A Smorgasbord Wine Tasting

A Smorgasbord Wine Tasting – Episode #677

May 15, 2009

Gary Vaynerchuk tastes 4 wines that have nothing to do with each other.

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Comments on this episode(197) Leave a comment ›

“Gary,

Thanks for showing a new side of Pinotage (vs. the usual nega…” by Michael Elkin
“hi gary, i think it is good how you keep retail separate from show con…” by chukhead-ted
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Wines tasted in this episode:

2006 Dr. Frank Konstantin Pinot GrisNew York Other White
2006 Antinori Bolgheri VermentinoOther Tuscan White Wine
2007 Shoofly Chook Raffle ChardonnayAustralian Chardonnay
2006 Kanonkop PinotageSouth African Pinotage

Links mentioned in today’s episode.

The “Crush It!” announcement page

197 Responses

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May 16, 2009

mrpat56
QOTD— I would like free shipping, BUT,, I would prefer you not offer it on WLTV. I think you have a lot of credibiliy the way things are now. You need to keep the wine library retail sector seperate from WLTV. I have seen you dis wines that you say you sell a lot of, and I applauded you for that. If you start making “special” deals here, then you are corrupting the objectivity that is needed for accurate tastings. Give more free shipping at the retail web site and send them here, but don’t offer the deal here to send them to your store. We all go there anyway. Keep this site non-commercial and without conflicts of interest. We know you make your money selling wine, you sell enough to stay honest here and continue to continue to look that way, Thanks for your objectivity– keep it here, keep the deals on the wine library site.
May 16, 2009

Keith Brown
QOTD: I say NO Gary. You’ve often said (publicly) you don’t do the show to drive business to WL and I think you need to stick to that. That has earned you cred to this point and I think you’d lose more in the long run by making offers to viewers. I am a WL customer, and I get plenty of free shipping offers through the mailing list. You’ve promoted your books on WLTV with free shipping codes which I took advantage of, but I see that as more geared to selling books than wine. I’m sure you’re looking at it as more of a “gift” to viewers, not as a sales tactic, but still, your audience is savvy enough that they will shop WL if they feel like it and see your prices “are insane” or that you have stuff they can’t get elsewhere, and they will be on the mailing list and wait for those free shipping offers they can’t resist. No need to pander…
May 16, 2009

John
The flower that looks like a cat or more specifically has “cat whiskers” is the Pansy and not the Iris.
May 16, 2009

sam
Pretty in pink!

A lot of NRG there Gary! It’s nice to see…

Congrats to your bro AJ!

Good luck with the book and your future projects!

Ciao!
May 16, 2009

Sean
WOW…YOU SWALLOWED!!!! (Don’t think I have seen that EVER!)

Good pacing…kept things moving nicely.

QOTD: I would LOVE some shipping discounts. However, no matter how liberal New England is, its illegal to get wine shipped to me in Rhode Island OR Massachusetts. DAMN PURITAN LAWS!!!!! Guess we will have to stop by the shop the next time we drive down to visit my parents in Pennsylvania.
May 16, 2009

Steeler Nation
QOTD: Every once and a while it would be nice to throw the Wine Library TV crew a bone. Living in the communist state of PA where shipping wine into the state is not allowed, I would rather have a % off the normal price rather than free shipping, but that’s just me.

I like this tight four wine tasting format the best but it’s also nice to keep miving it up though.

Question for you Gary. Why do you hate the Steelers so much? They are a tuff blue collar team run by a classy family. I actually would think if Russia had a football team it would be just like the Steelers:-)

great show!
May 16, 2009

Harry
Nice show, I liked the pace for a 4 bottle review. Keeping it tight and under 20 minutes is nice. Balanced out with the more in depth single bottle episodes, and I’m happy.
I hear you on the conflict of interest, although you are very transparent about everything. Anyone who watches you knows your honest intentions, like today when you trashed a big seller in the store, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it. I don’t see any problem with a free shipping or bonus once in a while.
May 16, 2009

Mad Hatter
QOTD: YES! YES! YES! As a proud member of the CKC, I would absolutely love a free shipping code every few months. Don’t worry about being too “commercial” , wine library is a great place and everyone who has watched even a few episodes of WLTV know that you are honest and upfront with us the viewers.
May 16, 2009

mikek
Gary, Like the brisk pace,(you can chill on laid back Friday’s)LOL!

QOTD: Gary, THE reason you are successful is “you care”! (YOU just said it on CNN)! You are REAL! You bring passion & quality content; but more importantly INTEGRITY which is why I give a damn about what you have to say…AT ALL! If this wasn’t true, I’d buy a copy of Wine Spectator! haha

You have a WLTV web-site, WLTV daily offerings, facebook, twitter, midnite cinderella specials…Keep the retail, the “biz”, the free shipping and specials THERE. If people have been following you for more than 2 episodes…they know where to go for the “deals”. I respect this site for what it is NOT, a dumping ground for your inventory! You CRUSH IT by staying true to YOU and by doing so … staying true to US!

