Personally I really don’t like Chardonnay and if i drink white I perfer a nice Pouilly Fuissé instead.

(OK now go and laugh with the boys).

Actually I really don’t drink Chardonnay, I think I skip it because everyone who knows nothing about wine always drinks chardonnay. Did you ever go to a bar in a nice restaurant and ask, “what kind of white wine do you have?” They say chardonay. Most people say great and order a glass. I ask, “what kind?” Hell it could be Yellowtail for all I know!

Last week this happened to me with a red wine in a expensive restaurant in Oakland, New Jersey, the lady at the bar read off a list of reds ranging from pinot to zin, I asked, “Yeah but what kind?”, then she rudely handed me the wine list.

Stubborn bastard that I am, I looked and replied, “it’s all crap” and ordered a Negroni.

OK, if I win the wet tee shirt contest can we go to my favorite wine region, the Santa Ynez Valley? It’s so hard to find a bottle of Andrew Murray in New Jersey.

Gary,
My heart was breaking and my stomach churning when I saw the Chardonnay line up. Then your faint praise for the Clos Du Bois worried me. (After all, you had pledged during the Atlanta TV thing to rehabilitate Merlot! God help us.) But as your show progressed I was relieved. They Gary we know and admire shone through. They are simply awful wines. Quite right. Oak, full malo be damned. America’s palate is often seems still stuck in the post-prohibition era when anything made in a bathtub was pretty darn special. Though, truth to tell, my grandma, god rest her soul, made better elderberry and Thompson seedless wines than those featured today.
To cleanse your palate I would suggest something from my beloved Pouilly-Fuisse or sublime Saint-Veran. Beautiful, unmanipulated Chardonnays. They deserve a show.

QOTD: Three Families Chardonnay — small Mendocino winery with cool serial comic strip labels and NO oak! I admit that it loses some complexity without the oak and malo, but the crisp citrus, pinapple, and apple more than makes up for it.

Enjoyed the show! Looking forward to a new shirt! I don’t buy chardonnay anymore except to serve to guests at parties.

Gary,
Good episode. I’ve been a lurker for a while but I’m not after the t-shirt so i’m not going to tell a long story. Anyway, you hit California Chardonnays today and someone else asked about California bubbly so I thought I would add a link to my other favorite wine vlog http://www.winecountrytv.org/whatlukkalikes. They do all Sonoma County wines. Pretty cool. Keep up the good work Gary!

Gary,

Lurker – looking for T-shirt

In my work, a couple of times a year a drive through wine country in Washington State. I bought some 2000 SNOQUALMIE MERLOT RESERVE at the winerey at a pretty big discount (something like $12 a bottle) I got home and drank one and was impressed and laid down a few – gave most of them away as gifts – months later I discovered I still had one and drank it. I had forgotten how good it was and so I googled it to buy more and your site came up. It was something like episode 5. I am claiming to be the longest existing Lurker – (since episode 5!) (now a recovering lurker) that you just yanked out of hinding with the promise of a free T-Shirt.

TJS

Gary: awesome, valuable episode!

QOD, my favorite (house wine since 1997 vintage) chard under 15 is Bernardus out of Monteray. Most retailers price this at $22, but Wine Library has year over year priced it at $14.99 (Library code 8248). I have blind tasted this against Talbot and Ramey with friends and it WON. It is year in and year out, great juice. Some Oak – but with a ton of rich pure fruit to stand up to it. Here is the description from the WineLibrary.com site:

“We blend Chardonnay grapes from several extraordinary vineyards in California. The result is a complex nose of honey, melon and hazelnut. The mouth feel is amazing with a deep, rich, creamy texture that is reminiscent of Cream Brulee. The long lingering finish seems almost endless as you enjoy the subtle notes of vanilla and butterscotch.” -Winery

Joe

Bruce (post 14):

Good call on the Morgan. I am with you. Try the Bernardus and let me know how you think it compares.

Joe

Great show in Atlanta today!

QOd: Edna Valley Paragon Chardonnay. Not overoaked, great price, and widely available.

Q for Gary, do you think America’s palate really is oak and sugar, or that the average wine drinker is just responding to marketing? Simi is easy to say and people know it so they buy it. Same with yellow tail, ck mondavi, etc.

Which is why your approach to wine is so refreshing. You need to repeat you mantra/thesis/mission statement when you go on these shows like in Atlanta (1) trust your own palate 2) Try new things.)

That is what WLTV is all about.

QOD: Best Chardonnay I’ve ever had was the 2005 Fox Run Vineyards Reserve out of the Finger Lakes region of New York. Never had a California Chard I liked. Here’s what their webisite says about it:

Aromas of peach and lemon are supported by vanilla and spice notes from barrel maturation. On the palate, this wine shows rich flavors of lemon custard and baked apple.

Not a whole lot of info, but it has that nice tongue tingling acidity that I like in white wine.

QOD: Best Chardonnay I’ve ever had was the 2005 Fox Run Vineyards Reserve out of the Finger Lakes region of New York. Never had a California Chard I liked. Here’s what their webisite says about it:

Aromas of peach and lemon are supported by vanilla and spice notes from barrel maturation. On the palate, this wine shows rich flavors of lemon custard and baked apple.

