has three times as much vitamin C as an orange, 50 per cent more calcium than spinach and is a plentiful source of anti-oxidants…Yeah, that’s the one! (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/the-tree-of-life-and-its-super-fruit-869737.html)

Fun!
April 8, 2009

manonthemoon
Decent show, I can’t believe there was no talk about glass closures in that discussion. I drink all three major types, and have luckily only had 5 or so bad bottles. Of course I know a couple of winemakers who say that is 5 too many.

QOTD: Don’t really know or care
April 8, 2009

David T
Good guest- I feel like I learned so much from you two! In the two years since I turned 21, I’d guess I’ve probably popped just over 100 quarks, & I don’t think I’ve had a single quarked wine, so Gary, I’m with your %. I do love screw caps, & seem to remember a producer interview where they have been using them for near a decade and feel their wines are aging just as well as they have with quarks.

QOTD: I did have to Google it, but it looks like Marula. Want to do a repeat of episode 148 & add it to the palate?
April 8, 2009

Andy Plymale
Great exchange of ideas! And great new term for the lexicon: “artisanal jerky”!
April 8, 2009

Mike S
Nice show Gary! Enjoyed the debate over screw tops vs. corks. I was wondering if you are planning on doing anything special for your 666th episode? I know its a weird thought but it might be fun. I think you should do wines that are TRULY scary both in taste and price.

QOTD: Amarula. (And yeah, I googled it.)
April 8, 2009

Big Ben
Really enjoyed the show Gary. You two seemed to have a great chemistry so far as guests go and she definately knew what she was talking about, which I like.

QOTD: Come on Gary…that’s easy it’s the Marula fruit!…by the way where can I get my hands on some of that Amarula liqour?
April 8, 2009

Riddler
Great show today, Gary! I really enjoyed the cork vs. screw cap debate.

Question for you…will a wine that has been subjected to seasonal changes in temperature taste like a corked wine when it’s opened? How long can a wine survive in a NYV apartment where you can’t control the thermostat in winter and have no AC?

I ask because a few years back – when I lived in an apartment without air conditioning – I noticed some of my wines had a sour taste to them. I began to wonder if the 80 to 90-degree summer weather followed by fall & winter (when my apartment hovered in the upper 60s) caused the wine to age prematurely. Or perhaps the fluctuating temperature contributed to loosening the cork, so the wine became corked that way.

Thanks!!
April 8, 2009

Harry
Nice show and good debate, although Gary you did tend to domineer a bit much. Just a bit. But I liked the back and forth – great job Liz standing behind your opinions.
As a somm, I’ve seen some wineries have more 5% corked, and some be much lower, with almost never detecting a corked bottle. More common with cheaper bottles, where they are not buying top quality corks. I personally think any bottle under $50 or so should be screw capped for this reason. I always held onto the corked ones to be sure, since the TCA blooms after a few hours and confirmed (or occasionally disproved) my initial reaction.
More often though are dry or leaky corks, which trash the wine. Or even more common are mishandled bottles, especially from a few distributors who don’t take care to keep their wines under good temp controls. The last was very common from at least one major distributor, and whole palates of wines would be cooked. And few wine shops knew or cared, much less the people buying the wine who knew even less. So yes, a significant percentage of bottles are damaged and few people know, they just think its not very good wine. I’m surprised this hasn’t come up more often on WLTV actually. But that’s just my few years of experience.
April 8, 2009

shooter
I have to disagree about the 1 in 2500 bottles being corked. We tasted 15 Bordeauxs last night and 3 were corked – two of them very badly. I’ve yet to have one at home though – I must have good karma.
April 8, 2009

passthecab
amarula!!! I love that stuff, the gold rope baby!!!
April 8, 2009

craig paddock
I loved harry’s response…it reminds me of the smart people in my online classes at the university of new orleans. Harry, you are just plain wise.

great.
April 8, 2009

craig paddock
I think this show showed how Gary can in one instance be the most humble person ever (thankful for his fans that watch), and then at the same time…call his fans JERKOFFS.

Gary, I’m only calling you out; because I care about you.

Peace
April 8, 2009

JD_Jonny
Gary – I’m not sure its accurate to say that 0% of screw top wines are corked. When I was at Ampelos, Rebecca Work and I were talking about it. She said that the TCA that causes wines to be “Corked” actually occurs because of an interaction between mold that can develop in the wine and the chlorine that sometimes is used to clean corks. She said that if mold develops within the barrel or bottle interacts with chlorine that is sometimes used to clean screw-tops, then you can have “corking” of a screw top bottle of wine.

Now that is wine-nerdy…

Great show!

Jon from Denver
April 8, 2009

Don
Gary — could you do a birthday shoutout to my girlfriend Sarah Horsey on the Thunder Show Wednesday? That would be a strong to quite strong play. Thanks!!!

Cherries, beef jerky, poop, mixed it all together and eat it, haha. That is good stuff.
April 8, 2009

Alex from Montreal
Amazing Guest Gary. I think that the cork vs. screw top debate was a wicked addition to this show. I don’t know if you’ve herd about the stelvin cap but it is a screw cap that allows air into the wine for aging. A lot of New Zealand producers are using it. I think even Craggy Range in the Hawkes Bay region are rockin’ the stelvin aging screw cap. I think it would be pretty cool to do a tasting after a few years, one with cork one with the stelvin just like you suggested earlier in this episode.

Again, great episode and keep bringing the thunder with amazing guests like her!
April 8, 2009

John Hanna
Cheep wine + poor storage = high percentage of corked wines

These are the wines that need screw caps. I once opened four corked bottles in a row. Though some people guzzle it down like everything is fine.

I prefer scewcaps for 95% of the wines I drink.
April 8, 2009

malliemcg
Cork vs ScrewCap: There have been studies running for some time side by side trialling screwcap vs cork. Currently they don’t date back that far (70’s) and there is some consensus that ScrewCaps have it, the only real way to tell is to have several vintages bottled side by side (hopefully in some meaningful way – odds and evens) cork and screwcap of big high end wines and see how they develop.

As for the reductive characteristics – from what I’ve read it’s the amount of nitrogen compounds in the grapes depending on vintage/season (cooler = more nitrogen therefore more reductive action) that often blows off. There is also some research into filtering through copper piping to remove some of these compounds to prevent the wine from going reductive.

The thing is study is needed.

GV – No way in hell is it only 1 in 2500 bottles. From what I’ve seen it’s producer, bottler and cork related. Some vintages/producers seem to have “off years” and it’s definitely the TCA (wet newspaper/rotting cardboard action) as some bottles just don’t show it.
April 8, 2009

John Rogers
Great episode with Lisa. I kind of agree with you about corked wine, I have rarely had one but if you wiff it you will know. I have probably had three or four wines in the past 10 years that I concidered corked. I disagree with Lisa about screw tops. I have had wineries change to screw top from cork and have not notice any noticeable change in quality.

