By the way … nice decor! Has a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ to it!

gary vaynerchuck, a man of the people. you are a true revolutionary. gary for president in 2008

Gary, sorry you seem so pissed today. I have been a WL customer since I moved to Short Hills over 5-years ago. There are several basic reason: (i) selection — I have had the ability to try wines that I have never heard of before or even knew existed; (ii) price — other stores, at best, have the same price for a few of your selections, but not accross the board and (iii) service — I wanted some 2003 Ducru — WL did not have any — so one of your sale’s associates took my number, tracked down some within a day, called me back — all at a price that was fair and reasonable. The notion that you pimp certain wines is silly — I would try to ignore those comments. In any event, enjoy the holidays, looking forward to #100.

P.S. The Jets suck — Go Pats.
P.S.S. You need to improve the Scotch selection.

Gary, I love WLTV. It’s the one thing that I really look forward to watching each evening. Please don’t listen to the naysayers. You can never please everyone. I predict that WLTV will be a very big phenomenon in the wine world and I am confident that you will be rewarded for your efforts.

RUSS J
Thanks for the recognition you gave me in Comment #17 regarding my defending Gary in Ep #97’s comments section. I’m believed strongly in what I was saying and am very proud of that.

GOL (and all WLTVer’s who have left comments since the Sreadsheet was launched)

Thanks for all of the compliments on the Spreadsheet(SS). All of the Column Headers that are on the WEB SS are exactly as I had set up my initial SS, including the episode #. However, it was Gary and WL IT guy, Brian Woolley, who added the LINK feature to this (I agree GOL that this is sweet). PLEASE give Brian Wooley big shout outs.

As Gary stated on Monday, I initially created the SS for me. I want to make it clear that the “WL Price” and “WL Code” columns have always been there. In fact, a few weeks ago, as we were getting closer to the SS launch, I sent an email to Gary urging him to make this point clear. I knew that Gary philosophy was to seperate his WL business from WLTV and I didn’t want anybody to think, “Oh look how he’s incorporating the WL price and code”. Anyway just wanted to put this out there for the record.

Episode 99: It’s Not That Bad!

I wonder if the Corvo would be any better if you were drinking it out of water glasses and Godfather II was playing. You know, context and all.

CORRECTION: the Russ J’s comment that I was referring to is #18……GOL’s comment is #17.

Gary, Here’s the “Favorite Resturants” that were recommended for DC in comments section of Ep#88:

Equinox Recommended by NickP in Comment #61
Tosca Recommended by E in Comment #85

You can check those comments to see any details that NickP or E provided.If you go to one of these, let us know if you agree with them.

BrandonM…I like how you caught Sam Zen’s sign off too!
I have already started getting comfortable and coming to the realization that by Friday night I will be lying in the tub shaking and kicking for my WLTV fix!
Actually this is perfect as I am going out of town (to San Francisco) next week…BTW Ian Dorin and Gary hooked me up so big it is ridiculous! IF ANYONE IS GOING TO A WINE PRODUCING AREA YOU MUST CONTACT GARY!!!! He told us to about 20 episodes ago so don’t feel bad. I know that I am going to have a trip of a lifetime because of these guys. I can’t thank them enough!
I am going to have to get back for the QOD. I will have to pull up some of the old videos and watch them before I pick a favorite…although I think I know which one it will be.
Gary, again great episode…I knew you would set the record straight…Good luck on your fast and warm wishes on Yom Kippur.

Gary…you were supposed to eat the mangos on the air!!!
Try them with the skin on. Then if you can find some green mangos…chop them into little squares, put them in a bowl with some fresh key lime juice, salt, white vinegar, and a pinch of sugar. Heaven!

A wise man once said, “Learning about wine is, like bike riding and sex, best achieved by doing, in this case, tasting.”

Gary,

Thanks for removing the green screen and bringing back the classic WLTV. It is easier on the eyes and feels like home again. Thanks for not going all George Lucas on us and destroying the simplicity we love. It is the content, your knowledge, personality, integrity and honesty that keeps us coming back. It is not the digital effects.

Silver Oak gets Vaynerchuk’d!

Even good Silver Oak has always been a disappointment to me. For the amount of money that label commands it should be a complex wine. I always find it underperforms and at best it is a smooth, silky Cabernet that can be a bit too straightforward and boring. I’ve never understood the oooos and ahhhs over this wine. It has become an upscale “brand” by positioning itself as an expensive, desirable “it” wine. Nice marketing, but there are much better wines out there. I feel the same way about Screaming Eagle which is an overpriced cult status wine. I’ll take Staglin, Ernie Els and Kathryn Kennedy over those two any day.

