Gary,
Truly wonderful episode today – great wines, lots of fun, intriguing olfactory images, and everything from swish-and-spit Molson to blimpie on the wall and Hulk Hogan hair color. When I saw you were tasting a Cab Franc as a dessert wine I got so excited I almost passed out because I thought you would answer my question from EP 88. Ah well, guess you were not up to it. BTW I agree with Joe’s comment that the HEAT Episode should arrange for sufficient temperature (and light?) contrast and for sufficient duration, otherwise it is likely the result of the “experiment” will be in favor of your opinion (bias?) that wines are relatively resilient. If your arrangement is not underway yet, then please also consider the possibility that higher temperatures may affect lighter/delicate wines more noticeably than big brawny ones. QOTD: Our favorite dessert wine is Domaine Des Baumard Coteaux du Layon (e.g., 1990 was amazing, but most any vintage is excellent quality). We love it because the body tends to be lighter, not “syrupy” and the taste is not the puckery sweet tropical fruits that one often finds in dessert wines. The nose is flowers, minerals/stone, and light honey on fresh lemon and pear fruit. With age the mineral component takes on more of the machine shop smell you referred to Gary — actually like a light diesel oil, if such a thing is possible. And the price is fantastic for a full size bottle compared to a 375 or 187ml, and only a fraction of the tag for high end Sauternes.

Gary,

You need to give Kudos to TimF for figuring out “The Family Guy” mystery.

Do you have kids? If yes, then: how many? boy(s)? girl(s)? ages?

I have 3 wonderful boys: 17, 14 & 11.

Gary,

You need to give Kudos to TimF for figuring out “The Family Guy” mystery.

Do you have kids? If yes, then: how many? boy(s)? girl(s)? ages?

I have 3 wonderful boys: 17, 14 & 11.

If someone really wants to find out about heat/shipping/wine, just grab two bottles of wine. Put one in your cellar and the other in the trunk of your car for a few days (during the summer of course). Make sure it’s secured so it doesn’t roll around. Also, beware that the cork may be ejected due to pressure if it gets too hot. Then get both bottles to serving temperature and have someone else pour two glasses side by side so you can do a blind comparison. If you try it with Charles Shaw, it won’t be a very expensive experiment…

Gary,
We really like desert wine, port, ice wine, late harvest, but our favorites are the

Klein Constantia ‘Vin de Constance’ 1999 (South Africa)
and
Trentadue Chocolate Port (Sonoma)

Both are fantastic and you should try both if you have a chance.

Thank you for your great information and passion. Marc

Gary,
We really like desert wine, port, ice wine, late harvest, but our favorites are the

Klein Constantia ‘Vin de Constance’ 1999 (South Africa)
and
Trentadue Chocolate Port (Sonoma)

Both are fantastic and you should try both if you have a chance.

Thank you for your great information and passion. Marc

That reminds me: I ran across a Petit Verdot (I think it was 85% with a little merlot, but still) in Colorado last year … I think the winery was out by Grand Junction or thereabouts. Hiding underneath all that oak was a pretty decent wine.

Gary,
Great episode all around. Loved the Molson review as well (funny stuff).
Ice wine and wines from that region (as well as the finger lakes) are
really making some noise. More people should try them and know how good
the whites can be from up north. My favorite dessert wine is still the 1976 d’Yquem ..
just opened my 2nd to last bottle and it still holds up! 100 points+! Would be great to see you do an episode of the high end stuff, though it probably would not be feasible.
2001 Reiussiac is up there and still a baby. Got the 1927 Ximeniez and that rocked as well. Loved the 50 year Museuem from Yalumba in an awesome bottle.
Best, Steve

Hey Gary!

Bummer about the red desert wine, Peter the winemaker out of Sineann makes an insane Zinfandel Icewine 59% residual at harvest!! Check it out, have manyfavs inthis category but his is one of my favorites especially with stinky blue toe jam cheese.Love those contrasts.