QOTD I have know idea and to lazy to look it up.
April 8, 2009

Kyle Bottoms
wicked episode! loved the debates, loved the discussion. It’s great when you get to feature guests who know their stuff and watching different palettes in action. keep it up Gary.

Now if only my Flames could be on their game as often as you are…

Kyle
April 8, 2009

SteveW Colorado
So far my favorite episodes are when you have the geekiest of wine geeks on…

- Henrick
- Nicolas Joly
- Lisa

I really like it when your guests are reputable, knowledgeable, and willing to disagree with you. That’s why I never want you to have me on the show – I’d just smile and nod the whole time.
April 8, 2009

rimarfish
Great episode! I really enjoyed it…
April 8, 2009

Logan
Great show, lots of juicy nerdy wine talk! Liza was fun and charming.

QOTD: Amarula!
April 8, 2009

castello
One of your old world guests said that the poop play is actually from bad or dirty wine practices. Now I read about Brett and it may have a play in this situation.
http://www.wineintro.com/glossary/b/brett.html
Maybe just dusty wine glasses… yum
April 8, 2009

castello
a good link for cork vs other closures
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=61782626387765280
April 8, 2009

Pancismo
Marula fruit, dumb question! it taste like scotch cream buzz.
April 8, 2009

Tayabunny
Really Gary, – poopy? Yeah, the bacon-y thing was a dealbreaker for me… but then the poopiness…!!! oh hell no BAHAHAHAHA Glad to have you telling it like it is tho, honestly. I hope to avoid the poopy wines best I can.

- Taylor
April 8, 2009

Andrew D
Cheers guys great show

Got to love Portugese wine …

I can’t believe you guys haven’t seen the evidence of screw-tops – what about the Pewesey Vale Reislings from the 1970s that were sealed under both cork and stelvin. Anyone in the wine media who’s tried this wines argues in favour of the stelvin sealed wines. I buy a lot of wine for long term cellaring and wine that’s sealed with a cork I would almost never buy though these are Australian wines I’m talking about and Australians are a little more enlightened about these things…

QOTD: fruit of the murula tree, enjoyed by elephants and enjoyed by us as Amarula cream…

Cheers
Andrew
April 8, 2009

Richie
Great episode again. Really interesting topic.
QOTD: I have absolutely no idea and don’t want to google it because I would rather read the answer right here coming from nice people.
April 8, 2009

RedRoss
Love it when you have guests. Love it more when you have guests that don’t fully understand what the Thunder Show is all about. Love it even more when those guest are rocking the wristband..
April 8, 2009

Helge Hagener
QOTD was easy: Marula. AND: without google!! It’s because I have family in Cape Town and they have a great liqour in South Africa called “Amarula”, which is made from Marula and tasts like a fruity Bailey’s!
April 8, 2009

BobbyTiger
Lots of good information from The Wine Chick. I do appreciate her looking for, and evaluating wines with good price points.
Gary. At times I felt I was watching cable news. You know……..
when the moderator asks a guest a question, and then starts talking again when the guest is in the middle of their response?
But hey, who am I?
Liza and you both had fun, shared a lot of information, and it was fun to watch.
QOTD- I dunno.
April 8, 2009

jack
I would love to see some high end wines with Screw caps…like a taste off of the Plumpjack cabs Cork v Screw!
April 8, 2009

J Crazy
This was a really interesting/awesome episode. It kind of illustrates the “which came first” riddle. Liza clearly has preconceived notions (as we all do) but she’s also tasted 1000s of times more wines than most of us do. So it begs the question: Are her preconceived notions born from her tastings or have those biases been around forever and influence the way she writes about and reviews wines?

Whatever the answer is I think it’s fascinating to understand that there isn’t a single wine writer out there who doesn’t have biases. So, I’m super awesomely glad she’s not all about points because at the end of the day what the hell does a 90 from RP mean? It just means that among his biases and the state of his palate that day and all the other millions of factors that go into how we perceive taste that at that time he found he liked that wine at a 90 pts for him. Gary, you always talk about this but today I think we all could clearly see how “normal” wine writers are. The only difference is how much they taste.
April 8, 2009

Chris Short
Gary,

You need to have some Michigan cherries. 70% of the worlds tart cherries (or something like that) come from MI. Get to the cherry festival in Traverse City. Lots of wine up there too in the Leelenau Peninsula (some of it is drinkable).
April 8, 2009

SoCal mike
Enough with the yakity yak already and get back to basics tasting wine. There’s more talk and promotion in each show with less wine. This lady, the “Wine Chick”was so full of it I turned you both off.
April 8, 2009

torquey
Hi Gary,

I really enjoyed this episode and thought your guest was an excellent addition to the show. I’m happy to hear the subject of TCA come up. I’m drawn to your ballpark estimate of one in one thousand tainted wines, however I think to even frame the issue in those terms is a bit of an oversimplification. It seems likely that TCA has been prominent in particular times and somewhat particular wines. My suspicion is that those touting the one in one case metric had a painful impression formed at a time when cork quality was low among wines they encountered. Although TCA might be much less of an issue in current times, they are perhaps left smarting from unpleasant experiences. One specific factor that exacerbated the TCA problem was cork bleaching; we can hope that’s now a lesson learned among cork producers and wineries.

I would suggest anyone interested in learning more about TCA investigate the George Taber book, _To Cork or Not to Cork_ as well as Grape Radio episode 182 on which Taber was a guest.

Cheers,
Torquey Marula
April 8, 2009

MaRc
Gary… was the video edited? Around the 26th minute when the debate on cark taint got hot it just changed to TCA abrubtly. Wonder what happened back there…

QOTD: no idea what it is but after reading from the comments, yeah heard of amarula cream liquer!

By the way, great show and thumbs up to the wine chick! Great synergy and discussion on a hot debatable topic and really loved both your comments on screw caps vs corks.
April 8, 2009

Zach
Good show and good debate. I was waiting for it to turn into the Dan Akroyd/ Jane Curtain “Point/Counter Point” (before your time Gary).

I respect her opionions and knowledge.I can certaily appreciate that she stood by her opinions and wasn’t easily swayed. However, I felt Liza came across as a stereotypical wine know-it-all. This is the reason many are afraid of wines and does’t encourage people to explore more wines.

