Ok ok I am a lurker, I think because in my life I have to be way out in front some time’s I just like to kick back and watch someone else lay it out. great show. come to Dallas. If you go to Austin I will try to go.

QOTD: honestly, the best experience of the show has been how the show has piqued my curiosity overall and wanting to try everything under the sun as opposed to staying rooted in what I liked to drink before.

If we’re talking about best experience with wines, then checking out more albarinos and torrontes

As far as my worst experience, I haven’t had what I would say as a worst experience, but, I just haven’t been able to get into cab franc by itself. I’ll continue to try, but for me, it needs to be blended with merlot to make it shine

QOTD: Best is definitely the 2005 Carm Douro. Worst is any Bordeaux I have bought that you have loved….I keep trying to give Bordeaux another chance and it keeps on failing me.

Best-Discovered Verdecchio
Worst-I ordered a case of wines from the Lib for my wedding party and went on the recommendations and scores of GV. There was a Zin from Cali and a red blend from Spain in there that were not crowd pleasers at all.

Bottom line though is that WLTV has convinced me that you can’t judge any region, country, style, variety/tal, of wine just on a singular experience. To be honest, maybe it was because we had already had 10 bottles before we got to the last two or that it was about 100F outside so big reds were not very appealing. It is this thought process that I have gained from watching this and now apply to my personal and professional life.

Great QOTD Gary.

Best: So many it’s hard to remember them all. Thanks for turning us onto New Zealand Pinot Noirs, Aglianico and Albarino, among others. Now they’re some of our favorites!

Worst: Much harder question. We didn’t like the Dolcetto d’Alba we tried after you did an episode on them.

Good luck with all the TV gigs! We’ll be watching Conan fo sho.

QOTD: Thanks for telling me about Chinon & Bourgueil!

Hi Gary, good showing on Donny, just watched that down here (big sat dish), actually Msnbc on cable too… , frankly, you sounded much more convincing than the other two guests…

QOTD1: where are you? San Jose, Costa Rica (couch in front of tv in my bedroom, to be more specific)

QOTD2: Best, definitely Mitolo GAM , WOW, bought a truck load
Worst: nothing yet, but I have a few wine I’ve bought that I haven’t tasted (bought because of the show)

QOTD: Best, I tried Viognier first at a fancy restaurant. I thought it was Pinot Gris with a bunch of crappy lemon grass, I hated it. I never thought I’d try it again, but ONLY because of you I have gone back and had a few that I like. Worst, I had Cab Sauv from Australia and decided I really don’t like cat pee all up in my face.
Thanks for expanding this pal, pal.

you say “cornas” like its a spanish wine

QOTD: I realized I hadn’t tried many of the wines I’ve purchased on GV/WLTV recommendation – maybe the 2004 Château d’Aiguilhe Querre which was nice and a few others — oh yes, there was the ’07 Mahi SB that killed me. Ok, well maybe a few. But I wanted to try something touted really stellar before leaving a comment, so I popped one of four 2003 Cougar Crest Syrah Reserve bottles I’ve long been excited to try. And can I say I was not disappointed. I definitely wasted this bottle on myself tonight; it deserves more company. I’d like to say it’s the best wine I’ve had, but that might be stretching it, given the circumstances. It certainly is the best I have had in memory – that’s memory, not recent memory. I owe this pleasure to the WLTV show, as I’m certain I’d have never found this wine otherwise.

As for worst wine I’ve had associated with the WL – that would have to be the ’06 Mahi Pinot Noir that was shipped to me by mistake in place of the actual order of ’07 Mahi Sauvignon Blanc I made. Luckily, WL is a classy business, and I’m set to get the mistake resolved when the right wine is available …and they threw in some free shipping on another case. Win win wine, right?

Thanks for all the great advice and putting out the show. I’ve got to get more of this Cougar Crest…

This is my second comment… this time it doesnt pertain to Donny…

QOTD1 Im in st. louis missouri podering ways to get your ass to come here.

QOTD2 Im only 19, but I have been tasting several wines since i first started watching WL. Best: 2004 NORTON from Herman, MO (Hermanhoff Wineries??)

Where am I? A small village about an hours drive into the forest from the nations capital, the nation being Finland.

I’m new to the “Thunder”, but I guess one has to comment when being asked so nicely. I’ve been subscribing via Miro for about a dozen or so shows.
I was so taken in by the show I wrote about it on my blog…
http://www.imosse.net/index.php?s=ent_705

I’m still looking for both the best AND the worst wine, though, so I’ll get back to you on that!

An official lurker no more!

QOTD1: I’m wathing in Sicily!