Gary,
Great episode all around. Loved the Molson review as well (funny stuff).
Ice wine and wines from that region (as well as the finger lakes) are
really making some noise. More people should try them and know how good
the whites can be from up north. My favorite dessert wine is still the 1976 d’Yquem ..
just opened my 2nd to last bottle and it still holds up! 100 points+! Would be great to see you do an episode of the high end stuff, though it probably would not be feasible.
2001 Reiussiac is up there and still a baby. Got the 1927 Ximeniez and that rocked as well. Loved the 50 year Museuem from Yalumba in an awesome bottle.
Best, Steve

Nice show on sweet wines
Earlier this summer WLTV had a another ice (style) wine.
Meeker Frozin Zinfandel – 92 Points – Wine Library
“Sweet, zippy, spicy red zinfandel, made in a faux-ice wine style. Sweet cherry, strawberry and raspberry have a dominant flavor, with white pepper and fresh acidity on the finish. Perfect with chocolate!” (WL Item No. 5834)
And watch Gary review it in WLTV Episode 48 – Today Gary meets the Meekers (an early Gary has a bad hair day)

http://tv.winelibrary.com/2006/06/05/episode-48-today-gary-meets-the-meekers/

Another dessert wine easy on the budget is Moscato dâ??Asti. WL has a nice selection. I love to serve it with â??Big Billyâ??s Way Too Easy Peach Granita/Sorbetâ? after dinner.
How easy is Way Too Easy?
Freeze a can of sliced peaches. Open both ends, extract the cylinder and chunk it up. (Chunk it until granular for granite – then serve). For sorbet add the chunks to a food processor along with a shot or two of Peach Schnapps, or Peach Brandy, or Lemoncello, or Grand Marnier (be creative), spin it until smooth, refreeze, then serve. A great palate cleanser after dinner. Moscato dâ??Asti goes with it really well.

Regarding Heat: Tim F is on to something, but precisely how much heat for how long?. The question for me is how long at 85 degrees before deterioration?

Chin chin

Nice show on sweet wines
Earlier this summer WLTV had a another ice (style) wine.
Meeker Frozin Zinfandel – 92 Points – Wine Library
“Sweet, zippy, spicy red zinfandel, made in a faux-ice wine style. Sweet cherry, strawberry and raspberry have a dominant flavor, with white pepper and fresh acidity on the finish. Perfect with chocolate!” (WL Item No. 5834)
And watch Gary review it in WLTV Episode 48 – Today Gary meets the Meekers (an early Gary has a bad hair day)

http://tv.winelibrary.com/2006/06/05/episode-48-today-gary-meets-the-meekers/

Another dessert wine easy on the budget is Moscato dâ??Asti. WL has a nice selection. I love to serve it with â??Big Billyâ??s Way Too Easy Peach Granita/Sorbetâ? after dinner.
How easy is Way Too Easy?
Freeze a can of sliced peaches. Open both ends, extract the cylinder and chunk it up. (Chunk it until granular for granite – then serve). For sorbet add the chunks to a food processor along with a shot or two of Peach Schnapps, or Peach Brandy, or Lemoncello, or Grand Marnier (be creative), spin it until smooth, refreeze, then serve. A great palate cleanser after dinner. Moscato dâ??Asti goes with it really well.

Regarding Heat: Tim F is on to something, but precisely how much heat for how long?. The question for me is how long at 85 degrees before deterioration?

Chin chin

Last one was a late harvet Semillon from Laurel Ridge in Carlton OR, had it in the tasting room, loved it, and bought a bottle to bring home which my wife finished off for me. Wish I could get more. It was new to the winery, so new they hadn’t put lables on the bottles yet. Next one will be either one of your suggestions above or the bottle of Alvear Solera 1927 Pedro Ximenez that I have in my stock.

I had the Neige at the Washington DC Wine and Food Festival, I thought the crowd was going assault the guy to get his stock because at the festival you can’t buy only taste. Everyone wanted a bottle of that wine.

I had the Neige at the Washington DC Wine and Food Festival, I thought the crowd was going assault the guy to get his stock because at the festival you can’t buy only taste. Everyone wanted a bottle of that wine.

Vinacull:

Great, great call on the Coteaux du Layon – amazing stuff. Baumard is out of this world – had a ’97 that was young but Fab…wish I could try a 1990 now! Try Pierre-Bise too.

Alright!!! Great episode!!! Finaly some of my sweet tooth faves reviewed!! I have been to Peller and Iniskillin this summer and was blown away by the icewines. Sorta answered my question I have been asking about the quality of semi-sweet wines, or super sweet as with these. I now do not feel like a total wine wimp now, Thanks Gary!!!!!

Alright!!! Great episode!!! Finaly some of my sweet tooth faves reviewed!! I have been to Peller and Iniskillin this summer and was blown away by the icewines. Sorta answered my question I have been asking about the quality of semi-sweet wines, or super sweet as with these. I now do not feel like a total wine wimp now, Thanks Gary!!!!!

