Another idea for the show: Wine and cheeze pairing. Pick three artisian cheezes (combo of hard and soft) and a Cab, Pinot, Chard and try each wine with each cheese to determine how the cheese consumption impacts the wine taste and the determine the very best wine & cheese matches.

I am a lurker. I admit it. I have seen every episode and what you are doing is great beyond words. I live down the road from Melville/Fess Parker and your notes are spot on. The Small lot Melville’s are some of the best around this area. Check them out. I would love to see you do a Bordeaux tasting of ’03 with wines ranging from $20-$40. I think there are some great value wines from that vintage.

Keep up the great work!

I am a lurker. I admit it. I have seen every episode and what you are doing is great beyond words. I live down the road from Melville/Fess Parker and your notes are spot on. The Small lot Melville’s are some of the best around this area. Check them out. I would love to see you do a Bordeaux tasting of ’03 with wines ranging from $20-$40. I think there are some great value wines from that vintage.

Keep up the great work!

Great Show. Keep it up. Love Pinots!

DougieFresh, I am going to buy you a poster, DVD, VCR and t-shirts of Sideways:)

DougieFresh, I am going to buy you a poster, DVD, VCR and t-shirts of Sideways:)

Hey thr, GV

The episode I’d like to see is one where you taste wines that do not use the regular varieties. For example, wines from Greece or central Europe made from traditional, local varieties. No Cab, no Merlot, no pinot… whadya think?

Grant

Wow! I’m glad I bought a case of the Melville PN last fall. I bought a bottle, liked it and came back for more.

I agree with all those who have requested a blind tasting. I would be happy to volunteer to select some bottles from your bins, wrap them in a paper bag and present them to you for tasting. I have been fortunate to be able to taste a few of the wines that you have raved about and also have disagreed somewhat with some of your opiinions — but that is what wine tasting is all about isn’t it? But an occasional “calibration” by tasting some wines blind that you have previously reviewed would be interesting as well as fun. I hope that it wouldn’t be too embarassing. I remember a blind tasting once where two bottles of the same wine were presented (on two different flights) and one ranked first and the other last.

Lizard, Soy sauce, dirt, cat piss . . . hmmmm. Interesting metaphors!

Another good show, and thanks for the free shipping today (can’t believe you didn’t plug that) even though I don’t live in Ego City – er, I mean Boston / New England.

To respond to several other posts here all at once: As a Pittsburgher, I too despise the Patriots, and enjoy the diversity of the comments presented here whether they are about sports, wine, or random thoughts (even WWE – where is Rowdy Rodey Piper these days?). Therefore, as a die-hard Steeler tail-gater who REALLY doesn’t care for Iron City (beer), I would love to see an episode describing Gary’s perfect tailgating wine party – even talk about the best wines to go with burgers, hot wings, pork BBQ, and perogies (had to get the Pittsburgh slant in somewhere).

Most importantly, and maybe as a separate question to be answered: How do others (and Gary) drink wine at a tailgate without looking like a {Patriot, Raven, Bengel, Browns, … insert most hated team here …} fan? In other words, What glass / cup do you use? I’m not taking my Reidels to the game!

PS: How is everyone putting those icons next to their name?

I have to agree with Rob M, I read the blogs to hear what people say about wine, not sports. A little sport talk thrown in for flavor is ok but when the blogger starts with sports, I immediately scroll down to the next blog.

My idea for a show is highlighting different closures. Maybe 1 yr old Sauv Blancs with synthetic, screwcap and cork closures???? 1 yr old is the key since many wines closed with synthetics start to oxidize by then and the screwcaps can get reductive.

Had a fantastic 2004 Cab Franc from Alexander Valley Vineyards last night.

Cheers!

Enjoyed the episode Gary! I’ve only posted twice so I guess I’m somewhat of a lurker…. Sorry about your Jets… just get used to it. I’m in the same boat; Toronto Maple Leafs fan! As for the ultimate episode, I agree with the blind tasting idea.

ok gary… you finally got me going with all this talk about “structure” and a “fine effort”
or “not a good effort”. Is structure something more than balance? or different? How much can a winemaker really effect structure or is it there when the grapes are picked? What does structure include besides the amount of tannin, oak, acid, (sugar in some), %alcohol? How much can you blame on the winemaker or just bad (different) conditions that year?

Enjoy your program a lot! Wish you had a store out here in San Francisco!

Another question… I’ve saved up some old California Chardonnays and just had a 1984 Christian Bros.. It tastes just like sherry. I call a lot of these older wines as ‘esherrified’ I don’t think they’re bad to drink, but certainly not like they started. They are’nt vinegar! Does anybody savor these wines in that state? They certainly are’nt ‘bad’ health wise, I wouldn’t think, but I suppose they are ‘over the hill’.

