Awesome show Gary. Love the brown paper bag.

You’ve previously told us Grenache is the most highly produced grape varietal, so I’ll go with that.

QOTD: 2007 Santa Carolina Reserva Merlot — 90 points.

Favorite # is 11
This weekend, the 2005 Torbreck Juvenile, 90 points.

Love when the bags come out!

Gary. Couldn’t help but comment on the comments this show. Specifically about the jerk that rambled about the Russians. My mom had a saying that comes to mind. ” If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. ” My father-in-law had another good one. ” Class will tell and shit will smell.” You don’t even need a “sniffy sniff” to tell which category this guy falls in.

swaflyboy

Gary, I’m crushed to see your reaction to the jackass who commented about your Russian heritage. You’re awesome and a real gentleman for reading this person’s comments. I always admire you for reading both positive and negative commentary about your show. This was over the top though and not even remotely representative of how viewers perceive you. You’re top! I like your “Russian” style and hope you don’t adjust your delivery one bit for this a-hole. Enough said.
If you’re ever in the Monterey area, drop me a line and I’ll take you out to dinner, it would be an honer.
Keep up the solid work my friend.

Best regards,

Martijn Samsom

Hey Gary,

I’ve had many great Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from Mount Eden, but I had a similar reaction last year at about this time to the Mt Eden Chard you tasted.

I have an annual golf/wine event in Pebble Beach for my birthday where I break out my top wines. One of them was the Mount Eden Chardonnay you tasted. It was the only wine that weekend that I really didn’t like because of the excessive butteriness. My geek friend who owns a winery (Tryphon Vineyards) tells me it’s from malolactic fermentation rather than oak, but either way, after a couple of their Pinot’s and Chardonnay’s this one was disappointing.

As it so happens, I’m leaving tonight for my annual soiree and hopefully the only surprises this year will be pleasant ones. Keep up the good work. I watch you religiously via podcast while I workout, so don’t comment as much as I should, but want to thank you for how much you’ve taught me over the last year and a half I’ve been watching your show. You’ve taught me to trust my palate and the more I practice and trust myself the better and better I get at finding the flavors and smells in wines and learn what I like.

Regards,
Scott aka @grillgod

side question of the day: Yes, I do like #7. I am a huge John Elway fan, that should explain why I love #7!!!! Great show!

GV – For some reason, it’s number 7. No idea why its so popular. Finally catching up after a Thunder Show hiatus, but I am back… Loving the knowledge dropping shows lately and the 37 minute-7-bottle blind tasting…. love this S@&t. Thanks for putting it together.

QOTD: Tried the Catena Alta this weekend, liked it. Little oaky and hot for me, but spice came through well and the apricots in the back were nice for me. Thanks for putting it on the show, Ian. I would go 88-89….. I haven’t had a ton of chardonnay lately so I am trying a few this weekend.

Miss the German wine shows… been a while.

GV – love the brown bag shows. I also really like SA Chard – I had a Ruppert & Rothschild a number of years ago that I have not seen since and I really liked it.

QOTD1 – number 7 or 27, the latter being an old football jersey of mine.

QOTD2 – I had a Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rose that I found uninspiring. I would rate it in the low-to-mid 80s. I am trying to get into Rose this summer and this was a mediocre start.

I love the blind tasting shows, but wish you would find a greener product. I use re-usable bags from a company called Bagged Wine. Their website is http://www.baggedwine.com

Brad

Favorite #: 17

Awesome show! I’ve missed you, GV. Been out of the loop, but catching up (as I always do).
Isn’t Hamilton Russel great? I visited the winery a few years back. Their chardonnay made me reconsider my intense dislike of the varietal. I’ve never looked back. I love chardonnay (when done right)!
Super fun. Do more episodes like this!

The “last” weekend before this show I was on my engagement party and I had two amazing wines (from a set of 10):

– 2005 Santa Helena Vernus, it’s a blended (Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot and Carmenère) from Chile. Score: 93.
– 2006 Alamos Pinot Noir from Agertina. Score: 92+.

My favorite number is 7!

G,
That comment that you read was the most ignorant, racist, pile of crap I have ever heard.
Please don’t give people of his filth a forum on your show.
I was angered just listening to it.

QOTD: 8, 2005 Chocolate Block, 89 pts

long time viewer; mostly lurking; catching up on episodes; but felt compelled to comment on this one regardless.

the post concerning russia; while I agree in principal that stereotypes and profiling exists and works for a reason; the comments were not only off base, shallow and self ingratiating; they were just inaccurate. This is particularly the case with the show, it is passionate, fun, insightful and the nerd episodes are the best by far! Just a little encouragement (late) from Florida. You rock! (in the old school progressive scene that I grew up in).

Catching this episode kinda late… gonna make today a WLTV marathon day. Should be fun!
QOTD: Last weekend I was on vacation so indulged in quite a few wines, but the one I enjoyed the most was a Phillips Hill Oppenlander Pinot Noir… I’d say 92pts.

jeez gary,
don’t be so passionate! real americans are bored with life and we would never produce something day in and day out unless it makes us feel really empty, and, importantly, postal. that’s just 101. my fav. number isn’t the Super Bowl Shuffle, but i’ll say that anyway! (and great show)

just saw this episode today, but airen is the most planted any mainly found in spain. didnt cheat and google, but read it a while back. of course hundreds have answered this question by now im sure. unless back when the episode aired it was a different grape then, but i would doubt it.

btw Gary, you handled that that racist b.s. comment that guy made about russian heritage with perfect grace. Love the humorous line you made about not being too russian for him in the end lol. Hat’s off to you sir.

Great way to deal with the racist comment, just wanted to say that.

I just loved this ep. The outcome with 28 point difference was brilliant, and the melted wood thing was funny as hell.

Bring out the paper bags more often!

QOTD1: 8
QOTD2: A 2007 Burgundy by Joseph Drouhin (the most basic one, 10euro’s), 88+ points. Bit young, opened up pretty well but had a bit too much smokey, campagne-alike aroma’s for me.

BTW:

Without Googling (really!); Airen i thought. Although almost exclusively found in Spain, it’s the most planted grape in the world. Never had it though.

QOTD: Odjfell Orzada Carignan- 87 pts

Baron Philippe Rothschild Escudo Rojo- 89+ pts

sqotd: 12
qotd: 01 Beaucastel Chateauneuf. 92 pts.

Michelle(sp?)… I feel the broken glass incident…..I have broken many wine glasses myself, no need for any shame.

18 minutes 15 seconds in = “nuts in my mouth”, nice one G! Reminds me of my first wine tasting event where I said “I am getting a lot of wood from this wine”…. Dirty?… Yes. Funny? Absolutely!

LOL @ random guy in the background! (20 min 20 sec)

QOTD – Silver cap blanc de blanc brut 1/4 bottle = 84 points
grandin brut 1?4 bottle = 91 points
2007 Joseph Drouhin Macon-Villages = 88 points
2009Chat De La Chesnaie Muscadet = 89 points

(it has been a GREAT sunday evening!!!!)

5 has always been my favorite but 9 is starting to creep in.
2008 Grgich Hills Estate Chardonnay 91 pts. would like to compare it with the Mount Eden