Baby was cute just like last time. Fun episode – really quick, but fun.

Qotd: Oak Monster – NO. Baby Vanilla Oak Monster – Yes!

I have found very few Merlots I like though I must say my first experience with wine included Merlot in a small restaurant some years ago in Venice. Unless one can get their hands on a Paloma, I’m guessing there’s not much out there without having a Bordeaux blend.

QOTD: I vote “no” to the Oak Monster and Obama. Oops, got real political.

I have found very few Merlots I like though I must say my first experience with wine included Merlot in a small restaurant some years ago in Venice. Unless one can get their hands on a Paloma, I’m guessing there’s not much out there without having a Bordeaux blend.

QOTD: I vote “no” to the Oak Monster and Obama. Oops, got real political.

You and that Oak Monster. Why don’t you turn on the light and you’ll see its not a monster at all, scarety cat.

QOTD: Hate overd-oaked wine but love it when done right.

Good to see the ol’ friend Merlot back for a show. I went to a big dinner last weekend w/a fixed pairing and the lone merlot took the no. 1 spot of the 6 we were served.

QOTD: I’m undecided on the OM. Some days I’m a fan, some days I’m not. I can tell you that the one varietal that I like it least in is Chardonay. If it’s an over-oaked Chard. I get an instant headache and pretty much move on to something else right then. However, a nice integrated, ballanced Cab. Sauv. with a touch of oak is killer to my pal.

So, bottom line: wishy-washy/undecided.

Well… We don’t (wife and me) don’t like Oak in french you would see, “on haït ca¨”

But when it’s well balanced, it’s a plus

MD

Gary good episode I do have to say i lover Merlot.

QOTD:
-Not really a fan of the oak monster.

QOTD- I am voting against the Oak Monster aaaarrrrrrhhhhhhh

Vote NO on Proposition 04-K:The presence of oak monster in wine act of 2008.

Thanks for the episode today GV. It’s been a rollercoaster day, glad to have another new episode to see! How was I not surprised that Rolland’s wine was over oaked? I’m sure it was well micro-oxygenated as well.

And Vivian, excellent job on training your pal!

QOTD: MD, je suis d’accord, “on haït ça!” Yeah, I’d have to say, no to oak MONSTER, sometimes yes to well integrated and subtle oak. Vanilla and caramel are good. However, I find that Slovenian oak scares me more.

I’ve never been really offended by the Oak, but maybe I just write the wine off completely if they overdo it. Oh well, eventually the market will decide and I’ll know which wineries to avoid.

The Oak Monster will not enter my house. The little bit of oak is ok though under the right circumstances.

The Oak Monster will not enter my house. The little bit of oak is ok though under the right circumstances.

I must say I am not a fan of the oak monster in any form. But it will be interesting what the wine will be like when it has aged and that oakiness has gone away. Who knows it may be a stunner in 10 years. A really great Merlot from Washington State that I tried was the 2005 Amavi. I had it at a restaurant. The price point is about half of the others.

I feel your pain about the broken glass, GV. It was a Vayniac glass, wasn’t it? I broke my Seattle Vayniac glass a couple of days after I got it. Made me sad.

Way ta go, Vivian! We are learning so much from you.

QOTD: With oak, like most things in life, moderation is the key. As long as it knows its place and plays well with others it’s okay. But in its bully-boy monster persona it’s hard to live with. So that would be a vote against from me.

Qotd – Oak good, Over-oak bad. Over-oaking in reds just tastes like biting into a piece of wood that sucks all the other flavors of the wine away.

When tasting from vats at a winery you see the complexity that oak adds to most fine wines, however it takes many good decisions as to the amount of new oak, the type of oak, and the time in oak barrels to come out with a good result.

QoTd
I love the vanilla, but no Oak Monster!

Gary,
QOTD: Against the oak. The Cali wine makers need to spend some time in Bordeaux. You would think they could figure it out!. Oak treatment is an Art, not to be applied with a bulldozer!

Ok man, now some advice. I have been watching the show from day 1 so you know I love you. Please try to be a little respectful with wasting wine. Your not getting the desired impact anymore. Really no reason to do this. You tell us all the time from where you came and struggle your family had. Put that thought in your head when you are wasteful. I can laugh at everything you do but your over the wire on this one!

Well if we are being political and can only choose one side. I would say against the oak monster. Better to have a wine with no oak and able to show its other characteristics than having an over-oaked wine.

QOTD: Against Oam-Monster, Pro Vivian.

QOTD: Against Oam-Monster, Pro Vivian.

QOTD: oak should play a supporting role (if at all). Long ago when they started making wine, it was probably a lot harder to make new barrels all the time so they were probably recycled a lot. I am sure that older wines had no oak monster. Wood was used because we didnt have stainless steel…I dont think it was ever intended for oak to become a prominent flavor.
If you look at wine, the only other ingredient besides grapes is oak. It seems like when people dont stand behind their harvest, they will resort to oaking it. I sure hope us vayniacs can change that mindset. I know plenty of people who are used to drinking oak monster wines.
I also dont know if anyone has done research on this, but from my experience, heavily oaked wines make me sick sometimes. Maybe its got something to do with the chemicals in the wood?

No to the over-oak monster. No need for it in excess, since it does cover up many other qualities the wine should be able to express on it’s own. It’s kind of like a “helicopter parent” who never let’s their child speak on their own – a mom or dad who doesn’t trust the kid to say something meaningful…

QOTD. When the oak is monstrous, no I don’t like it. But a touch of oak can be very nice. It’s all about balance.