SQOTD – 6. No real reason. I picked it when I was a little tike.

A dumb Rhine King;
“Since when do you get drunk on the show anyways? I think that I might be able to count 10 out of 100 eps where you actually consumed the smallest sip of alcohol. He must not watch the show very often, because the fondness of nuts in your mouth is widely known, but it is also common knowledge that you rarely swallow.”

Best WLTV comment ever.

Yo G, FAAAAANTAAAAAAASTIIC Episode!!!! Hey, Mt. Eden Estate is one of me
Favorites, 68 points?????? Nooooooooooooo Waaaaaaaaaaay……. 🙂

qotd1: No favorite Number….

qotd2: Friday Chateau Lanessan Haut-Medoc 1996 85 pts
Saturday Williams Selyem Sonoma Co. Pinot Noir 2003 90 pts.
Sunday St. Clement Carneros/Napa Vly Chardonnay 2004 90 pts.

Hey Gary, good show. I have always found you to be an acceptable amount of Russian. If I were you, I wouldn’t change. Just don’t become any *more* Russian.

All kidding aside my favorite number is Vanilla.

Great show! I love how you challenge yourself and open yourself to criticism with the brown baggers. I agree with you 100% that it’s the only way to taste. I’ll give the pros a little slack if they know only the region and varietal of the wine you’re tasting… I hear they want to grade the wine on whether it’s a expresses the terroir. Personally, I think you should just like what tastes good and who care if a Montrachet-styled wine comes from Spain or Argentina or Anderson Valley. What do I know…

However, you should take a good ribbing about the “Nuts in my mouth, very exciting” comment. 🙂

Wines I drank this weekend:
– 2005 J. Rochioli Chardonnay River Block – knocked me into next Tuesday. When I come to, I’ll score this wine 95 points. Lime peel, minerality, creamy mouthfeel, but great acidity.

– 2004 Karl Lawrence Napa Cabernet – Blast of cherry and vanilla. Beautiful nose. A little too one-dimensional to be outstanding but really good. 92 pts

Wow, dude, don’t let anyone EVER tell you that you have no integrity or are shilling for your bidness cuz this show cost you $50. Was contemplating ordering the Mt. Eden, which gets high ratings from others besides Parker but if you think I’m gonna risk half a Benjamin when you blasted the wine and there’s so much other stuff to drink. . . .well, you don’t think that.
Props to you for your palate and your honesty.
The lovely BabsHoney and I washed down some loin lamb chops with the Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara Pinot. I think you may have reviewed it twice and you gave it high marks. Light, herbal chery because perhaps it’s blended with mondosse (sp?). Great price too about $23 including nyc sales tax. (WL doesn’t carry it).
Love the surprises. Keep it up.

Whoops forgot the rating for the ABC pinot 89+

QOTD: A is my favorite number
QOTD2: Neal Petite Sirah 90pt, Chat Montelina Napa Zin 90pt, Sterling Cabernet Sauv 88, Mayo Pinot Gris 88, Penley Phoenix Cabernet 88, Loma Gorda(sp) 87, Hess Chardonay 88

dont tone down instead turn it up a noch, in fact just keep doing what your doing you cant please everyone. Your the only thing I look forward to everyday… Keep it up!!!

Outstanding episode! So true to the core values of the show. Keep them coming.

QOTD: none

QOTD: Montgras Reserva – Carmenere – Chile – 2008: 89 pts. How do they make such a young wine so drinkable …?

Gary,

I love the return of the paper bags. It doesn?t allows you to give a truer review since you?re not influence by any past reviews or likings/dis-likings you might have had.

QOTD: Rodrigues Blueberry wine 2005 from Newfoundland Canada
And my favorite number is 13

The most widely planted grape in the world acreage wise, I believe is a Spanish white – Airen (and yes I did know this – didn’t Google!).

The Erie Wine Guy(Glenn from Erie, PA).

What are you Russian? Keep your approach the way it is. I probably would not watch if you toned it down. Don’t have a favorite number. Most widely planted, cabernet sauvignon. I have to admit that I do not like chardonay and rarely drink it.

QOTD: 14 Hands cabernet sauvignon 06 Washington State and would rate it 84
A little too candy sweet for my taste but value driven under 10$

Blind tastings are the best! Revolutionary show. Gary, I was really glad you read Didic’s comment… I read it after I posted last show and couldn’t disagree more with his opinion. You are passionate about the people, the interaction, your family, and life in general. Alcohol has nothing to do with it. I’m sure you were the same way when you got into baseball cards.

SQOTD: 15 (closely followed by 5 since I was born on June 5)

QOTD: Went to the Billy Joel/Elton John concert @ Nationals Park on Saturday, BBQ’ed and drank wine all afternoon.
** (91+ Points) 2006 Montes Alpha Cabnernet Sauvignon, Colchagua Valley Chile
** (89 Points) 2007 Henry Pelle, Menetou-Salon

“But on the nose theres just so much wood its like someone took pinnochio and stuck him up my nose, theres just massive amounts. Just burnt wood, buttered popcorn, it’s like going to see the Bruno”

LOL. dude. You associate massive amounts of wood and burnt wood with the Bruno movie and homosexuals? Thats hilarious.

At a little over six minutes in to the episode I had to post a comment. How offensive was the comment about your Russian heritage. It was wrong and stupid on many fronts. Quite infuriated me. I may not be your biggest fan but I know your heart. Thanks for reading the email, but on the other hand, I wish you hadn’t. Sad to know there are people out there who take so low a road. Heads up; happy birthday to Liz.

