Is Goats Do Roam considered a joke? Not the name, I mean — the wine. I’m hardly an expert, but for me it’s one of the more reliable supermarket-available buys, and an interesting change of pace with all that leather and tobacco and tar. I make a spaghetti Caruso — a tomato sauce with chicken livers, mushrooms and peppers — and that rustic character of the Goats Do Roam is great with it.

QOTD- My 12 year old had a school project where he had to pick from a list the things he considered important in life. He made some nice choices like “a good education,” “loving family and friends,” etc, then he said to me that if he lived in Iraq, his choices would be totally different and he would have chosen “freedom,” “peace,” and “a roof over his head,” things we all take for granted in our great country. We had a discussion about all the other places in the world his “other” list might apply to. We are very lucky. Our hearts go out to the VT family.

Yuw Gary. Yes, at last a full SA-wine ep. You know I can drool over some bottles a whole day. It’s just the in-between of SA. It can so beautifully combine the OW aspects of terroir, austerity and dirtiness with the NW joy of fruit, revving noses and fancy pumped up … things, yeah things. Pinotage is the key grape in this. And of course Kanonkop is fantastic, when I just saw the bottle I knew you’d love it. Try some others to: Beaumont, Laibach, Tukulu, Allée Bleue, … they’re just amazing. So thanks for this ep.
Btw peeps: Goats do Roam is a pun on Cotes du Rhone. Same varietals and all. Had a few bottles and I have to say that I am quite dissap. with it. Doesn’t bring much more than a bit of oompf to the table. That’s that. Pity, liked the pun though.
QOTD: luckiness? Hm, I woke up yesterday with the news of the VT drama and I’ve to admit that, even being a far from my bed show, I didn’t feel just normal about all. I’m still a student and I just can’t imagine happening smth like this, you know. I just wonder why … that’s he only thing you can say here: just why? Just one individual donig this … makes you to wonder what’s going wrong with us on this blue planet. It’s not the first time smth like this happens and it’s everytime so shocking. Dunno why. Maybe because smth like this uncovers the full amount of despair hidden by some paperthin layer of glossy good-feeling our way of living keeps up. So, maybe you should keep doing that: talking about family/friends and all, and the REAL enjoyment (jouissance like one Derrida liked to say) of that, not the fake talk and the hiding away from authentic emotions.
Lucky I am that I have still some Italian blood in my veins: the Italian feeling of ‘la famiglia’ will hopefully never be smth strange for me.

Oh, yeah… I DID see this… 🙂 I just forgot, for whatever reason, yet it was still nestled in my subconscious, and it beckoned to me to try Pinotage!!! Please pardon the blonde moment. 😉

Hey G-Man: Can a wine with a plastic cork be corked? If not does that mean the wine just sux?

Peace out, …neal

Gary,

just tuned in via corkd.com. Love your no nonsense approach. Have you tried Diemersfontein Pinotage yet? Outrageous chocolate and coffee going on.

Lar

Gary & The Vaniacs,
Just had my first bottle of Pinotage…(Stormhoek 2005 – 12.5 bones here)…I am truly blessed. I’ll be in the park with a paper bag drinking several bottles of Pinotage every day… soon.
I was thinking about Sugar Smacks a while ago, and considered that they are a product of our food industry that just wants to get kids hooked on stuff that’s not necessarily good for them; thus the name smack!
We are truly fortunate to be here, now.
Regards,

Leana from South-Africa

Gary, whohoooo for Pinotage! Just love the fact that you love Nederburg! I am a true blood South-African currently living in US. Just slowly getting into the wine industry and starting my first introduction course this month (April) in Miami, Fl…. looooong story short. I have been reading on grape varieties and man my brain is overwhelmed, I did not know how on earth to make sense of it all TILL I STARTED LISTENING TO YOU! You rock and thank you so much for putting your knowledge out there for beginners like me to absorb! You are now part of my wine journey!

Hey Gary, would be nice to see you sherlock holmes a vin jaune on here

My 4 year old daughter is listening to this and said: “dont drink that, it has a monster in it,” the oak monster! Zondernaam chard was better.