Fun idea with blind tasting, my husband and I did a blind mousseux, champagne tasting before christmas diner this year with our family: Baby Duck (8$), Blanquette de Limoux, Henkel Troken, Freixenet, Mumm Napa, Veuve Cliquot and Dom Perignon. #1 winner was germany’s champagne, Henkel Troken!! I think we never laughed so hard and were in a very happy mood after drinking all this (there was no spitting)!
QOTD: I just had Pazo Senorans Albarino 2004, with sushi, very nice.

Excellent episode, GV!

QOTD: I just popped open a 2004 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz. BIG Wine! I’m letting the other half sit on the counter for tomorrow to see how she does!

Great episode, very energetic and fun. Wish I could try the Sea Smoke.

Wicked episode with the Sea Smoke.

QOTD: Either 1995 Chateau Magence Graves or 1992 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley.

Great episode as usual. Just opened a bottle of 2004 Turnbull Cab as we were watching your show. Very nice! We hosted our first wine tasting party a few weeks back and we voted the Amarone one of our new favorites thanks to your recommendations. We never miss your show! Have a great weekend in San Francisco.

i loved the ’04 botella. a restaurant by me has the ’05 at 50 bucks. i have to hit it up looks like.

QOTD: im in the russian river valley on my honeymoon so some good pinots and chards im guessing.

P.S. im catching up on some shows as the wifey gets a manicure and we were at four vines the other day. we bought the naked chard and had it with sushi 2 nights ago. Very cool to see you taste it the same day as us.

maybe ill run into you in napa. hope all is well.

Haven’t tried the Smoke, but tried the 4 Vines tonight. Thought it was pretty good, but not 89 point good. Thanks for the recommendation though!

Thanks for sharing your private collection. You let the freshman, junior varsity and varsity out to play today.
QOTD – Waca Cabarnet for the first time.

GREAT Friday episode. I’m not officially a “lurker” since I’ve posted on the forums, but I’ve never left a comment before now. So THERE!

Hey Gary…do you have a favorite college football team??

This was a really great episode. I loved your enthusiasm, the wines looked great, and I really liked the rant at the end. Thanks for always putting your heart into what you do…even if you have to do it more than once a day.

QOTD: Tonight it was a 2005 Robert Groffier Bourgogne Passetoutgrain. Not sure what I’ll have tomorrow or Sunday. Can’t wait, though.

Everyone have a great weekend.

Great friday, Loved the episode Going out of town Saturday morning with the family to a lake house.I’ll be drinking (QOTD) some choice selections from the cellar and beyond catch it on cork’d.Thanks GV and WLTV crew.

I love the blind tasting idea, I just wish I knew one other person in the world who drank wine. Gary, great freaking energy today (or yesterday i guess) i’m not really into pinot noir but you’ve got me wanting to go try some. Tonight I just popped one of my 2004 Numanthia’s ‘cuz i just couldn’t help myself. And tomorrow i’m going to try the Ercavio and the Di Majo Norante. Everyone have a great weekend!

Gary-

You made a few comments several shows ago about lost viewers and your spilling wine when you show color and all that stuff … same thing is happening to me as other viewers … you are injecting too much personality into the show at this point … you are “over-acting” now to the verge of annoyance. Ease up on the whacked out facial expressions and crazy stuff … we like the analogies but get them under control … it’s a better show when you are toned down a notch and more serious about the wines and not as serious about tooting your own horn and ranting on aboiut “Gary V Centric” stuff. Yeah, you have a following and a unique show, but I think you are getting a little full of yourself and getting , well, think Grape Hi-C.

Yeah, Conan, all that … we love you but you are getting on the nerves of the general populus outside the dirty-jerse. Just constructive criticism. Go back to being more of a wine consultant and quit bugging us with friend me up shit and all that iPhone crap , twiddler whatever the fuck … know what I mean ?

Great episode. That’s the closest I’ll get to tasting Sea Smoke. Thanks!

Yeah good episode Gary.

QOTD, nothing special.

Gary, I saw you on a Conan rerun about three days ago and have found myself coming back to your video blog ever since. I don’t even drink wine but it’s fun to see your shows. The reason probably is because you have a balance between silly and serous on your show. On your last last episode you said that life is a gray scale and you need balance. Well I think your show brings that, plus some.

I am very much a newbie and the more I think I learn, the less I seem to know.

My afair with Pinot noir began three or four years ago when I spent a week in Portland. The Rex Hill Pinot Noirs were delicious, and across the board everything they made was very high quality. Then I stumbled upon Laurel Ridge. Their P.N.s were just ever so slightly better, although I could not describe the difference for you. Laurel Ridge does not reach Texas, even though I urged my wine guy to seek him out. Since then I’ve been chasing that first high.
QOTD: I’ll finish a 2000 Les Gartieux de Pichon Lalande Pauillac that I decanted today just for supper. I think the antihistamines kicked in because I am picking up coffee (fresh roasted and ground, not Starbucks), wood smoke, and leather on the nose and in the mouth. It is very rare for me to be able to pick these things out. Probably I can because Gary, and the other Vayniacs, notice these things and keep people on their toes (on their nose?) to see if they are there for them as well.

I am a lurker. I got called out.

I love the show Gary. I bet I see you on Travel Channel or on Food Network sooner than later.

I would go with Travel Channel if you have the choice. It would be fun to see you running around France and Italy.

Keep up the great work. I have learned so much about wine.

I am a lurker. I got called out.

I love the show Gary. I bet I see you on Travel Channel or on Food Network sooner than later.

I would go with Travel Channel if you have the choice. It would be fun to see you running around France and Italy.

Keep up the great work. I have learned so much about wine.

Gary, We screw-cap what you think. Recently we found out from Sparky Marquis that you need to do the “Mollydooker Shake” before drinking a bottle of dooky. Here’s a link to their site with instructions: http://www.mollydookerwines.com/web/about_us.cfm

This isn’t bottle shock…it’s bottle shook. We’re all doing the Mollydooker Shake in Seattle!

The Sea Smoke Pinots are uniformly excellent, and are definately worth seeking out. I agree with Gary that the Botella is the best value, but they are all superb. Although the alcohol content is high, the tremendous fruit in the wine masks it, and the wine is beautifully balanced.

QOTD- 2004 Dehlinger Chard and 2004 Roar Pinot.

QOTD: hmm, not 100% sure yet, but I’ve got a 2000 Bookwalter Merlot (Columbia Valley) that I’ve been itching to pop lately…

I am going to be trying my Swedish Hill Finger Lakes Riesling 2006 this weekend.
Love the idea about the special dinner party with favorite special wine and special friends.

well done gary! i’m with you on your choice of seasmoke…tho 14.7% is usually a turn off for me these days.

qotd: barbaresco, excellent 2005 benoit tassy macon-village you would love and a new find from terra alta: portal roble 2004…great balance, not over the top, yum.

I’m watching the JETS beat the Falcons as I write this. As a Giants fan I can root for the Jets over a Giant division foe, the hated Falcons minus the dog fighting QB. Anyhoo. This episode is as close as I’ll get to tasting a Sea Smoke, so thanks!
I may be drinking keg beer at a friend’s BBQ Saturday but I will probably bring a Jacobs Creek Reserve Shiraz.
By the way, I had a Jacobs Creek reserve Reisling which really kicked with a stony/mineral aspect that rivaled a good Kabinett. Wondering if you’ve done an episode on good, dry Aussie Reisling? I’ll check it out.