QOTD – never stopped buying California cabs. Now some are at a better price point. Also some older ones can be found at a great price point like the revered 94s and 97s. The price point will only move down further next year.

Mott and Gary — Comin’ outta the shadows for this fantastic 2 part episode. What I liked most about this episode was how compatible Gary and Josh were — even with their drastically different styles of commentary. This may be crazy to say, but I feel if these two got together more often we may see a “Siskel and Ebert” of wine emerge. Am I the only one that senses this? Gary, the cool and confident Ebert and Joshua the nerdy and knowledgeable Siskel. I hope you two pair up again for a future episode(s). Maybe a blind tasting?? Just a thought from a year long viewer. Keep up the good work. Again, great guest – great show.

I raved about how great yesterday’s show was, and today’s didn’t fall short of it in the least. Gary, remember to taste that Cristal with us.

QOTD: I’ll still buy a CaliCab, but only if I’m absolutely sure that its worth the bucks (a la concurring reviews by two or more critics). They cost so fricking much, and there have been so many disappointments – see the sad showings of Opus One for the classic overpriced example. There are just too many other great value plays to be wasting 60++ bucks on flabby, uninteresting wine.

I agree that you did a good interview this time, Gary. Like the Castillo Ygay with food – you did neither dominate nor disappear during the conversation.

QOTD: I recently bought a 2006 Rudius Cabernet from Napa (should be good value at 60 $ – 96WS). I’m hoping to find a sweet spot between the Medoc-style and the new world fruit bombs.

Great episodes and fantastic wines. What could be better. Are Joshua and
you pallet clones? You are both coming up with exactly the same smells and flavors which rarely happens on your show.

QOTD; I have thought Califoria wines were over priced so I stayed away.
Been buying mostly Washington, Australian and German with a little Spain
thrown in.

Actually I’ve been drinking Cali cabs recently because every Thursday one of my favorite wine shops has a special by the glass offer, & recently they’ve been pouring some mid-range Cali cabs- a glass just 1/4 the bottle price- that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford. I had 2005 Frank Family & 2005 Burly last month; they just did Duckhorn tonight but I wasn’t able to make it.

How was the Cristal on day 2?

QOTD: Yes still buying CA cabs, love them. But I don’t spend much more than $25-30 for a nice one which normally MSRPs around $50+ because there are some amazing deals out there. Not going to fork over the $175 for the Diamond Creek, even though I know it’s tremendous wine.

Great show great guest!
QOTD: like many wine drinkers out there I started out drinking almost nothing but napa cab…then I started to branch out, and the more I branched the more ripped off I felt by napa cab. Why the heck could I buy a wine from Spain, or Chile, or Italy, or Australia, or even France for half the price of a Napa cab with no decline in quality? I’m so over Napa wines I don’t even buy them anymore. It’s a sucker play in the wine market. I suppose there are still good values to be found there, but who has the money to buy ten overpriced wines just to find one value wine? Not me. I’ll buy Napa cabs again when the prices reduce by at least 30%. It’s just ridiculous at this point. Great question, I needed to vent.

Great great show Gary Vay-ner-chuk.
Q.O.T.D. I am not buying California cabernets. I am new to wine and expanding my pallet. This may shock some people but my budget since I decided to learn about wine and not just drink it is $20.00 U.S. I will never spend more than $50.00 for a special occasion wine. As of today I have never spent more than $25.00. There is no wine worth more thatn $50.00 a bottle to me. None! I even doubt I will spend that much I just wanted to remain open minded. Over $100.00 you have got to be out of your freaken mind!
Love, Cool Dave

Thanks Gary for making me jealous, thirsty and happy (that I have a bottle of the 01 Ygay in my cellar).

Great show & great guest. You still deliver bombastig content. (Maybe you will read this one in the show – it would be my second appearance/mention on the thunder show 😉

Loved these 2 episodes! I am a loyal reader of W&S and I love the project even more now after seeing Josh. He seems to be quite a force within the industry. I also just went part and watched the 2 part Bordeaux tasting trip, and I would love to see more trips like that. GV-you never cease to amaze me.

QOTD: Who buys Napa Cab?! Way too over priced. And most of the time its too samey, too fruity, too oaky, too high in alcohol. There are many better QPRed imports in the market. I do buy a lot of US wines, but when can we see our own US wines more reasonably priced?

Thanks for another terrific program.
At our little restaurant we’ve been selling a bit more of the ’03 Dominus than the ’05 Sequoia Grove… both sell well.
T.

Great 2 shows with a fun and savvy guest.

QOTD:
Napa Cab can be both the best and the worst of wines. I buy, drink, collect and talk Napa Cab and especially single vineyard almost exclusively. I collect it by vineyard, winemaker, AVA, etc. etc. There are so many expressions of this grape to found that for me it is never boring. I do agree that there is a lot of bad and bland Napa Cab and thus the problem. How to discover the jewels and discard the junk. As for buying…. YES, you bet. There is a lot of great Cab both new and aged avail at recession prices. If you don’t buy now, especially the ’07s, you’ll be talking about how you missed a great vintage and wished for another to come around soon.

And Gary, if you want Crabtree and his bumb foot for your Jets come on down and pick him and his monster ego up. The Niners don’t need him. Tamper On!

i wish the episode didn’t end. Fantastic stuff! Awesome! Oh god! I don’t even know what else to say. I need to lie down.

Great Part 2. Joshua, you were excellent again.

Great, great, great episode. Awesome guest and you did a great job interviewing him. Nerded it up and balanced each other out well.

QOTD: Don’t buy California Cabs anymore. Generally I’ve been into Rioja’s and Tempranillo’s lately. Spain and Portugal are giving me a better value pound for pound over California.

Fantastic guest and a fantastic episode.

Another 100 point show!

Gary…I love the nerdy wine shows. Great guest!

QOTD: Obsessed with Loire Valley wines.

I must appologize for my last comment. $ 100.00 is not too much for wine. I was wrong to say that. Many hours of skilled labor go into a fine wine and if the demand is there to command any price then that is fair value. It was hippocritcal of me because I work for a luxury car maker and I am sure what we charge for a car may confound people who are not auto enthusiasts.
So I do get it!
Cool Dave

Amazing episode. One of my all time favorites.
QOTD: I have not really had any in the past few years. Sad as a matter of fact.

Great guy and very knowledgeable, a good “guest” show this one. QOTD: here in England Californian wine is very poorly represented as you probably know Gary so I can’t really answer it!

Good question????, I have always loved California Cabs, but the world class wines are now soooo expensive. Here in the UK the selection of good cali/cabs available is rather small, retailers/merchants either sell mass market brands or super premium wines, there is almost nothing here in the middle. What we do have is a full range of left and right bank clarets, at all prices. So thats what im buying!!
Regards Pete.

Great knowledgeable guest. QOTD Still buying Napa Cabs – a bit more selective. Definite no to the $150 plus wines. (Paul Hobbs, Harlan etc.) No to the wineries that still have a case minimum purchase (Kistler). Mostly less expensive wines, but still yes to some great premium wines that I feel a connection to – Robert Foley, Paloma, Blankiet, Modus Operandi – for the cellar.

Really good, knowledge guests with great stories. I need to check out Wine & Spirits magazine now.

Excellent!! Learned so much from Josh. Gary you are on a roll with the guests!!