The thing used for b tasting is called a THIEF wine guru.

QOTD: I think Chard is like any varietal, it’s easy to fuck up with oak and it’s hard to find a good one at a good price.

I didn’t like Chards until I tried an unoaked version. I think it was a Wakefield. Much better! Drier, more acidic and much more to my liking. So while it wouldn’t be at, or even near the top of my list I’ll still occasionally pick up a stainless Chard.

QOTD: I’ve never really gotten excited over Chardonnay, but that’s because I’m not really into any whites at all. If I do drink a white, I’ll go Torrontes, Albarino, or Sauv Blanc. (Maybe I just haven’t had a great Chardonnay yet.)

OK sad day today in Tampa 🙁 Congrats to Rutgers over USF – but damn, it was close!! OK New Jersey rocks (“I’m just saying that”). As far as chardonnays – I am not afraid to say I like big buttery chards. Especially love to have a dinner or snack of a bag of popcorn and – yes- chardonnay. I am somewhat of a “lurker” and somewhat of a wine “newbie” as far as branching out to a lot of different wines. But winelbrarytv and the forums and wine library (especially free shipping!) are beneficial for me in branching out more with wine. Drinking a glass of the Chinon La Noblaie right now and can pick up on the green pepper, vegetal aspect. I like it! It’s differnet. Also was drinking some Coppola Claret earlier that had a hint of something unusual to me. Could it ahve been pencil shavings? Trying to figure out these tastes. I am branching out and want MORE from my wines! Thank you Gary… and WLTV comments and forums.

Honestly? I don’t pan it to others, but I don’t often buy it. Buttery chards gross me out (I also don’t eat my movie popcorn buttered :-), the unoaked chards are too watery and bleh for me. Ditto for pinot grigios. My dry whites of choice are: Rieslings & Tokajis (all grades of sweetness), Eisewines, Sauternes, Pinot Blancs, Sauvignon Blancs and regionally grown white grapes (I like to discover new white wines from other countries).

QOTD: I spent the better part of the late 90’s not liking Chard, but I had dinner at a friends house in 04 and had an Aussie Chard that blew my socks off. I can’t remember the chard, but made me take note. Well, I’m back on the chard bandwagon. But I agree with others here that it’s gotta be balanced. If I want Buttered Popcorn, I’ll go to the movies.

Sign me up for the “Butter Bandit” T-Shirt!!!

And thanks for the sniffy-sniffs. My wife and I both miss the spit flying though. ah well…can’t please us all!!!

Well, I am not too enthusiastic about Chards because they tend to be pricey and too oaky for my taste!!…Simply, there’re just too much better value white wines out there other than Chards out there…For the Burgundy ones, I do, however, pay sometime the extra $$. Cheers…

I tend to dislike most chards. i’m not into the whole buttery oaky thang.
that said, as a grape varietal, i really think chardonnay is awesome (if the wood is kept in check).

Since my Gold standard for Chardonnay is Burgundy and that also goes for Pinot Noir then a fat buttery California Chardonnay can get sickeningly sweet without the minerality or chalk you taste in Meursault for example. This is no reason to dis the varietal but just the balance of flavor from the California style. I tasted a Chardonnay from Catena called Alamos which for $8 gave me a clone of a buttered popcorn Cali Chard. You mentioned Lobster the other day and to me nothing pairs better than a rich Chardonnay with a nice 3 pounder. I still prefer the French style but they are not cheap. Chablis can be found with a scarcity of oak for those that want only the grape and not the vanilla. I prefer the richer Corton Charlamagne, Meursault, Puligny, Chassagne and Batard Montrachets. When I was in the restaurant business everyone ordered Pouilly-Fuisse but couldn’t pronounce it. The Montagny’s, St. Veran and St Aubin are all off the beaten path so are good values. The Macon’s also have good value Chards.

I do frequent a small wine shop near my work so much that one day he threw a bottle of Byron 2003 Chardonnay in my bag as a gift. I eventually got around to tasting it and was quite surprised at the quality level. I would purchase it again and it had a beautiful nose of fresh pineapples.

Mostly I drink reds but Chicken and fish will plead for Chardonnay. I have ventured on to other varietals like Viognier recently. Again the California versions (Praxis) are much sweeter than the Rhone originals. My advice is try a decent domaine from where these varietals originated before you write them off your list. Also you can’t beat a good Blanc de Blanc Champagne which made from 100% good old Chardonnay…

Have Chards once in a while, great with halibut, sea bass, and crab. Trying other whites more often, chards (esp. Cali) seem to taste the same. Props for Forgeron Chard out of Walla Walla.

