Hey Gary,

Have a suggestion for you… I don’t know if you’ve done a show on it before, but you should do a show on Alsatian Gewurztraminer or, if not Alsatian (where the most floral and “perfumatic” Gewurzes come from, in my opinion), just a show on Gewurztraminers in general, including one Alsatian. Perhaps a show just on Alsatian wines, maybe one Gewurz, one Riesling, one Pinot Gris, would be cool. It’s great to have a nice drier riesling, floral Gewurz, or crisp and refreshing without being over-the-top acidic Pinot Gris, and it would be good to see what you have to say about some of them.

QOTD: Best wine I’ve had because of the influence of WLTV? Honestly, it was probably the Pallagrello Bianco I had tonight… The 2003 Vestini Campagnano Terre de Vulturno. If you can get ahold of some (perhaps from a more recent vintage if you drink it more than a year from now), it’s fantastic stuff. If not that, then the best I’ve had as a result of watching is a CdP blanc I found, the 2005 Domaine St. Benoit Chatauneuf-du-Pape Elegance. Incredibly well-balanced and complex with a beautiful and silky finish, without being over the top.

As far as the worst wine I’ve had because of the influence of WLTV? That’s a tough one… it would probably be either the ’05 J. Vidal Fleury Cotes du Ventoux, which wasn’t terrible but was not appealing at all, or the 2005 Doniene Gorrodona Getariako Txakolina Gorrondona Tinto… again, not terrible, but this one was really not my style at all. Bacon and ham on the nose, bacon on the palate while still being very light-bodied, and an awkward finish, overall flabby and… just strange.

– Ross

QOTD: Best by far for me: St Jean du barroux. Great deal! Worst Phillips Hill pinot noir. Just wasn’t digging it.

QOTD 1: Estancia Pinot. Sorry GV, I’ve had them all, and could just not go beyond 86+.

QOTD: 2. ? Haven’t dipped into enough to give an a fair assessment. The Chante Pedrix CdP was/is nice though.

QOTD – I would have to say the worst was a Bridgeview Gewvurtraminer 2005 and it wasn’t really that bad, but I have only tried a few wines so far that I was inspired to try from WLTV. The best is the so far was the Chateau Sansonet 2004, and it was ridiculous good.

Gary,

I have came up with idea on how I want to structure my wine tasting so I can better remember the wines I taste. I am starting a wine log where I will right down all the wines I taste and write down my own tasting notes. This is a cool thing because I will be able to track how my pallet evolves and if I ever go back and taste the same wines I will be able to go back and check how my pallet has changed. I can also trend which wine regions and varietals I taste most. You are thinking “Wow Ryan, that is a wonderful idea. You are so smart”.

Thanks Gary, I try my best.

Ryan White

QOTD: Best 2004 Victoria Dominio De Longaz and 2000 Chat La Vieille Cure Fronsac – worst: 2001 Sky Zinfandel Mount Veeder – too hot and 2004 Urban Ribera – totally unbalanced

QOTD: I would have to say the best wine I’ve had thanks to WLTV was the Chateau Sansonnet 2004. Gary loves this house and I admit I had overlooked it vintage after vintage. Outstanding wine!

My worst experience (although I actually didn’t buy the wine from WL, it was featured) had to be the Mt. Vedeer Cab. I don’t quite remember the vintage, but my wallet does. It was $50 or so and it royally sucked. Should have listened.

QOTD: Good experiences with a couple Portuguese Duoro wines and a Hungarian thanks to WLTV. Bad ? still thinking on this….

Good Show.

QOTD: Best was the 2004 Coviv Aglianico Del Vulture
Worst was the 2005 Pasodoble Red

Best wine….tons of great recommendations but your recent recommendation for Torrontes and Cornas has put a smile on our face. Worst experience….the first taste pack was disappointing but yet though still educational. We love you!

Best wine….tons of great recommendations but your recent recommendation for Torrontes and Cornas has put a smile on our face. Worst experience….the first taste pack was disappointing but yet though still educational. We love you!

qotd:worst-2 buck chuck, best-Susanna Balbo (I think that’s how you spell it) Malbec 2005?

WORST: Etxegaraya Irouleguy Rouge 2005. Flabby and absolutely no structure. Hey, I thought Tannat was supposed to be vicious?

BEST: Jean Foillard Morgon Cote Du Puy 2006. The flavor intensity (red Nyquil meets Campari meets sour cherry juice) was amazing!