Keep up the good work! john

Gary, I would like to see a tasting of california syrah vs Northern rhone syrahs-Cote Rotie

“PS: How is everyone putting those icons next to their name?

Comment 58: By PGH Pete”

http://www.gravatar.com/

I am an avid viewer – can’t say I comment every episode so call me a lurker. But, I love to read the comments..there’s a lot that everyone has to say, therefore a lot to be learned – the forum is educational, yet lighthearted and fun…I like it like that – enough said!

Anyway, looks like some great ideas have be suggested for episode 100. You have enough material for episodes 100 – 120. My suggestion: take the day off after having recorded 100 episodes in roughly 7 months and have your guys put together an episode of your favorite wines/clips/moments/comments/etc. thus far on WLTV. Whatever you end up doing, I’m sure it’ll be fun…

I just sent Gary an e-mail. I got an automated response that say’s “I will be out of the office until 9/22/06. Please note: I will not be checking email until I get back.”

Guess there is not going to be any new WLTV episodes till next week??

Let guess how many e-mails Gary will have when het gets back. I say 363.

Idea for a show? How about a show on “second labels”. I know I asked before, but what the hell, might as well ask again. Maybe the second label wines side by side with their main effort to see the similarities and differences.

The Cali Pinot episode today prompts me to ask:
Are there any popularly priced ($10 to 29) Pinot Noirs worth drinking?
Is Pinot Noir the most notorious for lengthy â??dumbâ? phases in the aging profile?
Pinots to me always seem like a crap shoot, with disappointments on the nose and palate more abundant than really pleasurable (especially in the pop price range).

I am constantly searching for the offbeat, less well known wines that can please my palate without draining my meager bank account. In that spirit, I would suggest a show or two on Languedoc – Roussillon, and Loire. They are plowing under vineyards in Languedoc because of the declining market for gros rouge plonk, but the winemakers that remain are committed to what are probably some good wines without $500 a bottle Domaine names.
GV, help me find those wines. While folks with fat wallets can afford wallet weight loss programs on 2005 Bordeaux and Burgundy futures, whatâ??s out there for a guy like me whoâ??s palate is expanding at a faster rate than his bank account?

An aside:
Interesting article was posted to Wine Spectator today on Global Warming.
Hereâ??s the text for the full link, itâ??s currently gracing their home page.

Chin chin

Ooops, I put the link to WS in brackets and they didn’t show up.
Here it is:

http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,3402,00.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

chin chin

I would like to see a tasting of East Paso Robles vs. West Paso Robles

At the game drink from the Bode Bag. This bag allows the wine to be exposed to air in an angry fashion allowing everyday wines to pretend to be big. Many times environment has a huge impact on the wine experience. Squirting a wine stream from outstretch arms into your mouth on a crisp late fall day is an experience that should not be missed. For those who donâ??t understand sports tailgating, the experience is similar when camping.

Gary, every episode I have seen, you are in the same spot. QOD – Taste the same wine in different locations at different times in different climatic conditions. Would there be different results?

I canâ??t believe the Bungles are good. Go LeBron!

Ctown in Jersey

Another great show, Gary. Ok, I didn’t read all the comments (sorry), so if this has been mentioned, well, there you go. Tradition definitely has a place…so…why not have your 100th episode tasting fabulous champagnes? I mean, it might be a little hoakey, but hell…it’s the juice of celebrations.

I went to the WL this past weekend for the first time. For those that have not been – go. It was awesome. The prices were very good and the selection was impressive. I was able to find a Clos Pegase Cab that I can only find direct from the winery. Very cool.

Gary, let me know when you will be suppling the Cuvison Pinots and I won’t shop anywhere else. This is the best wine shop I have been to in a long while (great prices, great selection, great knowledgeable friendly service). My favorite shop – West Point Market, Arkon, OH is a little too far from Morris Co.

1) Speaking of Italian monsters, we’ve seen Brunello, Barolo, Barbaresco, Chianti … but never, I don’t think, any Aglianico. So how about Basilisco vs. Macarico vs. Di Majo Norante Contado vs. Tenuta Le Querce, and a few thoughts re which are better now and which reward patience, and whether they’re supposed to be rustic monsters or good impressions of Petite Sirah?

2) You mentioned Rioja last week as another interesting pizza wine, so how about a further exploration of various Riojas and whether the whole joven vs. crianza vs. reserva vs. gran reserve thing necessarily corresponds to a better wine.

oh man victor hobson gar? you couldn’t find a better representative from your inventory of jerseys…how about a little la-la-laveranues or cotchery! j-e-t-s!!