I suppose it’s a reasonable explanation, even though I’m disappointed to not know what the other good cheap cabs were. Maybe you could do another blind cheap cab tasting soon?

qotd: my dog lying on her back in the direct path of the AC. she just looked so goofy.

Wow I’m exhausted reading all of these bashing statements! People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones….give the guy a break. Gary stayed true to what he wants WLTV to be and the least we can do is respect him enough to forgive the oops that happens in life. Jzzz I don’t think you people understand life too much if you can’t even forgive a simple boo-boo!!

Nice show Gary – loyal to the end! Who cares about the lurkers they only seem to come out when there is something bad to say and that is so easy in life why not try a little challenge and find nice things to say. What you put out in the world is what you get back and obviously these lurkers put negativity out instead of good! A shame that the “Bangin” didn’t work out the blend peaked my interest as well as the name -love the PV!!!!

QOTD: Yesterday when my son and I were painting our bathroom. I always laugh with him!

Good show GV-keep up the good work-you ARE changing the wine world for sure!!!

Wow I’m exhausted reading all of these bashing statements! People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones….give the guy a break. Gary stayed true to what he wants WLTV to be and the least we can do is respect him enough to forgive the oops that happens in life. Jzzz I don’t think you people understand life too much if you can’t even forgive a simple boo-boo!!

Nice show Gary – loyal to the end! Who cares about the lurkers they only seem to come out when there is something bad to say and that is so easy in life why not try a little challenge and find nice things to say. What you put out in the world is what you get back and obviously these lurkers put negativity out instead of good! A shame that the “Bangin” didn’t work out the blend peaked my interest as well as the name -love the PV!!!!

QOTD: Yesterday when my son and I were painting our bathroom. I always laugh with him!

Good show GV-keep up the good work-you ARE changing the wine world for sure!!!

Very nice Gary, Iâ??m completely satisfied with your explanation and I apologize for suggesting you were just pulling our strings to inspire passionate comments. Perhaps you can display the other cabs (unopened), briefly repeat the comments you made and the scores you gave them.

I always have a big smile when I walk out of the Doctorâ??s office on my way to my first good meal in over a month. Iâ??ll see you this Thursday. I wonâ??t be participating in the wine/food pairing because Iâ??ll still be on a diet until next Thursday when Iâ??ll walk out of the doctorâ??s office with a big smile.

Good show, Gary.

My better half is probably the last thing that made me smile.

Gary,

Here is the deal, you made a judgement call. Lets say for sake of discussion, you aired the episode. Can you imagine all the douche bags ( probably the same people bashing in here ) who would have come out and said , blah blah blah, he just wants to sell his own wine, blah, blah , blah.

In this case, you were screwed if you did and screwed if you didnt.

Either way, people who are bashing you are going to bash you regardless, they just want to find something to get their granny panties in a bunch over.

Keep up the FREE informative, passionate, educating and entertaining show and forget this crap, because it’s seriously a waste of energy.

While I am a little disappointed that we didn’t get to see the lineup I completely understand why.

Ok, I do think the way you explained the issue was sketch – and you’re too good a marketer to assume your plug for your house wine as the winner was inadvertent. But let’s move on – its really not such a big deal, and it should serve as a lesson that we need to trust ourselves more and care far less about what you think. That’s the point, no?

Last thing that made me smile was a cold beer in a bar last night and striking up a conversation with a beautiful Israeli girl (I lived in Israel for a few years). There’s an upside to everything, even this heat wave…

Wow, I had no idea that this would cause the hullabaloo that it did. I really don’t see why people are saying GV has no integrity. I would think that if he aired the entire episode! He had enough common sense to not show the final results precisely because he wanted to maintain it.

And as for why GV said the WL private label won, people would have gone berserk if they didn’t know what happened and why we can’t see it. Can you imagine the theories that’d be on this forum if he didn’t explain himself? And who among us have traveled that much in 12 days whilst taping a daily wine show, doing books signings, and attending various conferences around this large country of ours? Not many, I feel. So please, was it really that big of a deal?

QOTD: Other than seeing a new episode of WLTV, my signed copy of David Sedaris’ “When You Are Engulfed in Flames.” Can’t wait to put that alongside my to-be-signed copy of 101 Wines. 🙂

Let me see if I am getting this right. You pulled the episode because you thought there might be a conflict of interest if it was revealed your house wine was the top scoring wine. You then proceed to tell everyone your house wine was the top scoring wine. What am I missing?

Gary,
Solid lurker here who’s only been into the show for a couple of weeks. Like everyone else here, I was thoroughly captivated by the blind tasting affair.
Here’s how I see it: it’s been one of those unfortunate things where a couple of innocent but unfortunate mistakes start the ball rolling, then you get a cascade of totally unlucky miscommunications and coincidences that result in the whole shebang. Conclusion: it happens, get over it people! I have no doubt that Gary and the boys learnt a lesson or two from it (ie, make sure SOMEONE knows what’s in the paper bags…..after all, don’t want Gary giving a SNIFFY SNIFF to turps with purple food dye). You’re treading a thin line between offering impartial reviews of vino then selling the stuff round the corner, which isn’t always going to be easy and will occasionally result in these conspiracy theories, but don’t sweat it; you’ve obviously got principles backing what it is you do.
QOTD: the beautifully marbled and spot-on rare scotch fillet steak and Heathcote shiraz i whipped up for dinner to celebrate killing a massive assignment today.

