Gary,

Great show! I too love pickles – new, dill – you name it! Nothing like a gherkin too!

Question – When you tasted the Musar, it was a grape you’d never tasted. That said, when you looked at the color, you thought it was a good looking color. If it doesn’t taste good, then does the color matter?

QOD: I don’t know that I’ve had a middle eastern wine – much like most everyone else. Lord knows, I will look at them now!

Thanks Gary!

Greate episode Gary!

What’s the best Mid-East wine I had ever tasted? Well, that’s a tough question to ask an Israeli…

The Mid-East doesn’t suffer too much from weather problems, so vintages in Israel are more about the age of the vines, but there are of course some exceptional years.

2000 Margalit Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve (Talk about fruit bombs)
1999 Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon (Always a sure hit, regrdless of the vintage)
2005 Clos de Gat Semillon (Best Israeli white wine, to my humble bla bla bla)

Since you are aware of the Mid-East conflict, I’m sure you know you have no other way; you will tape an episode on Israeli wines soon.

Gary,

Thank you for very interesting episode, which just proves my wine buying rule # 27:

Never buy unknown sh*t without trying or recommendation from friend/respectable person with similar taste in wines.

Pricing seams slightly off. For virtually unknown wines without rating 16 bones for a bottle of white-they are heading right up against Hugel and Trumbach etc.
One can get almost two bottle of Gloria Ferrer chard or Cancannon or Babich SB for this kind of dough.

Gary,
To keep things in balance, how about an episode on Israeli wines? I keep reading that there are world class now and not just from Concord grape. Israel has long history of wine making-longer than Romans.

QOTD:

Falafel is the closest thing I can think of. :=)

Tampa Bay Steve,

NYT ran the same Wine Spectator ad offering free website access last Wednesday as well. Not buying the conspiracy.

Jim

Great episode. Is ’97 the current vintage of Musar, and will it get better with time?

QOTD: thought about experimenting with the Kefraya last year, but didn’t pull the trigger. Kind of wish I had …

Israeli wines ought to be interesting. Don’t have any firsthand experience with those either.

Anybody else having problems logging in?

I keep getting this under 13 crap and wrong user name/password stuff.

Love the blog! Searched through NYT but couldn’t find ad. Oh, well-didn’t need it anyway to figure out your great inventory and service! Keep on licking, smelling, tasting and spitting.

Several years ago I had the 1996 Chateau Kefraya Comte de M. As best as I can recall (the gray matter not being what it once was) it was a great bottle of wine; lush, full bodied, lots of fruit yet good amount of earthiness and ripe tannin, comparable to a fine Bordeaux. I think it was $50 which when compared to something like a Ducru or Cos is a good value. But I think I may have to seek out its sibling, the Les Bretesche. Especially when I can buy 4 bottle of it for the same price as 1 Comte de M.

Always interesting Gary. Have tried many Israeli wines depite the fact of having grown up with Carmel wines. Gamla from the Golan and Yarden from Golan have been great, went to every winery in Israel with my soldier cousins. Enjoyed the experince. Chateau Musar has always been on my wine list.

Gary,

Would like to try the 2004 Chateau Kefraya Les Breteches.
Can you get it in house?

Tom

Hey guys,

I don’t want to sound mean, but Susan…you need to stop writing the same thing everytime someone posts a message, especially a lurker. I don’t know if it bothers anyone else, but its tiresome

QOD: Gary, I never had any middle eastern wines, but you need to order more Chateau Kefraya Les Breteches 2004……I would love to pick up a few bottles and try them

Great episode today. One of my partners is from Beirut and will be going back there over the holidays. I will definitely ask her to pick me up the Chateau Kefraya.

My partner says the Ch. Kefraya is actually more popular than the Ch. Musar.

Gary,

Not had any yet .. but have been wanting to try some from Lebanon. Question: Have you tasted or do you stock any Northern Israeli wines? This territory is adjacent to the Bekaa Valley so wondered how similar these might be?

Italian Stallion-
Do you ever stop complaining about everything!
What a positive attitude!

Bye!

Susan…what does bye! mean?

Bye!

Function: interjection
Etymology: short for goodbye
— used to express farewell; often used with following now

Thanks TimF…I can always count on you

Ironic!
I think it is!
I try to welcome people in while
I am being kicked out!
Nice!

I think some folks around here haven’t been around bulletin boards very long. The stuff I’m seeing out here is _very_ tame. There have been a few flames, but they have generally been very mild. You’ve got to remember that in an anonymous environment people tend to say a lot of things they’d hold back in person. If someone gets on someone else’s nerves, they’re going to tell you — you can count on it. My suggestion to anyone who is offended is to just let it go. When you fire back, the flamer views it as a victory (ultimate victory of course being when the flamee leaves forever). Just remember, never wrestle with a pig. You get muddy and the pig enjoys it…

Tim F-
You are right!
Never wrestle with a pig!
You said it not me!
If I want someone to act like a pig, I have plenty of pigs in this town.
We have enough for 5 or 6 towns.
I don’t need to go online to find pigs.
We will just have from remember some people are from CA and
are here to prove it.
On the opposite side is me, who is trying to be nice and welcome people in!

Tim F & Eugene,
You are both refreshing!
Nice and refreshing.
How many wars would we have in this world if everyone was nice?

I think I was called moronic once- I kind of liked it!

Kahuna,
I try not to call people names.
I prefer to rise above such low thinking!