Heh. That’s funny: “oakey” vs. “oak-ay” 😀

QOTD: Sure I’m down on CA Chardonnays. If I had unlimited funds, I’d be happy to experiment with them, but as it is, I avoid most American and Australian Chardonnays. I don’t mind a French one every once in a while though.

Have Chards once in a while, great with halibut, sea bass, and crab. Trying other whites more often, chards (esp. Cali) seem to taste the same. Props for Forgeron Chard out of Walla Walla.

I’m not down on Chardonnay, I’m down with Chardonnay. Who doesn’t like a little butter once in awhile?

Gary- That was a really great episode. You gave it all you had!!

QOTD- I arrived late in the wine world and knew little about Char, tried a few, liked quite a few of the unoaked types, and continue to buy it today. Alright, you got me, I buy it mostly for my friends who like it, but I remain, ever hopeful.

QotD: The only reason I’m not big on Chards is that I’m not a fan of butter at all. So I’ll enjoy a good Chard as a very rare indulgence.

QOTD: Chards have never been on my “to do” list. I never really drank whites until I started watching your vlog. Look at my 1st order with you…just one red. I tasted Albarino, Verdejo, White Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc, Torrontes, Greco di Tufo. What wonderful flavors I’ve been missing out on (still gotta get a Gewurzt and a Gavi). But dude, you make me want to stay from Chards. Maybe I should get an over oaked one just to see what it means.

P.S. had an A Mano Primitivo 2005 with my borsellini tonight…what good eats! Thanks

A big point that is missed regarding the Sonoma Cutrer, is that it was sold!
I have had email conversations with Brice Cutrer regarding his new venture Emeritus Pinot Noir
and the quality that has ensued since it [Sonoma Cutrer] was sold.
His new venture is top notch!

QOTD: When I started drinking wine I drank a lot of chardonnay but never really liked it and now I really hate it haha I prefer a millions times more riesling and gewurztraminer and so on because what I really like is acidity and acidity 🙂 right now I’m having Trimbach’s standart pinot gris 03…. not that good hahahaha see ya gary… stop doing cabs and chards! 🙂

My wife and I can’t stand oaky Chards. They wear on the palate and the experience of tasting butter in any beverage is nasty. The reality is this runs contrary to most of my wine drinking friends who seem to default to Caly Chards when buying white wine.

On the other hand I have always liked Pinot Gris from Oregon – they tend to be crisp and refreshing – and this past summer really started tasting as much Sauvignon Blanc as possible.

Gary, great episode today, good to see you back.
QOTD- At the beginning of the summer I would not touch Chard because of pre concieved notions, but now that five times a week, some guy from jersey has been screaming at me to quit with the pre conceived notions, I have been enjoying alot of Chards. I think I have 5 or 6 in the basement at this moment just wating for me.

QOTD: I go through phases where, after about two months, I start to crave Chard. Not the unoaked ones so much as the big butter/oakbombs. Usually one or two will suffice.

At a wine store I worked ina few years ago, we had a bunch of different 95 and 95 Sonoma Cutrers that had been sitting around forever, so we blew them out for about $18 Canadian ($11 US at the time). About one bottle in every six pack was leaking (don’t think it was storage or heat damage… who knows), but I kept picking the ones with the best ullage and they knocked me out every time.

Butter Bandit? How about the Butter Pirate? Darth Butter? I dunno. I guess the Butter Bandit, even though it has a 1950’s Tastee Freeze kind of feeling.

I don’t seek out buttery Cali. Chards for my collection. But in a restaurant, I might order a glass. It’s reassuring, and the buttery heaviness can be very comforting, like when you fall asleep after a big turkey dinner. I’ve enjoyed ZD, Simi, etc. And my Dad likes it, and we enjoy a glass together every so often.

By the way, Crushpad spelled your name as “Vaynerchuck.”

http://www.crushnet.com/media_details.php?nid=709

gv, i love you man! kick ass show! just decided yesterday to make wine for the first time w/ a friend in WA certainly will take what i’ve learned since epi 100 and apply to my soon to be practices…ty!

my votes for the butter pirate!!!!!!!!!!