Last thing that made me smile, was you protecting yourself from the oakmonster with a WLTV wristband haha.. that was a good one 🙂

/all.. Well…. trust your own palate, then it´s no problemo even if it was a marketing episode going on.. ! Btw, you did not get any scores on the wines, so even if the WL wine won, it could have got just 71 points 🙂

Honestly, I don’t even see the problem with the episode. Whether it is Gary’s house brand or not, he is tasting something he sells. Either he is doing an honest tasting or he isn’t. I am fine with a blind tasting that the house brand won.

Damn right it’s not fair to pick on Australia!! Not fair on you that is – you will pay if you keep it up 🙂

QOTD : Some code I saw at work today. It was so poor, I just had to smile. That and the thought of how much better I was going to make it 🙂

GV,

Always tough to balance our passion and our businesses. Time will tell if you have crossed the line.

BUT does anybody cares that Robert parker is part owner of Beaux Freres in OR? Does that stop him from reviewing the wines? There are plenty of precedents like Armin Diel in Germany (the most important wine writer in Germany and also owner of Weingut Diel).
BUT Mr Parker and Mr Diel have invested in land and winery and they are walking the talk on quality and commitment. I can’t say the same about a private label – I think that might go agaisnt some of your principles.

I have no problem with your gig and will keep enjoying the show. I just wanted to toss my two cents.

Take care,

Nico

Gary, this was BULLSHIT! If you did not air the episode because you did not want to reveal your PL won, why did you ANNOUNCE that it won in this episode. If it was a lip of the tongue, shy did you not edit out that your PL won? It is not possible you can be this stupid.

Gary,

First of all, I believe in your integrity. Not blindly and without questioning. My belief is based on everything I know, have observered and have learned about you. If I didn’t have that belief, I would simply stop watching the show and wouldn’t bother to post a comment. A mistake or several misstakes were made and that’s caused some people to question your integrity. But I still believe that the VAST preponderance of the “evidence” (everything we’ve come to know about you as a person) supports belief in your integrity. At the end of the day, almost all the wines you taste and rate on WLTV are sold at WL. So if there is, in fact, any conflict of interest, that conflict exists for every wine you review. You were simply trying to remove the APPEARANCE of a conflict of interest for a wine that WL not only sells but that also carries the WL name on the label. An understandable (and credible) desire. Whether you decide to run the ending of the episode (or some form thereof) is basically irrelevant to me at this point. I’m ready to accept your explanation, accept your apology and, most importantly, move on.

Scott

The movie Smiley Face I watched last night.

QOTD- You spilling wine on yourself was the biggest smile.

As for the controversy- the miscommunication on the wine choice and then what should have been shown was a mistake, end of story. Letting it slip that your wine had won was not cool but don’t think it was intentional.

I have a friend who is religiously posting on Squires and other wine boards and people are SO OVERLY PASSIONATE which is why I don;t get more involved than leaving comments on the episodes. I am not going anywhere Gary, we love you.

GV,

I accept your explanation about the blind Cabernet tasting. Now, let’s just forget about it and move on… Love your show….

GV,

I accept your explanation about the blind Cabernet tasting. Now, let’s just forget about it and move on… Love your show….

Gary, I have no reason whatsoever to kiss your ass, but I think your decision was sound and your explanation totally rational. As a businessman, I know that I make mistakes, errors, omissions, etc. and if he is honest, which you have always been, all a guy can do is throw himself on his sword and do a big mea culpa.

I know it was embarrassing, but if one person thinks less of you as a result of you not revealing your winner (that would have been REALLY touchy), you really don;t need them around, ya know?

GV – Good show, perfectly understandable position – thanks for letting us know! QOTD – My soon-to-be wife Julie!

People that got worked up (in a way that is not so desirable to Gary Vee):
The ones whoâ??ve been watching for quite awhile (and probably so, because you proably wouldnâ??t have gotten this worked up if you hadnâ??t been watching for awhile) – youâ??ve probably gotten either
1. Great wine to choose from based on the past episodes
2. Entertainment
3. BOTH

â?¦and thatâ??s why you continued watching the show.

Gary let you know of wines that you liked, or entertained, or inspired you – and from what I can see, he continues to do just that in this episode AFTER that particular event; and I believe he will continue to do so in the future episodes – how far, I donâ??t know, but heâ??s doing it now.

Heâ??s still here for the reasons you came here for.

I donâ??t drink wine, but Gary has that passion in life and I love to see passionate people and be around them; which is why I watch the show now and then.

If you want to know about more wines in the Gary Vee way, itâ??s still here.

If you want to be entertained, itâ??s still here. (Just Gary!)

There, andâ?¦ maybe this is a chance for me to askâ?¦

Gary, will you read my e-mail to you? 🙂

I sent it awhile ago – using the e-mail address I used to submit this comment!

First of all: Dear Nico, Parker does not review Beaux Freres.

Gary – Totally understand wanting to avoid the perception of a conflict on the Cab tasting, but probably would have been even better if you had not slipped up and noted that it won!! That was funny!

QOTD: This morning when I asked my boss how his vacation went, he told me it was great until he put a bag of his clothes in the roll out bin and brought a bag of garbage home in his car. I was howling! You would have to know how perfectionistic (verging on anal) he is to understand just how funny that was – but props to him for being able to tell the story and laugh at himself! It made my day – guess I am easily amused.