Great episode. Watching it over and over for about a year or so.

Just came across this episode under Favorites — it’s a riot, especially when half your tongue went numb! All for the cause ~~ I would definitely add flowers to the profile. To me a great viognier has an unmistakable honeysuckle element, and violets is of course core to many of the French reds ..

I loved the show. It was educational and sort of.. … … hilarious! I think you left out honey. I feel that I taste and smell a lot of honey in Gewürztraminer. Though, you are the professional. Oh, and maybe lychees?

Also, I was really happy when you mentioned mango. I was actually drinking some mango flavored coconut water and you inspired me to give it a ‘sniffy-sniff’, and wouldn’t you know it… I completely recognized it from many wines I have tried in the past- it was the mystery note that I was familiar with yet couldn’t place.

Thanks again!

OMFG!
the ending was AWESOME!

hilarious, man…..hugs from BRASIL!(please, answer my twitters)

Not that anyone ever would, but anyone who ever doubts Garys unending devotion to wine should be referred to this episode.

FANTASTIC!! This is just what I needed. I drink wine and just don’t get it sometimes. Someone else will say what they are tasting and I just nod my head. But now I know why – I need to train my palate – maybe not quite the way you just did but I will be paying more attention to the foods I eat and try somethings I never would have before. THANKS

HAHA WOW. Just got to this episode in my journey of watching a bunch of back episodes. Definitely one of the all-time greats. I am totally with you Gary–tasting, smelling, and committing all this info to memory so you can access it in the most visceral way when it comes to tasting wine. The only way to know blackberry is to have tasted blackberry…Not sure if you’ve done it already (still going through a bunch of old episodes) but I think a sequel is definitely in order. Things I would add to the taste party: crackers, graham crackers, chalk, gooseberry, cantaloupe, carrots, watermelon, lychee, rose petals, violets, lemongrass…theres so much to LEARN!! Also, classic ending–if you have any more Cristal to spare…maybe a contest?!

Hey Gary,

Great video, I just got into wine and have been drinking a bunch of zin and cabernets but I was never a big fruit guy. Trying the jams really helped me identify and finely get what everyone else was talking about.

OH My!

I saw this episode in the past favorites and had to watch. It’s funny, I was just talking to my wife about needing to do something like this. I hear you and others talk about the smell of cassis or other spices and have never tasted them myself. I remember seeing you on the Ellen show doing this. That is when I knew you would be HUGE. Major props!

Josh

Love it, Love it, Love it!!!! I cackled… actually cackled. Hilarious….but absolutely necessary. My boss has been a WLTV follower for a while and when she found out I was interested in wine, she told me to take look. I’ve spent about an hour now watching past episodes….I’m hooked. Thanks Gary.

ROLLING ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING!!! I have been in wine education in Bordeaux for some 10 years now and believe without a shadow of a doubt that you have the “Wine Future” in the bag. You have a lot to teach us here. I hope some of it sinks in. I will definitely be a following you from now on. Thanks for revolutionizing wine education and speaking to a segment of wine lovers forgotten by most.

Gary,
That was a great show. I have wanted to develop my flavor profile for quite a while but I am a super picky eater. You have inspired me to be a little bolder in the things I try. Thanks

Ok, I’ve been watching for a little under 1 year now (as of Dec 09) and I’ve seen some awesome and hilarious episodes. But this….glad I looked it up. Funniest thing ever and at the same time HUGELY informative and educational. Need to taste some hazelnuts in there. The filberts are big time in white burgundy!

awesome job..the only thing I wish that you had tasted are gym shorts (crappy cheap California whites) and seafood (mainly a bad white sometimes a crappy red think Sud Afrikaa) but overall awesome!

First time watcher 🙂 Loved this! My kids watched it too. I laughed so hard when you held up the cloves!! It does make your mouth numb and I use it in essential oil form for teething babies. Just a small dab on the gum and numb as can be. No wonder you couldn’t get any taste out of the arrowroot! hahaha This whole show was just really really great. I just have never understood wine at all and you are revealing the whole mystery of it to me. Maybe I’ll even like it now! Thanks.

Have you tried the muscadine grape? I think that is where the plastic superhero taste comes from. I find it in a lot of North Carolina Wines where the grape is grown. Just moved to NC from Cali and I am trying to support the local wineries, but so far the superhero muscadine kills it for me. But thanks to you I will venture on in hopes that it can be done with class.

Gary Vay.Ner.Chuk,

I am in the midst of CRUSHING IT! I know you hear it all the time, I am by far not your average bear. Your book was recommended by my New York Times best seller buddy. I read it in two days and have found by niche. I am reading it again to pick up what I may have missed. Wait until you hear this one.

I promise you will be proud of my journey. I will one day meet you face to face. I share a very similar gift with you. Passion and charisma.

Until then,

Swanson

Fantastic episode! Like a steamroller on jetfuel – you just kept rolling through – and quick (so it didn’t become a 2 hour episode!). Nice work. Good laugh. Good knowledge.

I’m new to your world – but I hope you keep up the wine work now that you are “diversifying”.

Keep it up.
Marc

Gary —

My good friend recently went to a book thing for CRUSH IT in CT and told me I needed to look you up online…And I’m glad she did.

Watching some of these videos for WLTV has made my day. I got a few real belly laughs watching this one particularly — but not laughing AT you, laughing with you : j

Love how you are bringing the ability to be sensitive to the layers and subtlety of flavors in wine to the hoi polloi, as it were — that being me (and a little bit you) and most everyone else I suppose.

Very enjoyable watching you talk about wine and sample cereal and pronounce the french (well, I might add) and eat the dirt…

It’s all good.

Keep doing what you do and keep enjoying yourself; it shows and it’s contagious.

All the best and happy new year,

-S.

Ah man that was great. I just started watching about 2 weeks ago and every episode has excited me and had my full attention for the entire show. Ever since you had described something as tasting like rocks I was wondering if I should go out and do some Lollirock licking but I was hesitant after this episode I LICKED MY COUCH, BIT MY COFFEE TABLE, AND NOMED ON SOME MASKING TAPE. So yeah I think I might go out at some point and get some snowy Dayton, Oh rock maybe even some bark.
I'm 20 so I can't legally drink. But if I did my favorite wine that I have had so far would be a 2007 little penguin shiraz. I am going to keep watching. Thanks for sending my friend a copy of you book and if you come to OH anytime soon hopefully like November, December after I'm of age I am there. Thank's again.

one of the funniest episodes of WLTV i've watched so far. but so incredibly informative and helpful to those of us just developing our palates. thanks Gary!

Lychee fruit! I was really suprised you didn't recommend it. Also, I've been looking through your videos and I haven't seen anything explaining the basics about wine tasting. Something explaining the general terminology and various approaches to wine tasting would be very helpful. Thanks Gary! (PS, give away more wristbands!)

Gary, I tried some of this today with my two-year old for breakfast. We each had a different jelly on our PB&J sandwich (tasting each jelly separately). Then ate some different dried fruits together (plum, cranberry, strawberry, blueberry, apricot, pear, peach, apple, and even CANDIED GINGER).

So while I develop and train my palate this way for my upcoming wine classes, I also get to make sure my son has an appreciation for a variety of tastes.

Thanks for putting this together…this was very cool.

APRICOTS, when I drink German rieslings.