Love your show and I’m trying to learn/discover so much more about wine. This show is an inspiration to try so many new types. I’m not going to buy another nero d’avola for a long time. It’s been pretty much my only wine experience so far (3 years worth) and not a great one at that. I picked up 4 different types of Italian whites yesterday after watching past episode #220. I can’t wait to try them.

QOTD2: Unfortunately I don’t have access to most of the wines I’ve seen on the show. So far the only one I’ve found is Morgante’s nero d’avola (of course). My palette is not nearly experienced enough to give it a decent review beyond – unimpressive.
I’m just now stepping outside my nero d’avola box and had a Tommasi Crearo della conca d’oro veronese last weekend and truly enjoyed it.

I loved Ryan W’s idea in his post. Great idea for a beginner!
I’ll keep trying and watching. Thanks!

QOTD: My best and worst wine experiences since watching the Thunder Show are 2 wines I ordered from Wine Library. The one I have enjoyed the most so far is the Chateau Haut Brisson 2004 and the wine I least enjoyed was the Black Pig Ribera Del Duero 2006. I have many others that I have not yet tried so this may change.

QOTD: Haven’t had a worst or disappointing wine yet, stemming from the Thunder Show. I was slightly reluctant on buying French and Italian wines for a while, but because of your show I started purchasing more of them again. Some wines that stood out over the past year for me were the Ic/le Bas Pinot from Anderson Valley(your NYC Shows)and the Lily Pinot from Sonoma. Also the Mahi Sav Blanc and the Chateau de Cauillac from the secret packs. I also have purchased but haven’t yet tried MANY of the wines you have enjoyed and recommended. I will definitely comment as I continue to drink them.

The best I can certainly say was the Chasing Venus Sauv Blanc from New Zealand, the whole evening and the context in which that wine was enjoyed made that wine the best. A good wine can in the wrong company be dissapointing and this wine was good in great company, will never forget that day as long as I live.
Lets concentrate on the positives and not harp on the negatives.

Where am I. I am from Cape Town South Africa, living and making wine in Keswick Virginia. Gary come say hi, you are already on a train coming down this way

first comment, love the show, didn’t want to be a lurker. Just went to costco to look for some wines you mentioned. Had never heard of Sauternes before so I decided to try one out. Thanks.

QOTD: The best wine I’ve had, inspired by the TS, was a Casa Zuliani Cabernet Franc. Although not specifically recommended, Gary pushed Cabernet Franc enough times for me to hunt one down. I wasn’t disappointed, and plan to drink many more in the future.

The “worst” wines inspired by the TS have been the ones I haven’t been able to track down, such as the ever elusive affordable Cornas, a veritable unicorn among wines.

QOTD: Best I’ve tried because of the show was the 2006 St. Cosme Cotes du Rhone Blanc. Also really enjoyed the Breggo Pinot Noir.
Don’t have a worst.

QOTD –
The best would have to be 2001 Jacob Franklin Cab Sav Hoffman Lane and 2004 El Nido Clio …amazing juice!

The Worst has to be 2004 Domaine de la Noblaie Chinon Les Chiens-Chiens …I’m sorry Gary but it was horrible!

Some tasty wines I’ve tried because of WLTV:
2002 Vila Regia Douro Reserva
Tempranillo from Spain

Waiting the the rack at home are:
a Gruner Veltliner
a French Colombard (Domain de Mirail 2006), just because I’ve never heard of Colombard before)

Don’t know about a worst. Certainly nothing that’s been undrinkable.

I haven’t had a bad wine so far on recommendation from GV. Enjoyed several new Pinot Noirs that I had never had and a new Tuscan. Since the Lefaive Rully is what I usually can get here I have not been a fan of Rully. I have tried 4 vintages and didn’t like any of them. New wines the Greco to Tuffo wines were new to me and I enjoyed them.

Oh yeah, and I meant to say, about when you describe a taste as being like “burnt wood” or something like that- have you ever thought that might just be a sign of a high level of sulphites? That’s not a good thing!
Of course I’m sure you’d know better than I would but I just wanted to throw it in there!

QOTD: I don’t have a best and worst. I live in PA. They don’t sell wine here. Fortunately DE and NJ are not extremely far. In DE I’ve found new varietals to try based on your show. I’ll try the Gru-Vee this weekend. I love discovering new wines. I love introducing wine to family and friends who claim they only like one varietal.

Worst recommended by you……..2004 Boekenhoutskloof The Wolftrap.

Best recommendations……. Most recommendations you make; I can not find here in Massachusetts.

Bottom line….. you have certainly made me move out of the box.Even if we can’t find a lot of wines tasted here.

I always watch you the next morning right after I check my ebay site.