View Comments

1. December 3, 2009

   lou phillips

   There are many as and more agregious decisions in boxing every year. What made the Hagler / Leonard decision so offensive was that (as history has borne) Hagler was a great boxer/fighter and a man of substance (Chapallett Cab every year)and Leonard was and is…..a winery/brand rushing to produce a Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and in 2 years will switch to their passion being Chilean Torrontes if that suits the current trend. THAT is what made that decision/fix so unpalatable!! LOU

2. December 3, 2009

   oscar falcón lara

   Great second part, quite entertaining and didactic.

   Side Question: No.

   QOTD: Didn’t start with Napa Valley wines, not that into some of them still… some are good for my taste, no question.

3. December 3, 2009

   Tomo

   Great high-quality guest. The nerd banter was at a high level, and I like that he wasn’t afraid to disagree with you but that you also found common ground. Proving your point about trusting your palate, but also showing that expert palates share some objective truth.

   QOTD: Great Napa wine is not a value play, and therefore I have little experience with it.

   Off-topic request: would love to hear more about the use of sugar in wine. Curious if fruit-bombiness automatically means a wine has more sugar added. I have an unfounded conviction, that natural, un-sugared fruitiness is more elegant and satisfying than sugared (chaptilized?) fruitiness. Perhaps you could help enlighten?

4. December 3, 2009

   Cathy Fletcher

   know nothing of Napa…I don’t know how to be correct, but I’m drinking it now today…how do I know anything? Girls just wanna have fun, and after eating carroway rye and harvarti, I went to put the glass away…and I gave it one more smell. I detected carmel and I was so happy! I felt as though my nose was co-operating! So it’s Sterling 2005 Napa Valley Merlot.

5. December 3, 2009

   JeffWalnuts

   Great show, I’ve been reading Michael’s articles on Slate for some time now, and read his article on Gary (http://www.slate.com/id/2171517/) right at the same time I started watching him on WLTV… great to see Michael in person.

   Currently done with Napa cabs, was definitley stuck for a while with BV especially.

6. December 4, 2009

   mjr

   GREAT GUEST. I LIKE MIKE. BRING HIM BACK.

   MIKE RUSSELL
   TOKYO

7. December 4, 2009

   DAveA

   I do NOT ask for NAPA or any appellation – with a massive amount of wines on the market – I think most are like me – they explore and seek out – not just buy the same bottle each time. In fact, I explore so often, sometimes I forget what I had 6 months ago. Not worth writing down, as I am a seeker, not just a sipper.

   Very good show. nice intelligent talk. He seems biased to NAPA like most French dudes are about France wines. hmm. (did I say I was a seeker?)

   QOTD: Napa – I am not buying much from Napa these days. Too many other interesting places. sorry

8. December 4, 2009

   BurroBoy

   Guys! Thanks so much for the nitty gritty discussion of the guts of the wine industry in France…wine biz nerdism!

9. December 4, 2009

   BurroBoy

   QOTD: Won’t necessarily kick a Napa out of the glass, but just don’t go looking for it…

10. December 4, 2009

    BurroBoy

    the beuajolais blanc…sur lie?

11. December 4, 2009

    BurroBoy

    the BEAST MUGABE!

12. December 4, 2009

    k-9 cop

    Good episode with a great knowledgeable guest. Marvelous Marvin Hagler one of my all time favorites! Big ups on the boxing banter.

    QOTD:Napa is like an great ex girlfriend. You may eventually move on but you sure don’t mind revisiting now & again!

13. December 4, 2009

    RieslingRich

    YES, started with Napa, live in Calif. But now its alot about Europe.
    Germans make the best whites!!

14. December 4, 2009

    Alex from Montreal

    Gary, I never go into a liquor store or wine store and ask for napa or califorinian stuff. No on Napa

    As for the QOTD. I started in France, I moved to Italy, and I am back to France. The thing is when I went and toured the wineries in Napa I found a lot of stuff just tasted the same, it was like, ugh, this is a cali cab, BORING, this is a Cali Chard BORING, there were only a few producers that cought my eye. I think I also spent a lot of time in Sonoma so I appologise if I ream off names from both places but Californian wines in general a lot were bland and boring but Hess, Shug, Benziger, Frogs Leap these guys really wow’d me.

15. December 4, 2009

    SS Chris

    What a great guy Michael is. And Gary, you should have given him some more props for his slate article. I remember it clearly that is was really one of the first articles that really “GOT” what you were all about. There were many naysayers back then and it was before you really exploded….and his article really nailed the true essence of you and WLTV. I remember you and emailing about just that point at the time. Great, great show…..and that WAS great and unexpected that he knew about boxing.

    KaD

16. December 5, 2009

    Demeko

    I work PT @ a wine store and unfortunately we do get quite a bit of people that will come in and ask for wines out of Napa, Sonoma, etc. I have always thought that was kind of strange. Mostly it is people that have just visited that specific area. So I will ask if they are looking for a specific vineyard. A common response is ” It doesn’t really matter just something from Napa or Burgundy etc… SAD!

17. December 5, 2009

    mjr

    ANOTHER GREAT GUEST. A REALLY NICE & KNOWLEDGEABLE GUY.

