I am actually on the RadCru mailing list but I have yet to order anything from them. I also have actually had a wine from Stellenbosch but it was a merlot/cab blend. I thought it was pretty good for the money.

I Fight for ME, FOR ME!!!!!!! – Ivan Drago

The Cameron Hughes story is very intriguing – and unique. So far, his wines are only offered by the Costco stores on west coast and just recently in Chicago. There’s a FANTASTIC interview with Cameron, podcast, from late last summer by Hungry Magazine (out of Chicago). http://www.hungrymag.com/2006/08/18/cheap-wine-oh-so-fine/
Here’s a little bit from the interviewer:
“This week I sit down with Cameron Hughes, the man some folks are dubbing the robin hood of wine. Hughes owns no vineyards, makes no wine, but he has an inside connection to some of the best wineries that do. The way the model works is many top wineries produce wine that either doesnâ??t fit in to their profile or they make too much of a wine. Thatâ??s where Hughes steps in. He buys up the excess lots and then markets them under his own label and sells them direct on his website or through Costco. Because Hughes bypasses traditional middle men and marketing fees, heâ??s able to offer incredible wines for about $10 bucks.

Gary-the deal with you dad’s cell phone was BEYOND bizarre?! Of all the things that could have bumped into your leg in the ocean…
(your dad must have a cell-phone-angel)

The Cameron Hughes folks didn’t waste any time tagging onto the GV “thumbs-up” (from the CH web site)
Latest CHWine News
02.07 Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV gives big thumbs up to Lot 19! Click to watch

QOTD:

The Space Race!!! Movie–“The Right Stuff”

I dream of Jeannie… just promise that you’ll think about it!
R/Eason

Things you learn on the road:

1) I’ve run across Cameron Hughes in Texas as well … thought he was just working with California grapes though, didn’t know he was worldwide.

2) Yakov Smirnoff has a place in Branson. In fact, I think he lives there.

QOD: since all of the good ones appear to be taken, give me either Fischer-Spassky (the first one, before Bobby went completely insane) or that Frankie Goes to Hollywood video with Reagan and Chernenko knocking each other around.

QOTD: “Do you believe in miracles?!” I’m going with “The Miracle on Ice.”

Hey, Gary, nice episode!! QOD: ‘The Saint’, with Val Kilmer, some of it filmed in Russia. LOVE that movie…

QOD= The movie “Reds” Great great flick.

Tom Cruise’s 1 finger salute to the Russians in TOP GUN. Upside down at Mach 1. Goodness, Gracious Great Balls of Fire!

That was a very odd episode. I got the feeling that you didn’t like this wine very much but politically felt conflicted about giving it 86 or 87 points. Lots of heat, bitter tannins, maybe it will get better by 2010? In a normal episode you would have given this a PAZZZZZ pass. You looked nervous and were scrambling for something nice to say about it. Hmmmmm.

Top 62! I’m never in this early. Interesting little episode Gary. Loved the 3-count on Hulk.

The Macho Man Randy Savage rules!!!!!! OHHHHH Yeah!!!!!

This episode sucked. Either keep it up or give it up.

QOTD: Got a couple of great 80’s music references… (1) Sting – Dream of the Blue Turtles – Russians, “I hope the Russians love their children, too.” (2) Genesis – Invisible Touch – Land of Confusion, “…make it a world worth living in.” (esp. the video).

Well, that was worthwhile, Shotgun. Quite an intellect you have there.

…correction on #66…(just listened to the song) “…place worth living in.” 🙂

Kudos to you, Gary, for tasting a ‘competitor’s’ wine.
Also, since I’m going to S Africa, I appreciate the advanced knowledge on what to expect when I get there. Thanks for doing my dirty work.
QOTD: the saying, ‘I have to pee like a Russian racehorse.” What the hell does that mean, anyway? Can you enlighten me? Do Russian racehorses drink more wine than American racehorses?

Bond. James Bond. I love Ian Fleming’s novel, “From Russia, With Love.”

I also love the term, “glasnost.”

And who can forget Rachmaninoff’s beautiful and, apparently, maddening 2nd Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 (a.k.a Rock II) and Alexander Pushkin’s wonderful writing (and his scandalous love life)….and, in more recent history, Ms Hot Thang’ tennis star Maria Sharapova (just throwing a bone to all of you adoring guys on this forum). And the language is so beautiful to hear spoken, as well.

Russia does it with style–One day when I can afford it, I hope to finally visit the place that has produced so much wonderful literature and music and (most importantly 🙂 passion!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! WINE!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! WINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JUST GETS ME SO PUMPPPPPED!!!!!!! OOOOOOOHHHHHH YAHHHHHH!!!!!! I’VE BEEN LEARNING ABOUT WINE FOR 7 MONTHS AND IT MAKES ME SO EXCITED!!!! WOOOOO!!!!!!! WINE IS ART AND CULTURE AND LANGUAGE AND CHEMISTRY AND LOVE AND HORTICULTURE AND AMAZING MAZING MAZZZZING! WHO ELSE IS PUMMMMMPPED ABOUT SUCH A WONDERFUL CREATION OF HUMANKIND!!!! WOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! WINE! WINE! WINE ! WINE! W! I! N! E! I CAN FEEL MY NOSE AND PALATTE EVOLVING, BABY! ITS GAMETIME BABY! HELL YEAH! WOOOOOOOOOO!

For gnarlyoak… Welcome Lurker No More! I’ve noticed that people don’t really welcome people when they said they have “lurked” for x amount of weeks. Well, I know how Gary (although not recently) usually cries out for Lurkers to come out and I encourage the same. The interaction on these posts make this whole experience that much more interesting and fun.
Question: Gary, is it true that for every hour you decant a wine, it equals the same number in years of aging… while it opens?

QOTD Before your time…the comedy movie “The Russians are Coming” – what with Sputnik [is that “Spit Nut” spelled inside out?] and Spassky and Andre Tchellichef, I was compelled to learn to speak Russian in an after school class – classmate Olga’s mother from Kiev taught us the Alphabet – which was really hard to learn the Cyrillic. She also made Piroshki and Pirog for us to taste.
From what I remember in [English phonetic] not proper Russian spelling [Do we even have keys to write in Russian on our computers?]:
Da, Ya Ponymaiatchoo Po-Russky. Nyet, Ya Netchigo Szhnaiyoo Po-Roosky. Dobvrey Dehn, Boomaga Pojahlooweesta, Dobvrey Veyecher, Strastwitcha, Dassveydanya.
And then I fell in LOVE with “Dr. Zhivago” – the book and the movie. Gulag – NO, Thank You.
S. Afrikans Merlot – Maybe? Thanks for opening our minds to exploring the world of wine.

Trish – its Roc III that’s apparently maddening, according to ‘Shine’. And ‘Reds’ and ‘Zhivago’ are most memorable. Well, next to my Mom, who was born in Russia.

QOTD: The Russian in Rocky III