OK, so I typed too long and missed the top ten. What else is new?

The Syrah was definitely a home run. But I liked the Albarino as well. Gary has turned me back on to different white wines. I was always just a red wine guy, but now I’m drinking whites and loving them.

QOTD: I’m sitting here watching my 401K turn into a 101K without me having to do anything. 😀

GARY – Why aren’t you decanting all the wines you taste on the show for at least 2 hours? I think the results would be much different. I’m such a firm believer in decanting, and you are too. So I think you should walk the walk on the show.

Great episode!

Been up to the usual: writing, watching football, enjoying life, brainstorming new projects.

Ugh I was unable to get the secret pack. Maine alcohol shipping laws make me a sad.

QOTD: Trying new wines and building computers…..at the same time is some cases 😉

GV, welcome back to the trusty ol’ table. Love the energy after a big Jets win. Do you think Favre will have the n*ts to do a Broadway Joe and guarantee victory in the postseason?

QOTD – Traveling: Just got back from Chateauneuf du Pape. Completely blown away. Best wine trip ever, and I don’t even speak French. Vayniacs – make the trip if you can. It’s (relatively) affordable, the food is great, and there are a ton of places to visit all in close proximity (walking distance) in the village.

GV, welcome back to the trusty ol’ table. Love the energy after a big Jets win. Do you think Favre will have the n*ts to do a Broadway Joe and guarantee victory in the postseason?

QOTD – Traveling: Just got back from Chateauneuf du Pape. Completely blown away. Best wine trip ever, and I don’t even speak French. Vayniacs – make the trip if you can. It’s (relatively) affordable, the food is great, and there are a ton of places to visit all in close proximity (walking distance) in the village.

Gary –

Didn’t go for the secret pack this time, Sorry! Had to spend what spare change I had on making my own wine with some buddies! Have a big Syrah/Petite Sirah blend going. Did a three-day cold soak after the crush and siphoned off some of the juice to make a “nouveau”. Both are happily fermenting now.
QOTD: working, enjoying my kids, making wine and trying to stay calm as I watch the market tank!

Uggg,
The idea of a secret pack is very cool – I wish that you could get wine deliveries in Pennsylvania…

QOTD: SUP GV, just had a tasting with the export sales director of Caparzo and Borgo Scopeto… did the Rossos, Brunellos, and IGTs. Interesting to taste so many styles of sangiovese side by side! (That’s what I’ve been up to)

QOTD…Just losing money in the stock market lately. I’ll be in New Jersey Thurs through Sunday for golf!!!

When will I be able to once again buy your wines in Illinois???

The Syrah tastes like circus peanuts to me.

Yikes, you have sold me on the 2005 Saison Des Vins Syrah L?hiver. That sounds like exactly like a wine for me. Gotta try and find this one.

Yikes, you have sold me on the 2005 Saison Des Vins Syrah L?hiver. That sounds like exactly like a wine for me. Gotta try and find this one.

QOTD: I’ve been on my back the last few weeks. Herniated two discs in my neck. Have been out of work since September 10th. In and out of hospital and doctors offices and lots of pain. Starting to feel better now with cortisone injenctions to the spine. Unfortunately will probably not be well enough to make the road trip on the 11th, something I was really looking forward to. Haven’t been in the shape or the mood to drink much vino lately. Did not get the secret pack, but I have recently tasted the Montefalco, which I found to be on the new worldish side for a Sagrantino. Still good though. Glad I have one more in the cellar. My note:

2003 Goretti Sagrantino di Montefalco Le mura saracene
9/2/2008 rated 91 points: Unabashedly modern in style, showing liberal yet stylish use of oak. On the nose, mocha and black cherry. Oak continues to manifest itself on the palate with shades of vanilla, but ripe fruit is the call of the day here. Lots of ripe berry action – sweet blackberry and black raspberry are framed by fine, well-integrated tannins, leading to a medium-long, dry finish. May not be a traditional expression of the Sagrantino grape, but extremely well-crafted nonetheless. Paired exceedinly well with a grilled flank steak.

Great show that I had the opportunity to taste along since the little woman is working late tonight.

My notes, opinions and rankings of the secret pack while having a pasta dish with Parmigiano chees.

#1 Goretti (Sagrantino)
Nose: 89 pts (I got purple paint initially though it transformed into oregano and esp Parmigiano cheese which you mentioned)
Taste: 91pts (wow, I love this stuff, a potpourri of rustic flavors and oh so smooth. My fav wine of the bunch.

#2 Arantei (Viognier)
Nose: 92 pts (really nice)
Taste: 88 pts
Overall: 89+++

#3 Le Gourmand (Red dessert)
This was a very unique wine and would raise alot of eyebrows at a dinner party. I think its a Jekyll and Hyde type of wine that doesn’t know where it wants to go. Red? Dessert?
Rate: 88pts

#4 L’hiver (Shiraz) RP90pts? I need to expand my palate
Nose: 85 pts
Taste: 83pts (Way too hot for me and felt the nid-palate and finish was disjointed. I never figured out where the flavor profile was going. Not for me.)
Rate: 84 (I’m being nice)

Again, great show, great choice of wines.

QOTD: Just returned from a week on the Outer Banks, rained the entire time though I had the opportunity to try some great wines. Thanks for asking.

