Sorry to see you so down after the Jets loss GV! Interesting episode.

QOTD: Probably the White Merlot (2003 or 2004) from Newport Vineyards in Newport, RI.

Awesome! I JUST asked a question to the staff at WL about Gary’s take on VA wines. My timing (well, theirs’ anyway) was perfect.

-m

QOTD: Man, that’s a tough one. Don’t have much experience in US outside the big four. Mostly just Pennsylvania and Virginia. I remember having a decent Viognier at Rappahannock Cellars in Virginia. Also had a decent wine from Chaddsford which is out of Pennsylvania. I haven’t read all the comments but I imagine a lot of folks would be listing sparkling Pinot Noir based wines out of New Mexico as their best outside the big four regions. I have not had the honor yet, but from what I read, New Mexico is top notch for sparklers. Has a NM sparkler ever made it to WLTV?

Gary – Thanks for the show about wines outside the big 4. I was surprised the Virgina wines were that disappointing, maybe it was just the luck of the draw as I know they have some good ones.

QOTD I had a great wine when visiting the Biltmore Estates in Ashville, N.C. it was the Biltmore Estate Château Reserve Claret. This was several years ago and have not been able to find any outside the estate for awhile.

QOTD: I think the Snake River Valley in Idaho has serious potential for chardonnay. I’ve had some very nice bottles from the good ol potato state.

Man you are cranky,

QOTD: have only had one non big 4 US wine, was from Virginia but dont remember much about it so that says something,

Gary, you basically confirmed my own impressions of VA and MD wines. I have tasted several and for the prices, gave up and went back to CA, Australia, and Argentina wines. MD does make some good ice cream syrup wines, if you like syrupy wines on your ice cream. I can’t imagine drinking them. I did buy a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon in Delaware (Nassau Valley Vineyards)about 5 years ago that I liked. I remember it because of the surprise after so many VA and MD disappointments. I’m a VA native and have high hopes for VA vineyards on the southern slopes of the hills, but so far, haven’t found anything worth the price asked and have given up trying.

I find your palate is a fairly close match to mine (grape nuts and bell peppers and all the vegy stuff, but you lost me on the goat cheese (also Capn Crunch, but that may be an age thing)- yuch tastes just like a nasty stink goat smells. Try sheeps milk cheese. Paradise.

QOTD: Ha! It was actually from virginia, but it wasn’t a white. I never liked VA whites. But the reds, especially the cab francs were pretty good. The best was the 2004 King Family Late harvest cab franc.

Loved the GREY HORSE comment!! Too bad Virginia is still behind in the wine industry! Frankly I’ve never had a US wine that is not from the big 4 producers, because of issues with quality, pricing, and availability!! Cheers..

QOTD: I tried a sparkling wine from New Mexico at a tasting last weekend, “Gruet,” that was surprisingly good.

Gary! So glad you did this episode. I have been waiting to hear your opinion on some more local wines. It is cool to hear your perspective on how far along some other parts of the country have developed. I must say though, I think you missed Virginia’s best on the episode. I live in MD and went on vacation touring wineries in VA this year. Barboursville and Jefferson were some of the better wineries I went to. Also, its not about chardonnay in VA. Its about viognier! That is the wine (in my opinion) that VA does really well. Overall, I agree the wines I tasted were waaaay overpriced, but I am excited to see how VA develops over the next years. I think its on the cusp of breaking out.

QOTD: 2005 Jefferson Vineyards Viognier.

QOTD: Being from Virginia,I have had lots of exposure to some fine local wines. Following the judging of Va. wines against others in the state, the ones you tasted tonight are not near the top of anyones list. Chard from Naked Mountain Vinyards will change your mind about VA wines. Jerry the 2thdr

QOTD: Never had one, assuming that by ‘America’, you refer to the United States of America. I don’t feel badly though. Try to find that stuff in Canada. I dare you.

I see some votes for Canadian wines though. Good to seem some love there.