Gary, stop iterrupting guests.
April 8, 2009

Zach
Sorry for the typos…..darn Blackberry keyboard.
April 8, 2009

ex-lurkdawg
I really enjoyed this guest and this episode. I do, however, disagree with Liza about cork vs screwcap. Stelvin has more than one option for the film in the cap, some of which allow for some air exchange in a similar fashion to cork. I know these haven’t been tested too much yet, but I think they hold promise and so does a respected producer in Burgundy who’s done some pretty serious testing. I think if people stop using the basic film that allows virtually no airflow, even with wines that will be consumed young, we might stop hearing about this reductive problem. Thanks, Chris, Liza, and Gary!
April 8, 2009

Sean
QOTD STRIKE…feeling lazy this morning.
April 8, 2009

Jayhitek
Good episode. Very good guest. Showed her strong and weak sides.. Gave her opinions. You guys had a good chemistry going. Bring her back for another show.
And for the whole corked thing.. I think I have only experienced 2 corked bottles in my life. And one glass at a bar.
If you look at all the bottles Gary has reviewed (and that has to be close to 2000 bottles), he’s only had one corked review on the show. And he appeared pissed when he realized it.
QOTD: Too lazy to google it.. Peanuts?
April 8, 2009

jaredlevy
Good show Gary. I think this show sums up what you’ve been preaching since episode #1: trust your own palate. It’s very obvious that you and Liza had very different palates and tastes and are both considered “experts” on wine. This is why us consumers can not simply go by the ratings of one judge or critic. Try different things, trust your palate and enjoy what YOU like.

Good show.
April 8, 2009

Chalz
When Liza started to describe her palate I was rolling my eyes but so glad to see her stand her ground and play Devils advocate. Not really, she really believes her points and in most case I do too. Funny alliance?

GV: How about a show from the Cork People’s place and you call them out? Love to see how they and you handle it!!

QOTD: grapes?? I don’t know
April 8, 2009

Scott EJ
Nice, lively debate and on-point opinions. Although, being a traditionalist who hasn’t been affected by a corked wine (yet), it’ll take more than talk to get me to change my romantic ways. It’s all part of the experience for me. Much like decanting, smelling, whirling, shloshing the wine around in my mouth, being patient with my bottles, pairing, etc, etc. I normally won’t even look at a screw cap bottle to purchase. It just lessens the experience.
April 8, 2009

BurroBoy
excellent banter…”the screwcap kingdom where they will give you candy and money”…brilliant.

QOTD: hey leave some fruit for the elephants
April 8, 2009

jigger
QOTD: No clue now that GV shamed me – my real life IQ is substantially lower than the one my internet aided persona carries around with him. This episode illustrated the effect guest and mood can have on an opinion about a wine or region. With someone else in the room saying yes / no / maybe it is, obviously, a more dynamic process where you are taken in directions with a wine you might not have gone on your own. Wine becomes so much more when its shared. Great show. Peace.
April 8, 2009

*/^_^\*
QOTD: crab apples.
April 8, 2009

Emma B
JB’s first point is precisely why so many people claim they’ve never had corked wine. If the TCA’s not in your face, then you need to drink from 2 or more bottles of the wine to be certain. It could be flat, dull, lifeless and lacking in fruit because it’s a cr@ppy wine, or because it’s actually corked. There a multiple wines out there which people will never bother buying again coz they thought they were naff, whilst they were actually just low-level corked.

And to re-iterate what several people have pointed out, it’s the cork processing that’s the problem, not the cork itself.

Far better environmentally to keep the forests. And yup, you’ll never beat the romance of a corkscrew with a screw cap. Even if a nice man from Riedel did once show me a VERY COOL trick for opening screw cap bottles – involves running the neck along your arm & back – may have to go & practise to remember how it’s done…
April 8, 2009

Russ
Great show.

QOTD: Amarula. You need to try Japanese Umeshu, that’s some tasty stuff.
April 8, 2009

dcrob
But what about the aesthetics of the cork? Not that im against screw tops, but popping a cork is kinda cool..
April 8, 2009

zestycook
WOW Great episode… such interesting stuff here – It is my first visit and I love it!
April 8, 2009

Harry
Good point Andrew D on the Aussie experiments from the 70s. Its a misconception that there is no aging potential for screwcaps, as the various liners for stevlins are very precise in the amount of air seepage, as opposed to corks which vary more dramatically. Sommelier Journal recently had a good article on the issue, but there’s obviously a large debate. I’d love for you to bring back George Taber or another expert to address the issue, as I think American buyers are far too enamored by corks, where as Germany, Austria, not to mention OZ and NZ have been won over by the clear evidence in favor of screwcaps.
As persuasive as the cork industry is, reduction is really a non-issue, since you can just decant and the sulfur notes blow off pretty quickly. A wine spoiled by a dry, leaky or tainted cork is lost forever. While there is something for the tradition of pulling a cork from a great bottle, unless the winery is investing in top notch corks, at $1.50-2.50 a shot, they should protect their wines and go with the more effective screw cap, in my opinion.
April 8, 2009

CHICAGO MARK
You gave the 2006 Descendientes De Jose Palacios Bierzo Petalos a 92+
Was there that much of a difference in the 2007. Seems like you didnt like it much.
April 8, 2009

Scottie P
Fun show. I really enjoied the Cork vs. Screw-top debate.
QOTD: I don’t like trivia questions as the QOTD. It’s pointless.
April 8, 2009

Daniel Dion
GAry,

I got a question more than a comment…..I watch your show every day and I am a lurker…I promise I will leave comments later…promise. Love the show.

I want to buy a 220 bottle wineceller http://www.vintagekeeper.com/web/new/

with the 2005 quality…i think I have to do something …we drink those wines wayyyy too young… I am into heay weights….Cahors…Madiran…bandol…

Let me know what you think…maybe a program on keeping wine for 20 years….
April 8, 2009

DrEdwardo
I bit my tongue, counted to 10, etc., swearing that I would *not* post on this topic but …

First off, let me state right off the bat, I am a loyal Vayniac, having watched every episode since #76. I respect what Gary is trying to do, how he switches things up in order to attract new wine drinkers, to expand one’s palate, to poke at sacred wine cows. (Even though some of the episodes are duffers as a consequence).

But ….

This brings me to the topic of TCA sensitivity. In clinical trials, *some* if not many people can taste TCA in PARTS PER BILLION. Others, who are otherwise very good tasters, CANNOT TASTE IT AT ALL. Given the cork industry itself, who have a very vested interest in stating otherwise, think the incidents of cork taint to be much higher than what you are stating (i.e. they think it is ~1% – or 1 bottle in 100 – see http://www.corkqc.com/currentresearch/research.htm – whereas you think it is more like “one in thousands”), you might be part of the latter group.

You constantly expound to “trust your own palate,” yet when people state that they are tasting a corked wine, you sneak behind their backs to test for TCA to prove them wrong. Which, at least to my mind, is somewhat hypocritical.

Notwithstanding this hypocrisy, Gary’s “evidence” is just anecdotal: “I had a few purportedly duff bottles tested and they weren’t off.” I have just as strong personal anecdotal evidence where I have brought back corked bottles to my favourite wine merchant, who couldn’t taste the taint, had the agents test the bottles, only to confirm my suspicion. I myself am very sensitive to TCA.

Liz was one of Gary’s best guests to date.

Liz dislikes screwcaps because of the prevalence of reductive faults. Many if not most of these can be corrected by small changes in winemaking, i.e., using less SO2. Traditional levels of added SO2 were necessary as an antioxidant for corked stopped bottles, however, those same levels are unnecessary in screwcapped bottles, given their better airtight seal, resulting occasionally in reductive faults. (High school chemistry lesson: reduction is the opposite of oxidation; having an antioxidant in the absence of air results in a reductive solution). The winemaking industry is catching on to using lower levels of SO2. The bonus is that these lower levels of SO2 will benefit those people who are sensitive to sulphides.