Thanks for all the effort. You have my continuing support. (and I drive 30 miles, every 4 weeks to pick-up my orders; and I live less than 1/2 mile away from 2 major wine stores, Gary’s Wines & Bottle King)! I love ya, with my heart AND my wallet! Stay TRUE man, keep it real!
May 16, 2009

Stuart
QOTD – I never like to be sold – so I’m glad you don’t do offers or deals for WLTV viewers. I liked the shows pace today.
May 16, 2009

Cameron J
QOTD – I don’t think offering an occasional free shipping would be that big a deal. It might help some people try a few more wines. I’m sure some might object and say it taints your reviewing independence, but I don’t think most of the Vaynernation would agree.

Congratulations to AJ.
May 16, 2009

Jason S.
QOTD: I agree that it does seem to cross the line with the retail side of the store, but don’t the links for each of the wines reviewed do that too – they link straight to the retail side? I think you should give show some love to the WLTV viewers and provide some specials – maybe on some of the wines you review highly so we can try them a little more easily.
May 16, 2009

ben from boston
thanks for comment, made my day.

qotd- go with your instincts, keep the education and the commerce seperate. there are already plenty of good reasons to watch.
great pace, good execution.
May 16, 2009

Hans
Great show Gary.

QOTD: I think that a free shipping/discount code every couple months would not make the show “pitchey”at all. It would definitely encourage me to try more wine and expand my palate as shipping costs are the main bottleneck for me.
May 16, 2009

Jessica Sutherland
Congrats to your little brother, Gary, from another BU alum!!
May 16, 2009

Beeper
QOTD: I don’t think you should worry about marketing the Wine Library…if you could ship to South Dakota, I would love the opportunity get free shipping once in a while or something like that.
May 16, 2009

M
QOTD: It’s your show! Plug or don’t plug, you always Crush It.

Shipping codes don’t help us in PA.

I like the fast pace. It helped me catch up. I was a few shows behind.
May 16, 2009

Josh Klein
I just returned from a driving trip through New Mexico & Colorado and to pass the time I watched about 15 or so back episodes of WLTV. Thank God for iPods and WLTV podcasts to help get me through the desert.

QOTD – I could go either way with the offers. I know that WLTV is an extension of The Wine Library, so it really doesn’t bother me that you would cross promote with a little something-something every now an then.
May 16, 2009

JOEYdaMUSH
gary, thanks for going back to your roots
May 16, 2009

DAve A
QOTD: yes. make us special. ghez… but not every day. see? oui? We are special, ugh? a little? or just fodder to your ego? hahahahaha. Kidding!

I’d like to know I got a special deal from watching this. Good show. Pinotage, sounds interesting.
May 16, 2009

Jungsenson
Pace is perfect Gary and I agree with you, keep WLTV separate from your business.

I would like to see more italian white wines (and not the buk standard Pinot Grigio)on your line up. One of my current favorites are the falaghina wines.
But there are som many grapes and wines in Italy that really need some more attention (why not a white chiavenasca from Valtellina…)

Great Show, many thanks from a rainy London
Jungsenson
May 16, 2009

Dawn S
Really like the faster pace; the more wines reviewed the better!
May 16, 2009

Terrance Young
The flower with a cat face is a pansy, I think.

The speedy yet sweet ep is good but so are the slower paced one. However you bring it is good to me, just as long as you bring it, GV.

I live in Japan so I don’t think I can order anything from Winelibrary so I’m not so interested in seeing you tie things to your show closer to the products sold at WL. Plus, the integrity thing does come into question even though I feel personally certain you will always keep it real. No reason to give the haters something to latch onto.
May 16, 2009

Zac Weiss
Great show, great wines, it’s been a while since you seemed to find wines that really made your nose give some crazy ideas to your brain. You seemed in a funny mood today; baby coming + aj graduation making you reflect?

QOTD: won’t really affect me since I’m in France, but I’ll say you should let’er rip if you feel like it. Make your offers a little personalized. If somehow you could get your ‘coupon’ to only work for certain varietals or regions or whatever, get people to try new things. You could make a learning experience out of it rather than just being ‘pitchy.’ Which would be fine as well in my opinion…
May 16, 2009

Chris Bartow
The retail store is already integrated into the site when you do the secret pack. I don’t see how giving out coupon codes is any different.

Would rather see freebies for the WLTV viewers. Use this coupon code and get a free wrist band with any order.