P.S. I will not be able to make it on the 11th which crushes me. I have a birthday party that I have to attend. One day I’ll make it up to WL. I promise.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Had fun watching the live stream for the first time.
(And in case anyone in the chat was wondering, I did manage to capture the chipmunk that was trapped in the bathroom and repatriate it to the Great Outdoors. I have no idea what happened to the second chipmunk that the cat carried into the house. However, after seeing that, I think I can guess how the first one got inside.)

QOTD: This summer, I finished grad school (for now – MS in Digital Media), watched the motoGP race in the hurricane, went to the Austin GDC, fostered 2 dogs, and launched postliteracy.org (http://www.postliteracy.org). And drank wine.

Great Show!!!

I wish I could make it on October 11th….my bday is October 7th so it would be an awesome trip/gift, but I was just up there a little over a month ago and can’t afford to make it up there again this soon.

QOTD: Wish I could have gotten the secret pack. Nothing much else goin’ on down here….still trying to get life back in order after hurricane ike. Hope all is well with you GV and all other vayniacs.

–RH

Great Show!!!

I wish I could make it on October 11th….my bday is October 7th so it would be an awesome trip/gift, but I was just up there a little over a month ago and can’t afford to make it up there again this soon.

QOTD: Wish I could have gotten the secret pack. Nothing much else goin’ on down here….still trying to get life back in order after hurricane ike. Hope all is well with you GV and all other vayniacs.

–RH

great show i’m a big fan of sagrantino and albarino… unfortunately i was not able to taste along but i did have a glass in front of me while watching 01 dr.zenzen kabinett mosel i love the petrol in aged riesling.. quick question have you had the o4 Goretti Le Mura? just asking because i’m not a big fan of 03 Italians i like the 04 balance better in any case great show you do a great job this coming from one of the “lurkers” thanks for the entertainment

Well I didn’t have the secret pack.

The guy who was supposed to organize the group in Houston fizzled. Never did contact me, and I didn’t get their info.

Like they say if you want it done right……!!

Have a T-shirt coming your way soon.

QOTD: Helping my second youngest move to DC for an new life adventure, and helping my youngest move here from New York. So I guess you are off of the hook for the limo unless she goes back (Which is always a possibility.

Hey Gary, I have set up a tasting with the ladies this weekend and I will comment later since I was unsure the secret pack tasting date. We in VA are celebrating the sucess of our Skins. As I recall you pegged them as “not well coached” and headed for disaster. (This could still happen), but we are true fans around here!! I wish I could make it to NJ this month but the hubby is out of town and someone has to stay with the rugrats! I hope to meet with you and Lizzy again sometime soon.

Fun episode. I’ll be getting in on that sagrantino. Still have a bottle of the Paolo Bea waiting for a nice dinner. Gonna try to get to the party on the 11th.

On another note, Rick Flair dined at the restaurant I work at the other night. Unfortunately I didn’t wait on him and I was too busy to try and get a WLTV plug in for you. I’m just down the road in Philly so I was hoping to maybe tell him about your WWF fanatacism and convince him to pay you a visit. I did note what he was drinking. He had a bottle of Arrogant Frog pinot noir. We serve it by the glass so it was nothing too original.

Gary,

What’s shakin’ buddy? Things are good here, doing my thing. Drank a good South African blend over the weekend (pinotage, cab, merlot, cab franc), Kanokop Kadette was the name of the wine. Good by itself, but really good with Thai food! $12, so it was a decent price. Also picked up a good cab called Fitch Mountain Cellars for $19. Good things…

Celebrating Octoberfest this weekend with friends and family at the Harpoon Brewery in Boston! Should be good, I hear there is a mean keg bowling contest!

Thinking about the cruise…

Listening to the new Kings of Leon album, Metallica’s new one, Ne-Yo (Year of the Gentleman), and an old H2O album (new york hardcore).

Training for my first marathon and staying fresh!

Hope all is well man, great show, didn’t get the secret pack, bummed about that. Thinking of buying a couple bottles of the Oliverhill Shiraz Jimmy Selection 2004. Nice stuff!

Stay safe, have fun!

Dan

G’day Gary.

What do you think of Ben Graham the kicking guy for the NYJ?
I am interested in the NYJ as he is an Aussie playing for them.
Please let me know in your next show.
Cheers

Hey Gary, I’ve been lurking for the past 15 or so episodes, decided to leave a comment for the first time since you said you were gonna sit and read ’em.

I’m a big time wine “newb” and have pretty much zero experience with tasting and such. My wonderful wife is a wine lover and I’m trying to get into it so I can enjoy it with her. I wanted to let you know that you’ve made wine an exciting thing for me for the first time ever – it’s something that I’ve never really been interested in until I really started getting into WLTV. I grew up in a house that drank no alcohol whatsoever and I didn’t have a taste of alcohol or wine period until I was in my early 20’s. Maybe that tainted my palate? I’m not sure…

With that being said I’m finding that every single wine that I taste is way too strong for me alcohol-wise and I’m getting somewhat frustrated with tasting in general. I want to like something, but everything just seems to be too “dry” or strong for me to stomach. My experience is limited to mainly house red wines and although this may be sacrilege to the wine connoisseurs I think I like the “lighter, fruitier” wines more than anything, possibly whites. Any suggestions for affordable “weak” wines along that vein? I’m game for just about anything.

Keep up the great work, I especially enjoyed your web 2.0 expo talk.