Many if not most of these reductive faults will either blow off with air (unlike TCA which only gets worse with air) or dropping a clean copper penny into the decanter. There is no credible cure for TCA-tainted wine.

Notwithstanding all the above, I think Gary made these statements as much to “stir things up” as anything else. As is his wont.
April 8, 2009

WineWoman
QOTD: The question should be more spontaneous–not something that can be answered by Google or an encyclopedia(in the olden days).

Still a good show overall.
April 8, 2009

Marshall
The screw cap is awesome! i don’t care what anyone says. Also, I agree that people are way to extreme about the corking thing. my estimation is that about 1 in every thousand is corked, or maybe 1 in every 2000.
April 8, 2009

Murso
Amarula liqueur – tasty stuff, but I’m not into cream liqueurs.
April 8, 2009

Johnnyutah
Great show u 2 should get together and do a Portuguese show…soon!

Cork: 1 in 12 bottles has some (even if minute) TCA or cork taint

Screwcaps: mercaptans or SO2 reduction…sulfur/rotten eggs smell that in most instances can blow off if allowed to breath

QOTD: is it loquats?
April 8, 2009

Neil
QOTD: Amarula.

I liked the banter with the wine chick – it’s fun to hear two wine geeks nerd it up once in a while.
April 8, 2009

Manny
Fun Episode! Great enthusiasm like always and honest responses from Gary. Was not digging the wine chick at all…i tried… but she didn’t appeal to me(in anyway).
“The proof is in the pudding”, and i really enjoyed Gary shutting her arguments down several times! haha!

Fun Episode but lady needs to go!
April 8, 2009

kodi
Very mixed on this show. It looked like there were two tigers on one mountain and a little competition going on – not that this is bad. But a little uncomfortable at times and did not see much chemistry between the two. So, I think she was a good technical guest but just not clicking together.

Cork… just slows down getting to the good stuff… to me I don’t care. It is the wine that is the important thing. I do not believe I have ever had a corked wine – but there again I don’t have a palette either. We currently go through about 4 bottles a week so we must be pretty lucky or the stats include a whole area of wines that we do not touch.

QOTD – who cares
April 8, 2009

Mike Best
Cool show!

Interesting discussion on screwcaps. I work in a restaurant/pub with a good wine trade. We notice about 2% of the wines are too badly affected to drink.

It may be more because some customers do not like to say, or would not notice it was cork contamination. I always give the wines a quick sniff before serving them but it is not always easy to tell from a discreet sniff from a bottle just opened.

One thing that scares me is that wether a wine has a screwcap or a cork we still go through the ritual of the customer trying the wine before serving it to the other geusts. I have noticed a disturbing and increasing trend of peole asking each other wether they “like it” as if they would want another if they didn’t like it. I am not looking forward to the embarrassing day when I have to explain that.

I’m all for the screwcap, although my bottle opener is my pride and joy.
April 8, 2009

jwink
Great guest, finally somone who knows about wine and can provide comparing/contrasting comments, and great wine chatter too.

I got a huge chuckle out of you saying you’re horrible at guessing numbers (like the jelly-beans) but ready to guess the number/percentage of bottles that are corked. I tend to agree with you as well it’s not 5% or some crazy number it’s less than less that 25 basis points (1/4 of 1% or 1 out of 400) maybe even as low as five basis points (1 out of every 2,000).

The cherries for cherry pie are called “Tart Cherries”, that’s the actual name and they come from the Traverse City area the cherry capital of the word (and becoming a great wine region as well).

THANK YOU for being prepared for the QOTD, finally an actual watcher.

It’s not the Quiz of the Day, but Question…to elicit feedback, and I didn’t know it before seeing it above.
April 8, 2009

Eugene
You killed it today. Liza is your female counterpart, wine nerd with ADD.
April 8, 2009

Eugene
by the way, I come across corked bottles often, but think putting a percentage on it is silly. If I think a bottle might be corked, but find myself digging a bit too deep I let it go. I work on the restaurant side of things and found 3 bottles of a case of Macon-Villages to be CLEARLY corked. I mean wet-wet newspaper, even you could not deny TCA presence.

My point is, so what if 1 in 100 are corked. Most of the corked wine is found at the lower end of things where corks are not given the proper treatment. 1 in 100 has NOTHING to do with high end wines.
April 8, 2009

Treb
I love wine keys. But, sometimes my wrist hurts. I like to twist off screws when opening white wines that cost less than $10.
QOTD: I want to get drunk off elephant food too.
April 8, 2009

Murso
Where’s this “Skrewtop Kingdumb” you speak of? An alley in Newark? Perth Amboy? In college, there was a girl from Perth Amboy named Cookie.
April 8, 2009

Gio
I actually liked the interaction between Liza and Gary. A lot of great classic wine debates were brought up: New World vs. Old World, Screwcap vs. Cork, and the role of brettanomyces in wine (I embrace the “poopiness” of wines, in particular, Red Burgundy).

At times, I felt like they were trying to measure each other’s wine knowledge, but without the awkwardness that sometimes follows. It’s great that Gary was unabashed in challenging Liza’s preconceived notions (e.g. screw caps, the conflict of interest of cork companies educating her on cork, “brettiness” Californian, Australian, Greek and Pinotage wines) even though there were mixed results with respect to the quality of the wines chosen here.
April 8, 2009

MikeyTheHutt
Gary,

Great guest- nice debate about corks vs. screwtops- you never told us the dark side of screwtops before!

MTH
April 8, 2009

Mary S
Hi,
I own my own wine shop. I do lots of tastings and open up lots of bottles of wine. I believe the % of “corked” wine is higher than you believe. I think it is more like 2-3%. I also believe some people are less receptive to it than others, especially men-no scientific proof, just my experience.

I LOVE your show and mostly agree with you. Just didn’t this time. Thanks for the shows and your spirit, you’re awesome.
April 8, 2009

Lawrence Leichtman
I have no clue what elephants eat that can be made into a liquour unless it is bananas. I don’t mind screw caps for short term drinking wines but if I am holding a wine more than 3 years it is cork. I have done the experiment for me and screw caps allow for no evolution of the wine so not for something alive. I have had corked wines and my experience is about 1/500 bottles based on my own tasting records. I have had people who have said Brett affected wines were corked but I keep a sample of corked wine to let them smell TCA and then they understand the difference. I am tolerant of light Brett but if it is heavy the wine is just not to my taste. She was an excellent guest and one that I hope you have back.
April 8, 2009

Lawrence Leichtman
Did a google lookup and it is Marula fruit.
April 8, 2009

Derek F
Great show you guys, loved the debate about screw tops vs cork. I agree with both of you, I love the romance in Cork but if I am going to drink the wine within 5 years I prefer screw tops…also like the quickness of screw tops.