I can’t make very enthusiastic comments when you’re so sad. It totally brings me down, especially since I’m not a sports person… I just feel bad for you. I don’t feel like interacting — which isn’t to say I don’t support you!!!! I love the heck out of you!!!!! But… right now, I feel like I can’t make a difference in your mood, and that makes ME sad. Maybe football season is when I should fill in for you. 😉
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, thank you for continuing to tape the show even though you are depressed as hell. I know you’re trying hard.
QOTD: I like one out of Connecticut- Stonington Vineyards, Seaport White.

Not really much to talk about out of “The big 4″……I like this termilogy…..well to be honest, in US, I’m a big fan of California wines in general,but liking a bit more the Oregon area wines and excited introduced by GV to Washington and very few from NY. Besides that I remember trying a wine from Texas some 4 or 5 years ago. Back then I was freshly new to the wine world, anyway I liked it,but I don’t remember the name.When I go back I’ll check if it has for some thunder or not.
Now Gary your’re doing super good, I’m learning and having a lot of fun, but I recommend to move on to another wine country or just not do too much of the US routine. For example let’s move to Spain, Germany, South Africa, Italy, France etc etc… and from time to time do a couple unknown US wines……. Hey no matter what you do I’ll watch all and everyone of the episodes because you are the only truly guy who tell us for real what you think about the wines you review, I’m not only saving time and money but also I’m learning a lot about the wine world because of YOU GARY….this is only my humble opinion about to keep moving around the world, by the way, I’m reading the new 2008 edition “Windows on the World” complete wine course book by Kevin Zraly. I’m half way thru and so far I find super fascinating,though I recommend it to all the vayniacs.

Go Bills! Sorry my team is causing you so much grief! Bills win = cranky GV!

QOTD: 2004 Flat Creek Estate “Super Texan” Sangiovese. Made just NW of Austin, TX.

QOTD: Hawaii… but it had half grapes and half passion fruit… yes, it was a fruit bomb.

QOTD: The only wine I have ever tried from the US outside of the “big four” was corked. One Christmas I bought my parents some of the high-end bottlings from Chaddsford Winery in PA because it is very close to where they live and they have gone wine tasting there. However, I didn’t get to taste any of them.

Hey knucklehead, it is Ore-gun not Ore-gone! Waiting to try Caduceus out of AZ, Maynard James Keenan (lead singer of the band TooL) is the owner.

Hey I know Fletcher, nice job on the Chard. I like Crystalis(sp) wines from VA, Gary you should of tasted some Viogniers, Cab Francs, and Nortons, not Chards, but oh well. VA is gettin there, but has a long way to go. 85% of our wines are baddddd.

Minnesota airport bathrooms are trouble indeed, just watch your sign language kids and you will not be deported to Guantanamo.

It’s impressive that the scores on the wines in the past couple of days have been objectiveâ??really running the gamutâ??despite some low spirits around the ranchâ?¦ sorry about that.

QOTD: Was just back in IL for my HS class reunionâ?¦ had some *shockingly* bad local wine while I was there. I should have remembered the name, the vineyard, the vintageâ??anything, really, to help me avoid it in the futureâ??but I think I’m just blocking out the whole experience.

Come to think of it, this might be a good way to get back to your happy place, Garyâ?¦ just block out Sundays for a while. Watch, then forgetâ?¦ like it never happened.

QOTD: Some Reisling from Idaho, can’t remember what it was called. We’re growing a ton of grapes and making a lot of wine here in Iowa. They’re pushing it really hard here. The only problem is that it blows.

Hey man–really excited about the Virginia wine PR. I work at a Virginia winery!! Sorry about the weak Chards, however most of what you picture as the traditional European varietals end up being (embarressingly) thin–Cab, Chard, and Primitivo, to name a few. But VA’s real strength is in Viognier and Cab Franc. Jefferson Vineyards in Charlottesville makes the best east coast Viognier I’ve ever had (’05 reserve) and Chateau Morrisette in Floyd does a nice one, too. As far as Cab Franc, Fincastle, Villa Appalaccia, Morrisette, and Barboursville do fine work.

QOD: after some really UNDRINKABLE Arizona wines, two from Dos Cabezas Wine Works were not bad: the 2004 La Montana and the 2004 Toscano. Not great QPR though.

but here’s another comment: what’s up today? I’ve been a vayniac for a long time (ep 30?), and today, it just seemed like you didn’t really care anymore.