Super Tuscan Wines – Episode #701

July 9, 2009

Today Gary Vaynerchuk sits down with 3 Super Tuscan’s and some cheese.

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Comments on this episode(178) Leave a comment ›

“I am a fan of the STs, but they have gotten pretty pricey, as I guess …” by Dan-o
“QOTD: amazing food, amaaaazing olive oil, amaaaazing wine, gorgeous la…” by Brittany
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Wines tasted in this episode:

2005 Felsina FontalloroSuper Tuscan
2006 Ornellaia Le Serre NuoveSuper Tuscan
2005 Biserno Il PinoSuper Tuscan

Links mentioned in todays episode.

Cheese mentioned in todays episode.

Pecorino Bigio Ash
Pecorino Formagiotto

If you’d like additional help with the above item or would just like to know a little bit more, please email Justin Novello ( justin@winelibrary.com ).

178 Responses

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July 11, 2009

wayno da wino
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOA, Super Tuscans in da Hizzy!!!!!!! Can’t wait to watch
this one!!!!!
July 10, 2009

Thomas Moore
You say Tuscany….I say “I need to take a trip”
July 10, 2009

AmandaM
I haven’t commented in about 400 episodes, so it’s time.

This is a solid, classic Gary episode. I’m a big fan of the solo episodes where you eat cheese and enjoy yourself, even if the wines are less than stellar. It really reminds me of when I started watching (Summer 2007). I agree about the high price points. I’m not a CKC anymore, but I’m still on the same budget. Lower priced wines are more up my alley.

QOTD: Wines that I love. Gotta travel there sometime soon.
July 10, 2009

Robert Howells
Gary, I am an old school Vayniac (howlr5) but you have dropped a few notches for slagging “The Boss” Bruce Springsteen. I will put Springsteens catalogue of music up against Lionel Ritchie’s any day.
July 10, 2009

Rich
ok- since I went to the Jets v. Oakland AFL Championship Game, and the ‘68 season is so near an dear to my heart, I will ask you a question of the day— without looking at a book for reference, can you name the 22 starters on offense and defense for that team (feel free to email me your response).

I love Super Tuscans– I visited Antinori last summer and fell in love with both Tignanello and the Solia. I have both sitting in my basement for future consumption.
July 10, 2009

Jarvis
QOTD: Old world wines that are out of my budget.
July 10, 2009

NY Pete
QOTD … you say Tuscany, I say Brunello … I love Brunello.
July 10, 2009

RodneyStrong09
If you want to “hate” on an aging rocker from New Jersey go with that wannabe Bon Jovi and leave Bruce (a true American icon) alone. QOTD: Another place I will never visit, but hey I can drink the wine….
July 10, 2009

Lawrence Leichtman
Sienna, maybe Florence. Yeah there are a lot of Americans there but the food and wine is great, the views gorgeous and just speak Italian and ignore the Americans. Your tasting reflects my experience with Super Tuscans, some OK, some great, always expensive, kinda of like Italian women.
July 10, 2009

mike z
im with you on Bruce. Just bc im from Jersey, doesnt mean i have to worship him. give me born in the USA on July 4th and im good.
July 10, 2009

nick v
Informative episode, proves the point that when it comes to Super-Tuscans price dosn’t always dictate quality.
QOTD: Gnocchi and wild boar sauce
July 10, 2009

Joe R.
QOTD: You say Tuscany, I think…

Lightning.

I have had the tremendous pleasure of visiting Tuscany twice so far in my lifetime. My friend’s father owns a villa just north of Montalcino (where Banfi’s vineyards are located), and during two consecutive summers when I was in highschool I visited there with my parents and younger sister.

One night, after we had eaten dinner, a heavy thunderstorm in the area took out all of the electrical power in the villa. Standing in near darkness, I watched for about twenty minutes as bright flashes of lightning struck the hills all around me and illuminated the undulating landscape; it was one of the most gorgeous natural spectacles that I have ever witnessed.