SS Chris (I nominate that as your new blog name for this blog, kinda cool, all WLTVers know what it stands for but it also sounds like a ship), didn’t mention this but I also find the link to the wine as sold at WL useful… I’m using those links to build my order that will come free to Chi on Nov 20 after DA BEARS stomp the J-E-T-S’s!

What the hell? one week without WLTV, are you crazy? I can’t belive what I am hearing, 7 days waiting time is waaay too much. But also it is going to be one great episode, the big one, 100 and counting, so I will behave and be a good boy until next week.
I don’t want to discourage you, but frankly I don’t see the Jets winning over the Colts, 3-0 Colts are a better team right now.
I have a question for you, I have three sons, 11, 8 and 7, how do I introduce them to the world of wine, of course I not going to give them a full glass to taste, but a little sip can get them to start tasting what is wine all about. I have heard that in Europe the parents start teaching their kids at a young age how to drink and enjoy wine. Maybe my two smaller boys are too little, but the biggest one can start to learn how to do it. What do you think,if they are too small what will be the best age to start teaching them the joy of wine?
One more question, where is the spreadsheet, I don’t see it anywhere in the page, can you put a bigger link on it.
Thanks

Never mind about the spreadsheet, I found it.

Absolutely F*%#’n great episode Gary. You hit all the nails on the head. Hope you enjoy your business travel and a few days off. I am sure we’re all happy to wait for episode 100! I’d like to pose a question of the day for your 100th episode. How many people watch you outside the US of A?! It would be great to get an idea of how many of us… like me in the Barossa South Australia, or Mexico like Rafa are out there. While you’ve been to most of the worlds wine regions, perhaps there is an opportunityg for a GV World Tour WLTV Spectaular… I am sure some of us out of towners may be able to assist with some sponsorship. Matt from South Australia (wine capital of Australia)!

GOL (comment #63),

So, SS Chris for SpreadSheet Chris. I think I like that…but, is it too “Ernst & Young”? Spreadsheets are associated with accountants, now I’m like one of the accounting nerds that are annoyingly trotted out on award shows? I don’t know if this is a “bad-ass” enough handle. LOL

Just Kidding…I like it. How’s this (see my name below) at least for a transition period? Sort of like John Couger to John Cougar Mellancamp to John Mellancamp OR Puff Daddy to P Diddy to Diddy– this requires a name change transition stategy. . What do you think?? LOL

Jets 16 – Colts 7….nostalgia prompted me.

Just for the record, I never considered WLTV or anyone at Wine Library to “pump and dump”. Keep at ’em!

Gary,
Please accept my sincere apology if my comment offended you in any way.
In my mind I compare you to King of all media in the wine business.
Brutally honest, controversial at times but always entertaining, just like him in his early terrestrial period, you are revolutionizing your industry.

Donâ??t take our comments too seriously. Things get out of control whet friends are talking, especially after a glass or two.

Now to the wines.

Agree on KJ, but donâ??t remember Corvo being that bad. I think I even enjoyed it. Perhaps food helped. Actually I had similar feeling about Falesco vitiano.

Another big name that shouldâ??ve been brought to the table is Mondavi. In my opinion his $10 Cab is so bad that the name of the Californian wine pioneer should not be on the label.

Gary, you know that most wine drinkers start with the big names. How about an episode on what I call a second tier: Boggle, Ravenswood, Rosenblum, Rabbit Ridge, Echelon, etc?

Gary,
Please accept my sincere apology if my comment offended you in any way.
In my mind I compare you to King of all media in the wine business.
Brutally honest, controversial at times but always entertaining, just like him in his early terrestrial period, you are revolutionizing your industry.

Donâ??t take our comments too seriously. Things get out of control whet friends are talking, especially after a glass or two.

Now to the wines.

Agree on KJ, but donâ??t remember Corvo being that bad. I think I even enjoyed it. Perhaps food helped. Actually I had similar feeling about Falesco vitiano.

Another big name that shouldâ??ve been brought to the table is Mondavi. In my opinion his $10 Cab is so bad that the name of the Californian wine pioneer should not be on the label.

Gary, you know that most wine drinkers start with the big names. How about an episode on what I call a second tier: Boggle, Ravenswood, Rosenblum, Rabbit Ridge, Echelon, etc?

Matthew L (comment #37),

You are right!! That was was just a VaynerCLANK for the Silver Oak. I missed it the first time and thank you for pointing it out (comment #37). I had to re-watch, but it definitely is a VaynerCLANK, albeit a mini-CLANK. As per a previous postings, this is, by far, my FAVORITE and I believe BEST of the all the VAYNER-ISMS. It is also the RAREST!!