Gary, Loved the show! Had a bunch of comp problems so haven’t watched in a couple months but am so glad I’ve watched this one to get back into it! Eye opening on the South Africa wine. I’ve heard so many negative comments so haven’t paid them the attention I should.

Keep up the passion Gary. That’s why we love watching you. Otherwise we could just read Wine Spectator and stop there.

Gary,

For what it’s worth, I wish you would not feel compelled to apologize to viewers for being who you are. The last set of comments you read today angered me a little, because it sounded as though that viewer intended to hurt you [despite your very kind remarks to the contrary] and succeeded. That pissed me off, because you feel like a friend on some level and we don’t like our friends to be treated disrespectfully by others. I was hoping you would finish reading the comment, look in the camera, and very seriously tell that viewer to kiss your ass! That would have been a riot!

Just be yourself GV. Those who don’t like your terrific, energetic style can watch someone else. Would it really be a loss to have that guy tune out? I don’t think so.

Last week I had a Marques de Riscal Verdejo, 2007, and it was awesome, with flavors of fresh peaches and fresh canteloup – for $8. I would call it an 88 at least.

As I watched tonight, I was sipping a 2007 Burgans Albarino [$9-$10], by Bodegas Martin Codax. According to the “2008 Wines from Spain: Far From Ordinary Wine Guide” this wine [at least the 2006 version] is not oaked, but it sure tastes as if it is. However, when I first popped the cork yesterday, the wine had a hint of apricot on the palate, which was terrific and a first for me. That nuance is missing today, butI would rate this wine in the 85-86 range, which is very good coming from guy who doesn’t especially like white wines.

Gary,

all other critics drink wine when rating blind… their scores are unbiased by looking at the bottle. You know I love you man but really, if you so much like the brown paper bag because it levels the playing field, then do it all the time dude. Parker, WS, etc all rate blind (at least that is what they say and I choose to believe them)

QOTD: Marques de Griñón, Dominio de Valdepusa, Syrah 2003. A terrific SPANISH syrah, yes, Spanish…

forgot the score on the marques wine, 93 points…

Gary!

First, awesome, re-donkulous show! You like green???? Nooooo, I NEVER would have imagined that!

Second, please do not change. Seriously, love your show b/c I know when I watch you, I’m getting the real deal, killer unfiltered knowledge and passion. With all the bloody PC, BS noise in this world, it’s nice to stumble across genuine, heartfelt passion from an individual like yourself. Oh, and Didic’s comment was way below board. Though he’s entitled to his opinion, I thought it was complete crap. I miss my russian friends from my college days, and you know what, I loved them big time!

Third, don’t have a favorite number. Favorite color? Blue.

Fourth, 2005 Boscarelli Montepulciano. 1st night with only 1 hour decanting – 87-88 points. 2nd night – 90 points. I have no idea why, but with the Italian wines, I am really hit or miss. And, I think it’s because I don’t wait long enough from pop/pour to drink. Need to get off my bum and let the San-jo breath a long while!

And finally, thanks for the great episode. This one was memorable, hugely informative and entertaining. Definitely brings the thunder and EXACTLY why I watch. Keep your chin up my man.

Happy Birthday Liz!

If I say something really nasty about you, will you read my comment on your next show? Okay, lemme think. I got it! GEEVEE sux large raw eggs, and then he grins goofy-like and scores the raw eff a 93. And did I mention that GEEVEE is almost, like, Russian? An egg-sucking pseudo-Ruskie (and probably a commie spy, too).

QOTD: This weekend I drank a 2006 Inama Soave Classico. Of six bottles that I bought about a year ago, it was my next to last, and it was the best one yet–which goes to show that sometimes even a wine that’s supposed to be drank young can improve if given a little time to settle down and smooth out. Or maybe it only seemed to taste better, because after 5 bottles I am finally starting to get to know the wine–just like it usually takes several listenings to understand how to really appreciate a fine piece of music. So I would score the Inama Soave “infinite points” and just thank God that He had that bottle of fun, joy, and liquid philosophy find its way from somewhere north of Venice to my table for less than $12. But really, I don’t give scores to people or wines; I just try to get to know them.

If I say something really nasty about you, will you read my comment on your next show? Okay, lemme think. I got it! GEEVEE sux large raw eggs, and then he grins goofy-like and scores the raw eff a 93. And did I mention that GEEVEE is almost, like, Russian? An egg-sucking pseudo-Ruskie (and probably a commie spy, too).

QOTD: This weekend I drank a 2006 Inama Soave Classico. Of six bottles that I bought about a year ago, it was my next to last, and it was the best one yet–which goes to show that sometimes even a wine that’s supposed to be drank young can improve if given a little time to settle down and smooth out. Or maybe it only seemed to taste better, because after 5 bottles I am finally starting to get to know the wine–just like it usually takes several listenings to understand how to really appreciate a fine piece of music. So I would score the Inama Soave “infinite points” and just thank God that He had that bottle of fun, joy, and liquid philosophy find its way from somewhere north of Venice to my table for less than $12. But really, I don’t give scores to people or wines; I just try to get to know them.

1996 Calon Segur- 95pts. With this wine it is very obvious why we cellar wines. It is still youthful yet aging with the grace of a ballet dancer.

Great, great show. Didn’t you promise weekly brown bag shows a few months ago? Time to reissue that promise.

QOTD1: 22

QOTD2: Exopto Cellars Big Bang Rioja, 2006. I’d give it a 89. Was great with grilled flank steak and some Latin sides.