Not a whole lot of info, but it has that nice tongue tingling acidity that I like in white wine.

Good overall intro to wine on the Atlanta and Company… really hit the important keys for those new to wine or looking to bring a wine to a party. Looked very comfortable and I thought you all were actually going to taste… but I guess it was more for decoration… *sigh*

QOD- At one part in my wine journey I did close my mind off to chardonnay as I did not enjoy the extremely oaked flavor profile that I got from the few chardonnay’s that I’ve tried. More recently I’ve reopened those doors and with a little guidance have come to enjoy some chardonnay. So to answer your question:
Montes Alpha Chardonnay ($12.99) – A nice balanced chardonnay with all the fruit elements that I’m looking for when I drink a chardonnay – tropical fruits, pears, apples with subtle (or citle) oak and vanilla flavors. Good acidity and balance. Overall excellent value IMO.

Great episode Gary…love the energy and humour…keep it up yo!!

QOTD: Im not a huge white drinker, so my experience is limited, but my personal favorite was the Trinity Hills chard. i beleive 2005 vintage

QOD: Terres Dorees Beaujolais Blanc. Not a toothpick of oak to be found … it’s the anti-Chardonnay!

QOD- Trevor Jones Virgin Chardonnay from Australia or Novellum (10% oaked) from Languedoc. I can’t say I have found a California $10-15 char yet that wasn’t over-oaked. Are there any?

QOD- Trevor Jones Virgin Chardonnay from Australia or Novellum (10% oaked) from Languedoc. I can’t say I have found a California $10-15 char yet that wasn’t over-oaked. Are there any?

Great Show… Pow how you like me now?? I’m wearing a Vayniac T-Shirt right now!! You know I had to gets me one!! Any other Vayniacs wearing one right now??

QOD = Sonoma Cutrer Russian River

Once it gets here I will!

Great episode, and the ‘tastes like urinal’ comment led to such a great reaction shot from the show’s host.
Can’t say I have a “favorite” under-$15 Chardonnay, but my wife and I recently tried a Chilean Chard for $14 that was pretty decent. It was the MontGras Colchagua Valley Reserva 2005, from the Rapel Valley area. I think it only scored 82 points from WS, and it certainly didn’t have any incredible depth, but we both liked the green apple, pear and moist cheese rind nose, and thought it went well with a spicy Asian salad. Some of the best Chardonnays I’ve had actually came from the Walla Walla region of Washington state, specifically from Dunham Cellars.

Gary,

Nice job on the Hotlanta show. I saw your face cringe and then shrug it off when she mispronounced your name as VAN-er-chuk. Oh well. You rolled with it and it was great promotion for your show and the site. Nice job. Too bad they didn’t give you any time to talk through the wine bottles and give recommendations.

Gary, GREAT episode. One of your top in terms of being pumped. Also enjoyed the Atlanta TV segment. Very cool, calm.

QOTD – The La Crema and Morgan offerings have been good over the years. T
Joe (Comment 32) – I will try the Bernardus. Saw it in the store, pondered, left without it. I’ll go back and get one.

E-Rock – picking up my shirt tomorrow. Will be wearing it home!!

i learned about WLTV from you GV… cause ur the man!!!!!!!!

Lurkamania is running wild, YEAH. What ya gonna do when the LURKSTER comes down on you!!!!
UH, I couldnt even think of a story to make up to get a free t-shirt (size xxl)so I will tell you the truth. You see, I have always been a fan of wine. A CIA trained chef (thats why I need the xxl)who worked his way through the trenches of the NYC restaurant scene, got hooked on wine from my man Kevin Zraly. Windows on the World wine school. Then my life has been cosumed with work and wine took a back seat for a couple of years, I still enjoyed it although not as much as I would have liked to. Then you came into my life and I’m back baby. I now also make my own wine which I would love for you to try. I drink wine and lurk every day. Oh, I almost forgot.I heard about WLTV from an advertisment on 880 am radio while listening to the Bronx Bombers takeing a well deserved beating. You were offering free shipping. (use code yankees or yanks sux) Lets Go Mets. Sorry for the babble…I got to go…Got someones chicken in the oven….

Another long-time lurker drawn out of hiding – not by the t-shirt but by the QOD – like several others, I HATE most chardonnay but recently tried some Olivier Leflaive Les Setilles 05 white burgundy and thought it was surprisingly good – very well done – definitely worth the $12 or $13 – Special note for all Vayniacs: my in-laws live in Maplewood, NJ, not far from Gary’s store so I’ve been shopping there for a very long time – way before the remodel that made it really look like a library – if you haven’t been to the store, you really should try to get there – I travel and shop for wine all over the country and WL is my favorite store, bar none – this TV stuff is icing on the cake – Gary, keep the hammer down – nice job (in air quotes) on the ATL show 😉

Gary,

My favorite $10-$15 bottle of chardonnay is: Raymond Reserve.