QOTD: watermelons?????? LOL
April 8, 2009

Rizzo Tees
Wait, wait, hold on a second. Was that lady talkin’ trash about bacon?
April 8, 2009

BrianAF
Liked the episode Gary. Its fun to see your down to earth sensible approach to wine. I think Liza was a good guest. It was funny to see it dawn on her that the number of corked bottles proposed by the industry is due to wine snobbery, rather than actual corked bottles. Im not sure she conceeded the point right away, but the obvious absurdity of 1 out of 100 is apparent. Keep up the good work.
April 8, 2009

BrianAF
PS Was the show edited? There seems to be a skip. Did you pause the tape to tell her to stop disagreeing with you? Like, hey cut the wine snobbery out or your outta here! lol.
April 8, 2009

TommyB
I may be wrong here Gary but this woman seem a little nervous? Maybe she was intimidated by the Wine Library “action”!! Well she seems quite nice but a Journalist? A bit too “figetee” for my liking!
April 8, 2009

god knows
nice show and interesting guest.

it´s curious, there is possibly no other product in the world than wine, where 1 or 2% failure rate is more or less accepted. In my opinion cork is an antiquated closure. I once opened a bottle of a famous spanish gran reserva in the 50,- € range and it was clearly undrinkable because of the cork taint. It was a spoiled evening too.
Many wineries in germany or austria are using by now screw caps or glas closure, especially for white wines, to improve customer satisfaction. Some of these winemakers allege that around 30% of their wines in some way had been adversely affected by cork. Sometimes its only a lack of fruit or a certain dullness but by all means different to the wines they bottled.

ok, cork is a natural product with some favorable characteristics but its also a limited resource and we should use it only for high quality wines that want to age. All the other wines, maybe 95% of all need an up-to-date closure (like screw cap) to satisfy the demands of winemakers, merchants and customers.

btw I like portugiese wines too

greets from the ruhrgebiet
April 8, 2009

Eli
I didn’t like the guest. Annoying. I agree with DrEdwardo about corked wines.
April 8, 2009

Dan
One of the best guests ever. I really enjoyed the conversation.

QOTD: coffee beans?
April 8, 2009

John B.
Really interesting show – thought the chemistry with Liza was phenomenal. It was like watching twins What made it so interesting was that Liza was able to bring in some contrasting opinions in a pleasant and engaging way. Could really imagine her as a co-host – way to go!!!
April 8, 2009

Abi Barrett
Screwcaps are fun!!!
April 8, 2009

Alessandro
Corked Statistics MIND BLOWING!!!! 3% to 7%

I don’t know how reliable this information is but i found this on google:

A ‘Corked’ wine is a wine that has been bottled with a cork that is contaminated with TCA (2,4,6-Trichloroanisole). TCA contamination usually comes from corks but can also come from barrels, other cooperage or even, apparently, from wood within the cellar including walls or beams. The term ‘corked wine’ is applied to all wines with TCA contamination because corks are the souce of most of the problems. The wine industry estimates that as many as 3% to 7% of all wines have TCA contamination at levels that can be detected by consumers. Because most people are not trained to recognize the smell and taste of TCA, only a very small fraction of these bad bottles are ever returned to stores or sent back at a restaurant.
April 8, 2009

Micha
@DrEdwardo I agree 100%. The influence of cork is there and undeniable. The worst influence of cork is the “hidden contermination”. Meens you don’t get a clear cork taint, but the wine is somehow outoff range. There a many serious winemakers (even in Germany) who tested cork vs screwcap on a longer term. Some back to 5 Years an longer. The Results clearly speak for screwcap/Stainlesscap.

@gary: Thanks for another nice Episode. In case of the Petalos 2007 i totally disagree. I just tasted it a few days ago at the german winefair “Prowein”. One of the best wines in this pricerange tasted so far. No poopiness at all, enourmous balance, fruit, depth and structure. Just amazing for such a young wine. I thinks you nailed it with the 2006
(EP #608) but in #654 ??

Greetz from Germany
Micha
April 8, 2009

Michael Schoonmaker
Amazing show with a great guest! Forget pairing wines and food, we’ve found the perfect critic pairing!

QOTD: No idea, and I’m not going to be a “bozo” and look it up. However, please tell us the answer next episode!

By the way, I’m really pro screw-top. I think until we have some genuine empirical data it’s going to be impossible to qualify benefits and deficits with any accuracy. We can, however, start the arduous process of breaking down the irrational stigmas people have against a fine wine with a screw-top. Irrational.
April 8, 2009

Jeff R
Gary -
Now this I found to be a sensational episode. While the “wine chick” may not have been as charasmatic as other guests, I loved her knowledge of the wine industry. Your interaction and dialogue with her was great. The discussion of cork vs screw top was also great – wine geeky but great.

I really enjoyed this one. Made up for a few so-so episodes in the past few weeks.

Good job.

I never sensed your were “that high” on Portugal wines based on past episodes. Soory, I’ll have to pay better attention.
April 8, 2009

Steve E
Great episode – I like the impromptu discussion on corks.

If it’s between cork and screwtops, I’m usually happy to open a screwtop. But if I had my choice, I’d go for glass found in the Vino Seal by Alcoa. One of our local wineries – NW Totem Cellars turned me on to them and I like the fact that they’ve got with the recyclable glass version.

QOTD: I had to google it and found the marula. It looks like there are many uses for the bark of the tree too. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marula

How about we cut out the Portuguese wine talk for a while – I finally found a shop that carries quite a bit. I want to keep the prices down!
April 8, 2009

Lb in KS
This has got to be the alltime wine~nerdiest ep EVER!… which ain’t neccesarily a bad thing.
April 8, 2009

Steve
So you asked her to give a “360 second” description of herself, and then, less than four seconds later, you interrupted her. That’s why I can’t watch your shows with the guests. I guess I’ll just have to assume that you are OK with screwcaps. For the past month or so, I haven’t even been clicking on the shows with guests, but this time I tried because of the screwcap topic, but it’s just gonna have to be “solo Gary V for me.”
April 8, 2009

Ryan Mac
Gar,

I agree to the tenth degree about wine snobs and there declaring so that the entire winery can hear them that a wine they just tasted is corked. They throw around the classic terms of funky, musty, tired, etc. My wife and I will just shake our heads because we just tasted the same wine from the same bottle and could not disagree with them more. We just don’t know how to counter their sour, pompous attitude. Any suggestions? BTW, great show, best one in a while…
April 8, 2009

Leif
i only drank one dao (monteiros is the winemaker/wineyard)?!). a cuvee of tinto roriz(tempranillo) and to autochtone grapes called touriga nacional and alfracheiro for 7,70 euro and you are right its worth more than double the prize… elegant fruity nice tannins and acic – balanced and komplex good integrated oak … could be interesting in some more years (was a 2003)!

and i really like ya guest shows(only if the guests are little bit into wine/not like these collegeboys/but iam a european, iam not into this type of humor) great wishes supPORT PORTugal leif
April 8, 2009

Leif
Question: first episode with a cut … it was such a nice discussion!
April 8, 2009

Doreen
Liked the show–don’t grok the dissing on the guest. Who cares how she looks or her mannerisms–that’s just shallow. It was good to hear some give and take instead of an echo chamber.