Gary – Good episode and timing. We spent Labor Day weekend in Niagara and I tasted through many of the same ice wines you tasted here (Inniskillin, Hillebrand, Peller). Interesting comment about the body shop smell – that “petroleum” nose and feel turns me off of several Vidal based ice wines. My Interestingly, I had already posted notes and had the same reaction to the Peller Cab Franc…matter of fact as we left the tasting I said, “not so good, let’s move on” – my wife laughed. Came home with several bottles of Inniskillin Late Harvest Riesling though.

QOD – Best ice wine I have had was Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling Ice Wine. Overall, my favorite stickys are the Sauternes.

Thanks, Gary, for the wonderful episode. A great resource for people interested in Icewine is the book “Icewine” by John Schreiner. It is a wonderful book devoted to icewine around the world, with chapters which detail the procedures and history of hundreds of icewine producers from Germany, Austria, Canada, US, Slovenia, Australia, Romania, New Zealand, etc. It is an excellent book. My favorite late harvest wine had to be a 1971 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese goldcapsule. When I opened the wine and inhaled the aromas, I thought I was in heaven or more precisely, Valhalla, and was drinking the nectar of the gods. What an incredible wine…and I’ve purchased later vintages at WineLibrary! Another favorite which Jaye mentioned was the 1977 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Porto. Complex, structured, entrancing, powerful, incredibly aromatic wine with wonderful flavors. I second the call for a porto episode. Thanks for wltv; it is a great service. Jim

Thanks, Gary, for the wonderful episode. A great resource for people interested in Icewine is the book “Icewine” by John Schreiner. It is a wonderful book devoted to icewine around the world, with chapters which detail the procedures and history of hundreds of icewine producers from Germany, Austria, Canada, US, Slovenia, Australia, Romania, New Zealand, etc. It is an excellent book. My favorite late harvest wine had to be a 1971 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese goldcapsule. When I opened the wine and inhaled the aromas, I thought I was in heaven or more precisely, Valhalla, and was drinking the nectar of the gods. What an incredible wine…and I’ve purchased later vintages at WineLibrary! Another favorite which Jaye mentioned was the 1977 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Porto. Complex, structured, entrancing, powerful, incredibly aromatic wine with wonderful flavors. I second the call for a porto episode. Thanks for wltv; it is a great service. Jim

Gary,

I have just started watching your show and LOVE WLTV! I am going back and watching as many of the old episodes that I can! Being from Iowa, we are very limited on our wine experts. But, we do have a few wineries here. (mainly sweet wines – not my favorite!) Oh, by the way, what is that chirping noise I hear on your show? Are your windows open? Do you have birds in your room? It’s kind of annoying.
Thanks, Tammy

When you first started WLTV I thought “How stupid” and never watch. Out of pure bordom I watched an episode and now I’m hooked. I am learning so much about wine. Great work! I’ve been trying to go through older episodes but have a long way to go. If you haven’t already, could you feature some Viognier, Chablis and Roses? You asked a couple episodes ago what I was drinking right now: a 2005 Rose from Provence (Sorry, don’t recall the producer), it’s just horrible, I started cooking with it.

Gary, thanks for the great episode. I’m a big fan of Canada and Canadian icewines. In fact, my introduction to icewines was at the dinner after my wedding in Toronto. Wow, I was blown away. Fortunately, we were driving back to the states and able to bring some bottles home.

QOD: So far, my favorite dessert wine is 2001 Ch. Suduiraut. Like drinking a velvet apricot peach, with a finish that goes on forever. I’d love to see you do an episode on Sauternes. (And I’m looking forward to trying the Tokaji you tasted a few episodes back.)

Thanks again for a terrific episode.

Gary, thanks for the great episode. I’m a big fan of Canada and Canadian icewines. In fact, my introduction to icewines was at the dinner after my wedding in Toronto. Wow, I was blown away. Fortunately, we were driving back to the states and able to bring some bottles home.

QOD: So far, my favorite dessert wine is 2001 Ch. Suduiraut. Like drinking a velvet apricot peach, with a finish that goes on forever. I’d love to see you do an episode on Sauternes. (And I’m looking forward to trying the Tokaji you tasted a few episodes back.)

Thanks again for a terrific episode.