Of course, when I think of Tuscany I also think of a million other things – delicious food and wine, bright patches of sunflowers, soil so rich that you almost want to eat it (I know that you would, Gary), as well as ancient cities and small towns and all of the art and history, etc. However, that brilliant lightning striking the dark distant hills all around me is something that I will never forget… it was an experience that literally “brought the thunder”
July 10, 2009

Mark Fitzpatrick
You say “Tuscany” I’m thinking…

1. Pizza Hut

2. Cat Food ad I’ve seeing

It’s ABUSE of the word Tuscany damn it
July 10, 2009

Kevin C
At those price points, hard to take a 33% success rate. This puts Super Tuscans in the special occasion category for me, and I don’t want to take a chance on a miss for a special occasion so I’ll stcik with something a know I’m going to love.

QOTD: Romantic
July 10, 2009

dc7
Bring back the Roaring Forties.
July 10, 2009

Grant
Great episode, lots of wine-directed enthusiasm, as opposed to your normal generalized enthusiasm.

QOTD: You say Tuscany, i say TOURIST TRAP! Partially kidding, but you gotta know where to go (and not go).
July 10, 2009

ben from boston
renaissance.
July 10, 2009

Kevin K
QOTD: Tomato.

This was a good episode. Seemed like “back to basics”.
July 10, 2009

Andy Wileman
Hi GV,

Nice episode. Long time lurker, will try posting more and more. I like the “gamy like Serrano ham” line. Most people don’t think of ham as gamy, but when it’s a Spanish style ham with a silky fat play. Yum.

Also – “smells like the color green”. HA! I can taste purple. Synesthesiac?

QOTD: A place I REALLY want to visit.

Andy
July 10, 2009

Jayhitek
I thought it was NJ state law to love the Bruce. Shocking observation.
QOTD: BOO!
Only because Jaime Kennedy had that movie where he was a hard core white rapper and yelled on stage, “When I saw Mala, You say BOO! Mala! BOOOOOOOOOOO!! (Malibu)
July 10, 2009

Art Insight TV
You say Tuscany — I say — Sex in a dry afternoon villa with the sea salt smell in the air. Deep black hair stuck to the side of her face from sticky sweat. Surrounded by orange and yellow-green overlaid with pale-yellowish stained curtains that for a moment wave in a Mediterranean breeze. A breeze that heightens the smell of that slow secret seduction while swaying her off to sleep. — Damn I have to bring the wifey to Italy — NOW!
July 10, 2009

Harp
QOTD: Ambivalent
1 of the Super Tuscans you tried was 100% Sangiovese(not even a blend). No reason to be called a Super Tuscan.. just write Sangiovese on the bottle.
–Harp
Register4Wine.com
July 10, 2009

Mike Alvin
Dude, that was some funny stuff. I loved that episode. For the first time while watching WLTV, when you first sprayed while talking, whistled, and called the furniture dude a hoodlum I was straight up cracking up! Great show!
July 10, 2009

Richard Arblaster
Great episode again Gary

You say Tuscany I say “does not compute”, it’s been a long week, brain is into wind down mode.
July 10, 2009

Murso
Many Italian red wines, across the entire spectrums of geography/climate, varietal, and quality, maintain evidence of relatively strong acid. For this, they can never truly be MY favorites, though I still love and enjoy scores of Italian wines from all ranges. Also, note that acids present in red wines are not the same as acids in white wines, and when you say ‘acid freak’, it’s much quicker to mind to think of the S.B.’s, Rieslings, Chards, the many 2nd and third tier grapes like Albarino, and the numerous Italo-Euro white varietals that I love to enjoy. Super Tuscans remain a loosely defined, loosely regulated, and hugely experimental category with at least as much variance in character (and quality), as they might be defined by some common, or unifying characteristics (aside from general geography).

QotD – You say Tuscany. I say Uffizi, Firenze. This is the world famous Museum/Gallery built in the 1500’s by the Medici family, and is home to many of the World’s most famous and historically important works, especially European works of the Renaissance period.

When I laid eyes on Boticelli’s grand “The Birth of Venus”, I actually cried, the beauty was so overpowering.