One other thing I don’t quite grok is the screw cap “reduction” thing. How many wines come with the plastic or foil wrapper around the top nowadays? I’m not in any way informed on the issue, but my hunch would be that this drastically limits the the wine’s ability to breathe.

Synthetic corks, on the other hand…the worst of both worlds, IMO.
April 8, 2009

RobRx
Love your show, but either tell your guests to learn chemistry or keep it off the show. Your guest had no idea what she was talking about in saying that “screw caps caused reduction flavors”.

In chemistry an oxidative reaction is one in which an element(most commonly this is best understood in metals like iron where oxidation is called “rust” where atoms leave the metallic state and the metal deteriorates)loses electrons and becomes a positivly charged ion. An oxidation process cannot take place without a simultaneous reduction (a gain of electrons)process.

To say that a plastic covered screw cap causes reduction is ignorant pop science.
April 8, 2009

MBannon
GREAT episode!!! Got to be one of my most all time favoritest. The conversation really clicked, AND it was interesting. AAAaand educational. Bonus!
April 8, 2009

Leftcoast
Quite shocking that Gary can’t detect TCA very well. I see corked wines almost every day and it is absurd to think it is 1 in 2500 or whatever. The cork industry is doing a great deal to reduce this number and they are succeeding. Just ten years ago there was probably 10 times more TCA in corks than there is today.
April 8, 2009

dusanmal
A+ episode!

Personal experience is quite in agreement with GV’s estimate of corked wine distribution. In 20+ years of daily wine consumption (let’s say order of 100 bottles per year) I have literally encountered one and only one clearly corked and thus badly spoiled wine. That gives an estimate of 1 per 2000, so close to GV’s… It was so distinct that I am sure I’d get even a less prominent effect, but than as Leftcoast mentions – my senses may not be tuned into it…
Interesting side note on consequences of corked wine: Even one single corked bottle have had a significant impact. Although I rationally understand how-and-why it have happened and I rationally know that the producer is of high esteem (it was Louis Latour wine) – I never could bring myself again to purchase any other of their products. And it have been about 7-8 years since…
April 9, 2009

Al S
Interesting as always. Makes me wonder, BTW if you could do a yeast show. I’m not sure what that would entail, but if anyone can make it work it’s Gary V.

Also, there was an interesting article on Appellation America a while back (http://tinyurl.com/cbbmxh) talking about the properties of cork and whether there is any support for the idea that cork closures slowly let oxygen into the wine and allow it to age. The author seems to think that they don’t (and he thinks that it wouldn’t be a good thing even if they did let it in).

I love using corks, but I think it comes down to the same thing as everything else: Respect tradition, but don’t rest on pretension or habit as a justification for doing things. Get out there, keep an open mind and see what works. If you can really get better wine from a screw-top, a mylar bag, or a keg, do it.
April 9, 2009

YoungDave
Solid episode. GARY- I hate to disagree, but I am not 100% with you about corked wine percentages. In my experience of opening a hundred or two bottles per week at our wine bar & restaurant, I usually have to get credit for about a bottle every week or two. I smell and taste these wines myself, and not including the few bottles that are slightly off due to minor bottle variation, these one out of 100 or 200 are blatantly, truly, moldy newspaper-smelling and bitter corked! 2% IS high, but .5% or so in my experience is fairly accurate.
I DO agree, also from a buyer’s perspective, that wine reps, importers and distributors definitely over-play the “off bottle” card when the wine is simply not up to par. KEEP BREAKING WILLS!!!! ( I do the same thing and they hate it… until they realize that you’re right).

QOTD: I actually didn’t have to look this one up because I remember the Amarula liqueur that I used to serve at a dessert-centric restaurant a few years ago in Boston, made from the Marula fruit. Someone said “coffee” in the comments which I thought was a brilliant also-possibly-correct answer.
April 9, 2009

apj_bobswineguy
great great great – this girl was so real. so knowledgeable, that many of the comments above do not acknowledge that she got GV excited.
You two went back & forth on topics, debating, agreeing, skipping to other topics. Really, who else knows all those Portuguese regions????
I had to hit pause and get out the Wine Atlas! And I scored very high on the CSW. You guys didn’t even skip a beat & started debating which region was best?!!!! Great & amazing.

I have switched from following scores ( helpful if you are new to wine – no doubt) to hating them. I really doubt the 90 point score. 94 and above – for some reason, I believe that. But the exact 90 – be afraid. It could be bought. Sort of like points on a mortgage. 87, 88, 89 gets to 90 or 91 if you buy advertising or are the EU guys landlord (check that out if you follow me).
April 9, 2009

Ben
Rough guest. sorry…
April 9, 2009

A
could it be amarula??
April 9, 2009

sniffer
gary, enjoyed the guest great info shared and got a little nerdy(which is ok)

qtod..maybe you should not call the “FANS” you “CARE” so much about jerkoffs, because we might use google to answer a question. or is it the dollar you “care” so much about
April 9, 2009

Pangaea
Sorry. Had to stop it early.

Just didnt feel the guest.

Seemed arrogant.
April 9, 2009

Igor
The worst guest you’ve ever had Gary. You should of brown bagged this one.
This was a Pro-cork show. Really disappointed in the lack of information you have both not read in regard to studies on screw cap pro’s. Stelvin closures let air into the btl. in every study I’ve read?? 0.2-0.4. And people like her judge wines??People like this turn people away from wine. Classic example LOL
April 9, 2009

Diablito
For some reason a lot of the statistics on “corked wine” come not from an actual TCA contaminated cork but from a spoiled or oxidized wine. Storage and long term temperature conditions play a great role on how a wine develops.

I read a comment above from Brenda where she says that “the smell was vinegary…” This is oxidation rather than TCA.

Correct me if I’m wrong but under poor storage conditions a bottle of wine will get oxidized or spoiled no matter if it’s closed with cork, plastic or screwcap. Add to this the fact that the average liquor store does not have the proper temperature for long term storage and you’ll get an even larger number of spoiled wines.