QotD: I just tried a Cab Franc from Pelee Island in Canada. Not good. Tastes like an unripe banana. Must be too cold there for the grapes to get ripe. I blame the thunder show. Best wine: can’t think of specifics, but I tried and love cotes du rhones because of gary v. Currently warming my pocket book up for the chat du papes.

QOTD: The best I have had is the Alamos Malbec (very nice and inexpensive wine) and the worst was a 2005 Mouton Cadet from Bordeaux (becuase you said you and I could have made a good Bordeaux in 2005 doesn’t mean Mouton Cadet can’t f— it up).

QOTD: I definitely tell you the worse…. It was a Pinot Grigio from my local wine shop. I thought “I’ve only had one and it was pretty good so lets try one from another vineyard” First off, it smelled like a soft ball covered in grass and onions. Which it was kind of interest that you could get that smell out of any liquid but… then I drank it. It was hard to drink it and get over the smell then I had to taste it. It tasted horrible… Tasted like a strip of rubber wrapped in apple peel and some other flavors I couldn’t even begin to figure out, lol. It didn’t turn me off of them by any means! I can’t even remember for the life of me what it was called. I think I blocked it out ; )

I do remember it was rated 91 which taught me very quickly that ratings stand for crap! It’s all about what YOU like and no one else. I have been drinking a lot of Malbec here lately since my girlfriend loves them. At least she doesn’t go for the White Zinfandel etc! lol Gratefully, she is like me and loves to try a different glass of wine each time we go out to eat. Most of the time we don’t even look at what it is exactly… We just point and say “I’ll take… That one” Sometimes we like them sometimes we don’t, but we have fun either way : )

QOTD: Fairly new Vaniac so you’ve yet to do me wrong. Had a Napa cab tasting last month and went with 2004s Turbull and Sequoia Grove. They were both money – just as you said they were.

I’m in Portland, make sure you get here!

Best: a chat. de paup for the first time in years at a local french wine shop’s Friday night tasting. Really different, really good.

don’t have a worst yet…

Best – I tried and loved a Four Vines red – very good indeed.
Worst….. I’ve had worse wine than you’ve ever tried.
I’d have to agree with Pete C above though, Beaujolais n. can put a hurt on a body……

Drinking as I type – very nice – High Altitude, Viognier Chardonnay, 2006, Agrelo, Argentina.

I’m in Alexandria, Va. If you want to have dinner tomorrow night Thursday, May 8th. with my family, mail me and we’ll organize it.

DEN>

one of the great little wines tasted because your plea to expand the palate is picpoul blanc…. can’t think of any bad recommendations… keep up the good work… farmer jim

Best from the show: Carina Cellars Syrah Seven Percent. This was a real find at a great bargain from a relatively obscure producer. Love the co-ferment with the viognier.

Worst from the show: Mas Perla. This wine wasn’t bad (actually decent 90 point effort), just *WAY* overrated. You rated this a 96 and must have had too many scoops of apple jacks that morning. No way this wine rolls in at a 96 especially for all the other value out there in the same price point.

You should compare it with the Can Blau (you did the 04 on show 26, 05 and 06 are much better) which rolls in at 13 bones and offers just as much complexity and balance; the Mas Doix Salanques (you did the 04 on show 188); or the Numanthia (you did the 04 on show 181). If you try the pepsi challenge with these wines, I’ll wager you that the Mas Perla does not come out on top.

Nice Ralph Wiggum quote. “It tastes like burining!” I also like “My cat’s breath smells like catfood.”

Gary I didn’t watch the WL show today but I just saw the BIG IDEA link so i decided to watch that. you kicked ass i and agree with everything you have to offer. you are the revolution in the social marketing campaign. kudos again gary and i swear on my life i will get you to ST. LOUIS…. thats all for now im busy… peace bro

QOTD: I won’t mention the worst owing to a solidarity with winemakers world-wide (there have been only two; both of which were, nevertheless, interesting in small ways). The best is actually a wine I recently bought on futures from WLTV: the 2003 Pignotto Riserva, Antonio & Elio Monti, Montepulciano D’Abruzzo Colline Teramane. Truly a wonderful wine. GV, you were spot on with this one! In fact, I’ve tried to buy more through your good offices but, alas, it is all gone. Will you get any more?
Cheers!

The best wine the thunder show made me try was a cabernet franc by beaucanon estates. The worst wine would have to be hands down a pinotage done by silver estates (not sure on the brand), but it was heavily oaked and masked with atrocious amounts of vanilla. Not a fun experience but I did drink and enjoy it nonetheless.

Where am I? 100 miles east of Russia (the other end of Russia) and 80 south of the Arctic Circle.
–An X-lurker