First time poster, Long time Lurker

My question is Gary, what is your opinion on wine storage equipment? What do you think about
wine refrigerators & are they worthwhile for people who have wines that you plan on saving for
an extended period of time.

I could win the free shipping prize for having a lurker post for the first time….but I only live 45 minutes away from the Library….and I usually pickup my wine on the way back from Newark aiport. Free shipping would be a waste on me.

QOD: Press Your Luck! (No Whammies!) I loved that show, but I really don’t know why.

Anyone remember “Remote Control” from the early MTV days? That was a fun show.

PaulB aka Brooklyn Paul

Gary, thanks so much for making the trek back to reshoot. Your dedication is impressive! Favorite game show has to be Press Your Luck. I remember watching reruns at my grandma’s house growing up. “No wammy, no wammy!” Plus the tale of the guy who rigged his victory is priceless (http://gscentral.net/larsen.htm)

Also, I owe you thanks for recommending the 2000 Cecilia Beretta Amarone Terre Di Cariano. I recently drank it, and it was amazing!

QOTD: Price is Right….but Card Sharks was also a good one!

I guess I missed something in the beginning…why did you have to re-tape the show today?

Aw, and I was hoping Union Cane would show up.

Parker sez these should drink nicely for 10, 15 years, but what exactly are they going to evolve into down the road? I’d think it would be a little soon to know, but we can speculate, right?

QOD: the one with that nice Canadian fellow where they ask the questions backwards.

Press your luck was my favorite too…..Gary, you cant blame a guy for trying….Free shipping for the rest of the year is huge…..how about for a week…damn even a few hours…but seriously, thanks for everything you do…time and time again you prove your dedication and loyaly and passion for the business and thats why we will ALWAYS shop at the Wine Library….oh and thanks for quoting me in the Times….lol

your my boy blue

Nice show as usual.

I’ll be at WL this weekend picking up some of your recommended bottles.

The best question?
How about this?
If you had to compare today’s NY Jets to a grape varietal, what would it be? I’d say nebbiolo. A bit too young with a good mix of old-world characteristics. It’s a bit rough around the edges and harsh, but with maturity, the team can be explosive and can last several productive years.

Damn almost forgot the real QOD. From the 70’s Match Game. How many remember that one? Overall it has to be jeopardy. Makes one really think.

Oh yes, Favorite Gameshow.

Easily press your luck.

Press your luck!
I couldn’t wait for the Michael Jackson wammy!

Hey Gary – nice rack!

That’s my way of saying I would love to win that cute wine rack you displayed!

My bid is . . . $22.00!

(What, you mean I have to ask you another question? You have answered so many already, what hasn’t anyone asked you?)

OK here is one, it’s kind of silly though . . .

What wine region (or U.S. state) is producing good wines now, but you expect will be producing classic wines within the next five years?

My favorite game show (among many) is any of the Pyramid shows hosted by Dick Clark (accept no substitutions). The Winner’s Circle was the most suspenseful sixty seconds of any game show!

Douglas aka demilove

Chicago will welcome you, Gary!

You’re right, Gary, I don’t listen for the tasting notes. I listen for the ANALOGIES! I know that, one of these days, you’re gonna manage to tie together lizard-tails, asphalt, and being hit in the face with a “dodgeball”, all into one somewhat coherent taste-profile (and I’ll keep struggling through those tasting notes until you do) 😉

Question for contest: How many times have you taped an episode “sans pants”? I certainly know I’d be tempted on a hot day, and only the staff and the table would know.

My candidate for QOTD:

Everyone seems to agree that vintage can be a key issue when buying wines from the Continent. Many say it is pretty irrelevant regarding California. Would you agree with that? How about Wash State/Oregon?

QOD- Press your luck (no whammys… bug bucks… STOP)

NJ WLTV Party— can’t wait!

My question: Friends of mine just had a new baby, and being the wine geek of the group, I would like to get them a bottle of wine (under $100) that will age well with the child and is meant to be the child’s first bottle of wine when the child is “of age”. I want her first exposure of wine to be memorable and to spur an interest in this special kind of grape juice that we Vayniacs have found to be interesting, entertaining and fulfilling. What do you recommend? (another way of putting it, what bottle will you “set aside” for your first child to pop open on Graduation Day).

BTW- thank you for your commitment to Vaynernation since we Vayniacs would have been waiting all night for our daily dose of WLTV; however, we would have understood completely if you would have re-taped tomorrow. We are maniacs… but these things happen.

QOD-Press Your Luck

EJ,
we used to play drinking games to press your luck- I didn’t think anyone else watched that show

Here’s another question Gary:

What is your favorite scene from a movie or TV show that involved wine (and you can’t use Sideways or Falcon Crest!)

(can you tell I really want that rack ! ! ! !)