    QOTD: I LIKE NAPA CABS & WOULD LIKE TO DRINK MORE OF THEM.

    I LOVE HEARING ABOUT QUALITY/VALUE PLACES LIKE BEAUJOLAIS CRU.

    AS ALWAYS, MANY THANKS.

    MIKE
    TOKYO

18. December 5, 2009

    Mike in C-town

    I didn’t start with Napa and it is only 10% of my stash.

19. December 5, 2009

    Chris Maloy

    QOTD: I did start with Napa and I still really love the Napa Sonoma wines. With that said, I enjoy the variety, flavors, and experiences from other parts of the world as well, so technically I am still with Napa (and agree they are a bit overpriced) but I have expanded my palate.

20. December 5, 2009

    Nick G

    QOTD: I started out with a little of everything, and now I’m like a boxer with wine. I float and move all the time. I’ve been doing Napa recently (after a trip to napa this summer), because of it’s drink now pleasantness, but when I find a nice Chinon or Amarone it’s hard to be displeased. Who knows where I’ll go next with my palate.

21. December 5, 2009

    Weston

    really good episode like the guest and both the interaction

    qotd: Being a Canadian you don’t start up with napa, maybe get there because of the price. Big French Drinker here but its at a better price then *cough* napa

22. December 6, 2009

    J Crazy

    Haven’t asked for a Napan in many many moons.

    QOTD: didn’t start out with Napa and really only drink it when I go to wine events or when I’m cruising around the wine country when I’m home. I’m huge into Bordeaux white these days. The 2007 Ch. Guiraud Le G de is freaking amazing.

23. December 7, 2009

    Don Simpson

    QOTD: No, I’ve been focusing on better value plays. A good friend of mine is getting married at V Sattui on 4th of July so I’m going to drink a ton of the 2007 vintage so I can really give Napa a try.

24. December 9, 2009

    wyld

    Nice show, like boxing, love a little football action, Go Saints!

    QOTD: NAPA = Overpriced Cab. That’s my thinking, if i see it great, but the places seem less meaningful lately. Like Bordeaux, ive had some that are not great.

    So you try to find what you like, House’s that you have grown to love and know they put a bottle together you like, or maybe a place/year/variety that you know can’t be screwed up.

25. December 14, 2009

    JayZee

    Very good, interesting discussions on the wine industry. In fact, the episode was great until the boxing riff which pretty much lost me as I am not a boxing fan. Still, all in all, good episode and an interesting guest.

    Side Question: No, I don’t ever go into a wine shop and ask for the “Napa wines” or the “Napa cabs”. I certainly do drink them from time to time and enjoy a great many of them.

    QOTD: I started out with Beaujolais as my first “serious” wine. I’ve done a lot of business travel to France and that’s where I really began getting into wine. Eventually I tried Napa wines, especially cabs, and did really like some. The pinnacle was probably back in 2001 when we made or first trip out to Napa and Sonoma where we tasted lots of wines and I did fall in love with a few. But my tastes are too diverse to just look for “Napa wine”.

26. December 15, 2009

    LurkerNoMore

    QOTD: Was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area so, yes, I started out with Napa…but have moved on. Napa has become too expensive for what you get. Central Coast offers better California value. When I really want to go big now, I go to CDP…not Napa.

27. December 24, 2009

    bigsemi

    Will always but love Napa, but I’m definitely more about Italy now.

28. December 24, 2009

    swanne

    yep, started with napa. barely drink it now. too many wines in the world to just stick in one spot.

29. January 15, 2010

    BigBoy from Sonoma

    you killed it….or maybe Napa. Good show.

30. January 28, 2010

    DeBo

    Way to bring up Sweet Pea! That De La Hoya fight is the one that killed me. Comparing Dominus to Whitaker is enough to get me to try it. I definitely don't drink enough wine, but my first great wine was a Grgich cab, if only I remembered the vintage. I'll always have faith that Napa is producing some great wines, just about finding the right one. I guess the value is elsewhere for the most part.

31. February 3, 2010

    CBone

    This was a great two part show. I'm going to buy this guys book tonight.

    Interesting question. I think I maybe did start with Napa, or at least I was biased for California, Napa and Sonoma being what I looked for most. I still love them, though I think my tolerance for oakiness has diminished. I recently had a Frog's Leap Cabernet, a wine I loved the first time I had it, but last week, it left me wanting something more. Having said that, I have had so many amazing Napa wines, but I think so much more of California has wonderful wines to offer, to say nothing of the rest of the world. These days, my collection (only 70 bottles or so at any given time) is about 33% California, 33% France, (excluding Champagne), 15% Champagne, and the rest a mixed bag of Italy, Argentina, Portugal, South Africa, and maybe even an Australian wine collecting spiderwebs on the bottom! So, I haven't moved away, but I've gathered more wines to me. Great question.

32. March 28, 2010

    hokiewino

    You guys described pretty much every Beaujolais I've ever had, heavy aroma with a disappointing finish. I can't say I've ever had one I actually cared for.

    QOTD: I haven't had too many napa wines mostly because I'm a broke college student and I've found them to be too pricey when there are too many other good wines out there for a better price.

Leave a Reply