QOD for WLTVer’s(since there are no episodes, we’ll have to amuse ourselves)

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE VAYNERISM? The NOMINIES are:

#1-The VaynerSHAKE (when GV is swooshing the wine, but before he spits, he begins to shake his head in disapproval)

#2-The VaynerNOD (opposite of the SHAKE–he begins nodding his head in approval prior to spitting)

#3-The VaynerCLANK (this ususally comes after a VaynerSHAKE–the SHAKE happens before he spits, and then after he spits, he CLANKS his teeth together multiple times–this means he REEEALLY doesn’t approve–watch #99 again with the SILVER OAK and you’ll see a mini-CLANK)

******PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE******

You all know my vote–the CLANK!!

NOTE: Now that I am entering info for ALL wines into the SS (for all new Ep’s starting w/ #97)including the wines’s GV “passes” on, I will definitely be entering ALL VaynerCLANK’s into the Tasting Notes section. Unfortunately, since the SILVER OAK is currently sold out, I cannot enter anything for this wine yet (I’ll be working on it and will post a comment if and when I have it worked out).

Obviously, my vote is for the VaynerCLANK!!

Rafa…you may get knocked for even thinking about giving your kids alcohol by some of the bloggers here but I don’t think it is a bad idea to start the 11 year old. I remember my dad introducing me to the world of alcohol at about age 13. Of course things were very limited (like a sip every 6 months) but he would describe things to me that really made drinks more understandable (I started with beer). First and foremost my father explained and hammered into me that beer, wine and everything in “this locked cabinet” is for adults ONLY but “here son, taste this. That is why we are drinking it. It tastes good.” Ya follow what I’m saying?
The down side to being introduced to quality alcohol? Man was my wallet hurting in college!!! I could not drink the horse piss my friends were drinking and always had to fork out what at that time was big money for something of quality!

Well guys after thinking about some of my favorite episodes I have not yet been able to nail a single one down yet…
You have Episode #64 which was the WL store tour. So funny with the Benny Hill music!
Then there is Episode #39 which turned me on to the 2000 Chateau Henye Tojaki Aszueszencia. My god that is one of (one of) the best things I have ever put in my mouth!
Episode #58 was the “Iâ??m not pissed” episode. That one set the foundation for what would become WLTV standardsâ?¦and he said â??Burgundy is over rated.â? HAHAHA
So I’m still debating…I have a few other stand outs both early on and later but I am not sure I can pick just one!
Wow a viewer from Australia. The world is yours WLTV!!!! MMmuuuuwwwaaaaahahhhahhhahahahhhhaaaaaa!!!
Julius…who ever said that was an absolute GENIUS!!!! I am a triathlete so I love to ride my bike…I am normal so I love sex…and I am an oenophile so I love wine…That guy has me totally figured out!

We were in Napa a couple weeks ago and Silver Oak was one of the places I was really looking forward to visiting. We tasted the current release cabs and came to the same conclusion that you did – we were disappointed and found many cabs at other wineries far superior. I was wondering how we could have been so off when this seems to be a universally well regarded wine, so I feel much better after watching today’s episode.

Thanks for being so honest with your opinions. Keep up the great work!

Gary,
By now most new postings will be redundant, but in the blog spirit I have to add my own. I have become somewhat evangelistic with all my friends getting them to watch WTLV. Getting into WLTV has caused me to get ‘back’ into wines in a big way. Work and kids created a void for a number of years during which I always appreciated a good bottle, but I wasn’t keeping pace with all the changes – thus one of my earlier comments ‘explain New World vs. Old World’. In fact, while I don’t believe you have addressed that point directly, it is clear to me what you mean because I have gone out and tasted different bottles you described using those terms. I also enjoy being part of this blog community – I love the comments almost as much as watching you give the ‘G-nod’ to a wine you didn’t expect to give a 90 pt. rating to.
As for my favorite episode – can’t say I have one. Got hooked back around episode 40-something, but loved the tour of WL in #64 – got me to come to the shop and actually meet you – and for the sheer creativity of it #96.
BTW – SS Chris (comment 59)mentioned my recommendation for Equinox in DC – if you want some insite you can e-mail me as I have a connection: nickjp@verizon.net .

Don’t change your style or your M.O. Use the holidays to recharge the batteries for the next 100+ episodes!
NickP (Go Giants!!??)

I have never doubted your intentions and love watching the show everyday. Keep up the great work Gary.
Looking forward to #100! As a HUGE Colts fan Im sorry…. Colts 21 Jets 3