I will refer people but have them use my favorite Kingdumb bretheren since I can pick up from the Wine Library- Just like to share that I was at WL today and have been a customer for just around three years or so- It is great to see a company grow and the level of service actually get better- Got some cheeses today and a few cases of wine- which barely fit in my little two seater.

The staff is great-I was there for 2 hours shopping-

I’m not in the same league as Tampasteve, the Italian Stalion, or BrandonM as far as posting goes, but I have seen every episode. I was wondering…when is the blind tasting mentioned in episode 66 to be coming up in “a couple of episodes”? Yes, I always thought a couple ment 2.

So, I thought that you might need a little help… here is the senerio.
1) Eric pick’s out 4 bottles of wine. You are to be blinded to them.
(there have been several that you have said have that classic nose of …, etc.)
(I also recall a few boastful remarks that you thought that you could put your pallate up against others)
2) At show time you check the nose, pallate, and score the wine as usual.
3) Then you walk out on a limb (maybe) winetype, country of origin, Vintage?, or percentage of each type of grape in the blend. How far can you go?
4) Next wine *3
4) The unvailing. how did you do?

So in an effort to have the…best…question in the comments section here it comes.

Gary, Is our wine vlog “cult idol” up to the challenge?

PS episodes past you had asked about closing catch phrase ideas. I really liked todays…
” You and I together are changing the wine game”
PS
Did you see the comments from the announcment from earlier today?

Lurker here. Sorry, no referals as I don’t have any wine drinking friends.

Keep up the good work.

Thanks for coming back to retape the show.

This goes way back — the $64,000 question.

Now for my question. I think it is time to revisit the wine “scoring” debate. Indeed, I think this could be set up in the forum so that everybody put in her/his 2 cents. There were some comments in the past (including my own) but I think we need to have a serious discussion.

When WS and RP (and others) score most wines between 80 and 95, don’t we really have around a 20 point system? If you read WS, for example, a score of 80 is “Good: a solid, well-made wine”. RP is similar. Yet how many 85-86 (or so) pointers get a “PAZZZ” from GV? Gary, you once answered my questions about $’s and Points by saying you did take price into consideration — That is, I think you implied that a$80 bottle of wine might get a different score than a $15 bottle of wine even if they tasted about the same.

So my question is: Why not establish a WLTV scoring system of your (our) own and not try to emulate WS, RP, et al.?

Here is my suggestion (for what its worth) and the system I generally use at a restaurant or tasting:

It is a two pronged system that takes both taste and price into consideration.

Prong 1 — 0 to 5 stars

0 stars – bad wine, send it back, return it or dump it

* OK, some restaurant wines fall here
** simple, drinkable (most restaurant wines-by-the-glass fall here)
*** good, consider buying if the price is right (see prong 2 below)
**** very good
***** outstanding

Prong 2 – Would (or should) I buy it?

This has some alternative paths depending on circumstances

Restaurant – Was it worth what I paid?

Store – I probably would buy a 3 star wine if under $20 (this varys somewhat depending on grape, country, etc. Burgandys just seem to cost more. I might buy 4 star wines at under $50 and 5 star wines if under $100. My dream is to find a 5 star Pinot Noir for $20. Dream on.

Winery or tasting – Here is where the rubber hits the road. I am usually tasting 10 or more wines, so comparisions are inevetable. And I am usually thinking about getting some of those that intrigue me.

So, lets put this problem into the forum, see what various people have to say and maybe, we can come up with a WLTV scoring system that will “change the wine world, one episode (or score) at a time”.

Follow up on my previous comment (#72).

Using tonight’s episode as an example (and rephrasing your comments) you might have said:

“RP gave this a 92, and at 4 stars and $14 the Shotfire is a steal.”

“RP gave this a 92, but it is a little hollow so I’ll rate it 3 stars, But at $36 the primary interest in the Nuriootpa is to see how 16 year old students do in Australia.”

“RP gave this a 93, but it tastes a little fake to me so I will only give it 3 stars. The John Duval is $28.”

“RP gave this a 96. I think it is even better. This outstanding 5 star wine is $88 (or more) when you can find it.”

Gary, as you said in your closing comments: “Tasting notes are far more important than the actual points.” But a shorthand score does help in crystallizing your opinions. I just think that trying to “nuance” an 87 from an 88 or a 91 from a 90 is just not that helpful.

Kahuna: I remember Press Your Luck — No Whammies! The same is true with wine — No Whammies! (-hopefully- Got that Gary?)
Favorite game show – Liar’s Club. It didn’t teach me how to lie, but rather how to make up goofy explanations for things I didn’t recognize. It also gave Larry Hovis work after Hogan’s Heroes was cancelled.

Question:
What is the proper (and safe) way to “decapitate” a wine bottle should the cork prove unremovable with a corkscrew or just to impress your dinner guests? Could you demonstrate this on Wine Library TV?