Cheers…

QOTD: Didn’t make it this far.
April 9, 2009

Scott the ex wine dude
The last case of white wine I bought had 3 bottles that were corked. My overall experience has been something like 6-8% corked. The last few years I was in the wine business, I noticed quite a sharp increase in corked bottles, either returned by customers (and verified by me), bought for my consumption or even the sales people opening bottles to taste me on & discovering they were corked. Screwcaps have a definite place in the wine world but, unfortunately, truly age worthy wines still need corks in order to mature properly.
April 9, 2009

Smahlatz
Hmm
* It’s Worcestershire sauce – say Woos-ter-sheer
* The reduction talk wasn’t really nerdy – it would be nerdy if there was some in depth explanation – Reduction is simply the reverse of oxidation is it not? – The opposite part of the same reaction, the reduced side accepts an electron from the oxidised side. So if you get a wine with reduced aromas, surely exposing it to oxygen (decant it) will remedy the situation – this is what is referred to as smells blowing off isn’t it? I don’t know, I am not an expert. But if a reduced wines odours simply blow off, what is the problem? Also, aren’t wines slighty reduced just pior to bottling? The screwcap just maintains this state – it does not cause it, so wine makers may need to use different techniques when making wined destined for stelvin encolsures.
* Isn’t Chateau Margaux doing some experiments with screwcaps – starting with 2002 Pavillon Rouge ? It will be very ineresting to see how that comes out. I also believe there were a lot of experiments done in Australia 20 or 30 years ago.
April 9, 2009

Ivan
With all due respect, I love it when Gary just out passions and out knowledges (not on purpose I’m sure) his guests who are wine “experts” in their own right. Crush it baby!
April 9, 2009

Seattle Zin Guy
Is it just me or does this episode skip at 26:23?
April 9, 2009

OzJeff
Regarding corked bottles, in my opinion it depends on where the wine comes from and what quality. Buying cheap (but not mass produced) Bordeaux in French supermarkets I have easily gotten 5% corked, if not more. And yes, I do know when a wine is corked. On the other hand in many other regions, especially new world, I rarely have corked wines. As your guest noted, out of Spain and Portugal I often get other “defects” such as Brett or Mercaptans, mostly due to the traditional methods of wine making still in use there. People’s ability to perceive these things varies and so it can happen that some people like the wine for the added complexity the defect brings, whilst others find it off putting.

QOTD. No idea, but without Googling I’ll guess it’s Bananas.
April 9, 2009

DrDan
Across the tens of thousands of bottles that WS opens each year, they claim that 7% are corked. However, I agree with you guys, I think that the incidence of noticeable corking is much lower. I’ve only noticed corking in a few white wines; it’s generally harder to pick out in reds. Also, here is a WS video comparing a five-year old chablis bottled each way, a screw cap and cork–exactly the same bottling of the wine. http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid353549858?bclid=1527680295&bctid=1137746585
April 9, 2009

Pete B
Gary, fun show. I really enjoyed the cork vs. screw top throw-down. I agree that it doesn’t seem possible that 2% of wines are flawed.

QOTD – I decided not to google this to find the answer so I’ll just say that I have no idea.
April 9, 2009

Grapedigger
Good show guys..In my experience approximately 1% of the wines that I had were corked. cheers
April 10, 2009

Dr. Lance
As a person who lives by research and statistics, I would advise you to trust in the 2% statistic, as I am certain that the cork people have invested quite a lot in that research.
April 10, 2009

Victor
Hey Gary:
I confessed I haven’t seen your show for a while.
Sorry; too many late night “wine tastings”.
I was advised to watch this episode by many who felt it was one of the best shows you have done.
I couldn’t agree more!!
Liza was informed, funny and clearly a great match to your style.
Its great to see people who are passionate about something find kindred spirits and join in the revelry.
Both of you have clear likes and preferences and its iluminating to see highly educated, passionate wine “experts” agree to disagree and have fun and promote their views.
Absolutely terrific show!!
When can Liza return??!!
April 10, 2009

hasbeen
Great guest. You surprised me by your disbelief in the cork producer’s statistics. My experience would say a little over two percent. I asked a friend at the largest wine seller in Minnesota and he said he found it to be around eight percent.
April 10, 2009

bachus'n'ariadne
i’m with u on that one GV,the percent of corked wines is minute!but most people really just wanna show off,especially when they know u can’t argue with them;i call this ‘taking the piss’.in the UK,or in london at least,very very very few restaurants/wine bars use decanters;and when u don’t decant a 5-9 year red,specially the big boys,some of them are simply pathetic on the nose,and pipo take this as corked:i think this is ridiculous!screwcaps are for drink now wines;and i hope this doesn’t change. there’s too much propaganda on screwcaps that might bury use of corks;especially that screwcap packaging is economically advantageous for winemakers.I’ve had more wine go down my throat than rain has on the amazon,and only came across 3 corked wines,and one corked champagne;yesterday!!!
April 10, 2009

Aaron
This guest was very knowledgeable about what she liked and what it meant to her. Excellent discussion about corks, as I hear crazy stats about 5% ruined when I have yet to notice those 5%!
April 10, 2009

Sonic Paul
I’m sorry? The acid is high in Sicilian whites?
April 10, 2009

Dan Manu
Gary seems like you’ve totally changed tour tune in regard to screw tops!! Each to their own… just thought u were more of a screw top guy that’s all.
PS. Penfolds is planning on changing its premium range to screw top soon, just a thought.
April 10, 2009

Phil M
Good stuff.. Interestingly enough I was once in Cheers magazine.. There was this contest for making a drink and the one I made was put in the magazine.. lol what a great memory!!
April 11, 2009

DAveA
did I already post? busy days so took me four days to watch this all. smile. But I did!
Great hostess, she is a good talent!

Foggy Forest. A new term I must find a wine to say THAT! ha.

Good argument over assumed problems with wines. Nice debate.

QOTD: Marula or something like that. it’s yellow.
April 12, 2009

Stephen
Great guest. Have her on again.
QOTD: African or Indian elephants?
April 12, 2009

victor
Episode #654! Gotta applaud your stamina! Enjoy most shows, but over 12 minutes
before “giving it a whirl”? Little to much conversation – not enough action…
April 13, 2009

Carlitos
GARYYY!!!! Was it really news that 2% means 2 in every 100???? You were good at practical math???

That’s too funny!!!

Liza was fun if a bit close minded and pushing only Portuguese wines. A little preconceived mindset. Not liking bretty wines and liking Portugal? Come on! I find in a lot of Portuguese wines the definition of “sheep’s butt”. And that characteristic is what I find appealing in them.

QOTD. Amarula is the trivia answer. She must have been in South Africa recently.
April 13, 2009

judi
I just got a chance to watch this episode(sorry, too busy) and did anyone
reference the fact that within the past few years, there is a claim that
the cork trees are being decimated worldwide? that is why they are going to
other types of closures for wine….and besides that…2 in every 100 wines
are “corked” or corky….tnat is completely off in my opinion.
April 13, 2009

DanM
Nice show. Always like when you have guests (nothing about you Gary, just a nice change of pace), especially knowledgeable ones (that eliminates those College Humor guys).

