Where did you have dinner? My guess is Cru.

Great rant at the end and I am trying for 365 wines over the next year but its tough since my wife doesnt drink every night I cant get through a bottle a day, but the offlines definitely let me do some catch up.

New wristbands? Dude! Awesome.

QOTD: I can’t afford 365 bottles of wine, but I am going to keep spreading around my wine consumption to various types of wine.

You Go Gary !!!!!!!!!
Great Enthusiasm !!!!! You done
brung da thunder !!!! Thanx for
unearthing some QPR Chile winners
for da troops !!! 🙂

QOTD: Sorry GV, I am NOT ready to try 365 different wines this year, but I’ll do my best to try some new things.

Yes, I want to experiment, and yes I want to learn more, but that’s all in the service of getting more ENJOYMENT out of wine. If try something new and discover I really like it, why should I deprive myself of enjoying another few bottles of it?

When I tried Crios Torrontes a few months ago, I liked it so much I ordered a case from the Wine Library. Sometimes it’s nice to have “house” wines to fall back on when I’m tired of experimenting. I hope that doesn’t piss you off. 😉

As others have mentioned, joining (or forming) a wine club is probably the best way to try as many wines as possible. But with kids, work, commuting and dealing with all the things in life that have to come before drinking, hitting that 365 number is impossible.

BTW, to answer question from melisa that got you started on the great rant, I have one word of advice: google.

Gary,

I’ve been out of town and haven’t been able to catch the show. Good to be back. Great comments on the need to try different wines.

QOTD: I’m probably on track to try 160 different wines this year.

I understand where Melisa (?) was coming from; it’s difficult for someone just starting to understand their palate, to recognize what exactly they are tasting. Not being able to tell the difference between sweet and tart might be a little weird, but understanding “mouth feel”, and actually recognizing the oak, butter, or leather flavor of a wine can be difficult. Watching you has helped, because although rarely am I able to find a wine you’ve tasted (on the show, and one that sounds intriguing), when I do I can use what you’ve said to see if I detect the same things. I’ve also concluded that maybe a wine club would help, having other people who have advanced palates describe what they are tasting while I do as well.

Great rant at the end…I thought you were going to come through my screen and start slapping me! You’re genuine…that’s what makes you cool.

Actually, I was thinking that melisa’s question maybe deserved a different response.

If you’re shopping at wine store, the sales staff can be very helpful. That’s why it’s important to pick a shop based on good sales people rather than simply lowest prices. (Luckily for me the Wine Library scores high on both counts.)

And in a restaurant, don’t be afraid to ask the waiter or sommelier. I do it all the time, even in front of friends and clients who think I’m the wine expert.

Awesome rant at the end!!! Bravo!

I have tried more types of wine this year (and because of that, so has my wife), than I have tried in the last 3 combined. I am constantly looking for new values and varieties. Thanks for the inspiration and knowledge!

That was AWESOME G . Already on #3 Of 365 . Wine can be fun.

You’ve been badged. Great episode. Great rant.

QOTD: I’m with some of the others here and I’ll probably be down for wine a week for a year.

Well well well … GARY, congrats on so many comments. I WAS going to say that you don’t need my comments anymore, but hey, that RANT was trly awesome. I buy wines that I’ve had before only when I really, really love them (Dominio de Longaz, Tintoralba Crianza 2000, etc.), but ALSO because I like to bring a known-wine to thers who I am turning on, and what better way than to bring a wine that you KNOW brings the thunder! I also beleive in always trying new things. In doing so I’ve had tremendous wines that I NEVER would have had otherwise, so … yup, I’m a believer.

Case in point: I’ll be ordering that Nimbus Sauvignon Blanc!

Nice show GV,
Your Loyals (LV’s)… Darcey and Cliff

Now THATS bringing the thunder.
Gary, you were kind to Melissa!

Love ya Gary…but there are decaf brands with all the flavor of a fully-caffinated coffee. 🙂

QOTD: Great rant, and I think we’re already up over 20 wines tasted (we’re lucky and live somewhere with lots of free tastings).

Great episode, will definitely check out this episodes selections.

QOTD: Must explore WLTV offine events to taste more wines while meeting new peeps, that’s one way to do it…

Nice rant, possibly my favourite so far!

QOTD: Am already on it…as my bank balance will demonstrate!

Absolutely outrageous !!!
You really brought the thunder tonight.

It is perfectly possible to order multiple bottles of wine without compromising the worthwhile goal of trying a variety of wines on a general basis or falling into a rut. The top five reasons for multiplicity:

1. To have something on hand you know will please your mother.

2. To be able to reach into your cellar a year later and have something reliable.

3. To bring to parties and social events knowing it is sure to please because you tasted it already.

4. To guaranteeâ??when you entertainâ??that there will be enough of a specific wine to satisfy a large number of people through an elaborate dinner.

5. To let yourself enjoy a wine when you feel your analytical powers are not sharp enough to truly appreciate a new wine. Itâ??s 105 degrees outside. You want a cold white wine. You are so miserable, you cannot afford a dud today, nor do you want to take notes. (The other way to look at this situation is that you donâ??t want to waste a wine you would and should otherwise analyze when all you want to be at this point is a non-analytical drinker.)

In retrospect, reason number 3, to have reliable wines on hand to bring to those covered dish events, is enough to justify a case of red and a case of white.

Wooo, great rant GV!! Love it! Could see it coming from a mile away, too!

To those of you out there who think 365 wines in a year would be tough, you gotta be smarter than that. You don’t have to DRINK 365 wines to TASTE 365 wines. Seek out every chance to taste 4 or 5 or 10 wines at a shot. Tasting events, touring wine country, parties, these are all great places to taste multiple wines. Learn to spit (maybe not at parties), that way you can taste 10 or 15 wines before your taste buds start to conk out – and you can still drive home! Actively look for chances to taste. It’s the best wine education you can get.

Preach it GV
I just found a new wine from Argentina for $2.00 that is made from 100% Bonarda juice, it was surprisingly good. I also was shocked that a $2.00 chardonnay took first place in a wine competition and 2nd place was a $100 bottle. The “two buck chuck” (Charles Shaw) as it is called kick some snooty butt.

Dude!?! You went old-school wrestler on our asses… Sweet. But you really need to throw in more “Ooooh yeaaaah”s and “brother”s to make it more convincing. *heh*

AotD: Jeez. I don’t know if I’d down to try 365 a year, but I’m definitely on board for 2-3 bottles a week; I’ve got other alcohols to consider in my repertoire, you know?

whooohooo throwing down the gauntlet. i accept! (good thing there are some great wine tasting events that make 80-100+ wines avail to taste . . . got to get that spit bucket technique down.)

any NC action in your future???

ps: my local shop was pushing some recent ’05 futures for about double what you have listed. thanks for the value!

free shipping ’05 and i am there . . .

Right on, Gary regarding trying new wines.

I hardly ever drink the same one every week, and it has proven a real eye opener.

I ran across several real good buys over the past several months.

Recentl;y I hit a winner with the 2005 Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina called Bodega Septima. Try it.

A long overdue and phenomenal rant !!

365…No prob.

Big G. forget the rest of the show. That last rant is off the freaking hook my friend. You are a Mad Man and you had me at 365. I’m on it and Brother as far as I’m concerned the Wine World is already changed since you crashed on the scene. Gary Freaking V for Wine Pres. What’s UP!

THROW DOWN! Okay, so I’ve been doing the “no repeats” since November. It is so much fun and worth it. I can’t afford to do a different wine everyday, but I do about 2 per week.