No one can compete with Sasha as a guest though
April 13, 2009

bob c
Wow, I had to replay that cork issue a few times to understand it…..interesting discussion….
April 13, 2009

peter
Sorry …… I had a bottle with a bad screw top. I noticed it two states later driving) when, looking for something, I felt a wet on the bottle while moving it. The cap was still connected to the neck piece but upon further checking after feeling a wetness, I found that the cap and neck piece would twist around the bottle with minor effort, apparently enough that fluid can leak out. It kinda makes sense. I’m sure the machines clamping these twist caps on have to slowly wear or expand and need adjustment on occasion, due to pressure, heat, wear, etc. anyway, I don’t feel that screwcaps are foolproof.
Peter
April 14, 2009

innA
I would have thought the amount of corked wine would be about 1 in 500.

Worst QOTD of the day ever!
April 14, 2009

Matt
I was surprised by the 2% corked figure too: it’s been a long time since I had a corked wine. Having said that, sparkling wines are a different thing altogether : my wife drinks a lot of sparkling wine and I’m finding that around one in every 15~20 bottles is so poorly sealed under cork that there is no pop when you open it and the wine is virtually flat when you pour it. The remaining CO2 is enough to keep the wine fresh, but not enough to give it bubbles. I have never found that with good champagne (so maybe they’re using higher quality cork at the top end of the market) but certainly at the cheaper end ($10~20) the figures are way too high — I don’t like having to take wine back to the shop and ask for a replacement and I find I’m doing that a couple of times a month.
April 14, 2009

cyrus
Great episode gary! I love it when you have knowledgeable guests and engage in some serious debate. Finally a guest who knew the that the QOTD was coming. I loved her shout out to Angelo’s in Sonoma, great jerky.

QOTD: don’t know and won’t resort to google.
April 14, 2009

yowens
2% seems high but maybe I’m just drinking a alot of wines that aren’t meant to age and therefore rarely are corked. Or maybe I’m just not good at detecting it. QOTD: Without wikipedia I’m clueless.
April 14, 2009

Sonia
Not my favorite guest ever… she didn’t seem to be intersted in expanding palettes, kinda like an anti-Gary.
April 15, 2009

valdezvine
Great show Gary. Judi and yowens had good points about cork tree reduction (I don’t have figures) and people keeping wine too long. I’d probably guess the ratio to be about 1 in 300. But I don’t see it as a cork vs. screwcap issue. How about synthetic corks or cheaters? In my mind screwcaps are a far better option than synthetics for wines I’m going to drink within a couple of years. Flavor reduction in just a few months? I’m no expert, but I find that difficult to believe. If a wine with a cork will have a disticnt difference in flavor over that short of a time, then it may not last long anyway. Again, great stuff!
April 15, 2009

thefaamakesmedrink
Gary,

I listen to you. Now, where were we…?

Oh yes. I think that Liza ‘The Human Bobblehead’ Zimmerman would be a much better moniker for your guest. I mean, does this woman possess any neck muscles?

One more thing. Why is/was she wearing Bronko Nagurski’s wedding ring around her neck?

Regards,

Mrs. Bronko Nagurski
April 17, 2009

Iúri Almeida
Actually the answer of the QOTD is Marula. This fruit is used with some cream in the licquor Amarula (brand) and others. It is not very good in my opinion…

I didn’t like this “wine chick” she is all about herself! Gary said it right: I think most of the statments that the wine is corked or bretty are attempts of self asurance…

P.S.: Sorry about the bad english, I’m not a native speaker.
April 18, 2009

Guy Thornton
In the 90s I had a small winefarm in Wellington, South Africa. I grew grapes for my local co-op and was therefore entitled to an allowance of KWV wines at cheap price.Over the years I bought several hundred cases of small bottles (dumpies), around 250 ml, with screw caps. They were cab, merlot & shiraz. Over the years I drank several of these a day. And about one in ten/fifteen was oxydised which was about what I’d expect for a five year old (as these were) cork-stoppered bottle. So, my empirical opinion is that while screw tops are easier to open, they don’t resolve all problems. In my life I’ve been lucky in that “corked” wines have only rarely come my way. Whereas oxydised are everywhere once the wine gets a few years old.
April 23, 2009

Andrew W.
Sounds like she’s drinking the cork Kool-Aid. Wasn’t a fan.
While there is some romance to the cork, it isn’t necessary for all wines. A yellow tail that is going to be drank within its first 3 years in the bottle, has no reason to have a cork besides the novelty and romance of the cork.
April 24, 2009

Dan-o
Great guest. Very knowledgeable.
QOTD – I am not all that interested and, NO, I will not Google it because a) I am not a jerk off, and b) I have better things to do.
May 4, 2009

Cellar_Muse
A little late, but the answer of the QOTD is Marula. This fruit is used with some cream in the licquor Amarula. A neighbor of mine brought back a bottle from a business trip to Africa. We love having bottles of liquor from different areas of the globe in the bar.

Love the episode. Keep Crushin it!
May 4, 2009

JayZee
I see that there is a rather divergent opinion on the guest for this show. I had no real problems with the Wine Chick. She spoke her mind. Your opinion may vary. Whatever. I found the discussion on cork vs. screw-tops interesting, but I think Gary was way off on his “1 in 2500″ estimate of corked wine. I don’t think that it is the cork opposition statement of 5-10% or more. I don’t think it is 2%. According to a review of my tasting notes over the years, I have found 5 corked bottles in about 1700 so that is about .2% from my experience in recent years. And, yes, I do drink a lot of 10 year old or more wine.

QOTD: Stupid question – it was trivia rather than opinion. The latter is far more interesting, although at least she was ready with her question and not surprised by the concept.
May 15, 2009

Ben
I enjoy the show, and Gary’s always very entertaining. I love the Petalos, and agree it has a lot of interesting things going on. It’s a wine that improves with air, and it’s a masculine wine, very dark and earthy and brooding, but complex and full of vigor and life. It’s terrific–perhaps ideal–with roasted pork. It’s really a wine that takes time to evolve after you open it–another reason I’m a fan of traditional corks. I think this would be a different wine in a screwcap. And that’s from someone who experiences, on average, a corked bottle in every “several dozen” that I open. I would say, over time, over thousands of bottles, I get wine affected by TCA at a rate of at least 3-5 bottles in very hundred. I might go 100 bottles without seeing–though rarely–but then might get 3 out of the next 20. So it’s there, Gary, far more often than you are appreciating. Put aside “my dog’s bigger than yours” mentality, I like corks, like you, for wines I want to evolve, but you are missing some corked bottles if you think it’s only 1 in 2,500 or fewer. You’re way, way, way, off on that my friend. But I like your show.

BEN
October 18, 2009

eharms
GV, I really find it hard to believe that screwtop wines flavors are going into reduction within the first year or even two of being bottled. Wines at around $30 are going under screwcap these days – do you really think the winemakers bottling this stuff are not keeping track of their wine one to two years out? If they were to believe that srewcaps were determental why would they continue to use them? Winemakers view screwtop as a way to consistantly deliver the best product without cork taint. They use this closure on reds that are not inteded to age and for whites. There definatly is a place for cork but when wines are consumed so fast why not. The cost savings is minimal vs cork.