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EP 835 Tasting Interesting Italian White Grapes in California

Gary tries 3 unusual white wine grapes that are planted in California and are of Italian origin.

Wines tasted in this episode:

2007 Eyrie Pinot GrisWillamette Pinot Gris
2008 Palmina ArneisSanta Barbara Other White
2008 Seghesio FianoSonoma Italian Varieties

Links mentioned in todays episode.


Latest Comment:

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luca bercelli

89/100

line of the day – ‘ I’m pretty much crushing it’

GV almost chased Brandon out of the office to get him on camera – I wish he had

Tags: california, Fiano di Avellino, Pinot Gris, Video, white, wine, wines

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  • Anonymous

    It just feels good. Doesn’t it Tooch?
    It proves to the world that your priority in life is to educate yourself about the THUNDER JUICE!

  • tooch

    on my way to phils spring training!

  • Brandon, you disappoint me. D: Awesome show Gary, shame you couldn't chase him down.

  • do'h tooch got in there…was fumbling with the mouse

  • sweet, just finished posting comment on yesterday's show, and asked for more nerd wines.
    Had a lovely fiano with Bruno Di Conciliis two weeks ago.
    Of course, GV aren't ALL vitis vinifera in the US here from somewhere else? Hmmmm?

  • Don Simpson

    #4? Wow, I've never made Top 10 before. NICE!!!

  • Just Jack

    You guys are sick to hit #1 Like you have your hands poised on the mouse or something

  • Don Simpson

    Guess I was actually #5… Have a GREAT WEEK Gary, Mott, and Vayniacs! I'm off to Hawaii (Kauai). Hopefully I will find some decent wine stores there. I'll report back when I return.

  • fanbrew

    Boo, I wish you had power. I love our tours through the caves of the store. I haven't had any of theses wines, but my love in whites is big buttery Chards.

    Adam

  • castello

    top ten

  • tooch

    i've never understood the excitement of getting #1 in the comments…….

  • cellarrat5

    Brandon, epic fail man! You have angered the Vayniacs, which is not a group you want to piss off!! Good show, those first two sounds delicious! I still might want to try the Segasio, orange peal intrigues me.

    QOTD: I have never tried a white Italian varietal that I am aware of. I will be looking for the Eyrie on my next trip to a store with any kind of decent selection. How wide is the distribution on those Gary? Are they available over here in sunny CA?

  • Had a fine PNW Pinot Gris from Bethel Heights Vineyard at a tasting here in VT last week, and as much as I liked it, their Pinot Blanc estate was more killer.

    De Conciliis also uses some fiano skins in one of his short run Aglianicos “Zero”…subtle but rich aromatic component.

    QOTD: Vermentino

  • tooch

    QOTD: Sadly, don't have much experience with italian whites. Maybe this will be the summer of italian exploration for me.

  • Thanks for the show…great to see the lesser known varietals being tested on US soil.

  • msmarias

    Jermann Tunina. Wow wow wow

  • cellarrat5

    The phenomenon has always interested me as well. I suppose it is the novelty of being in the top ten. On days like today, sitting around the winery waiting for people to come in and taste, I really have nothing better to do. Except drink the Touriga we just bottled two weeks ago, delectable!!

  • Krunch

    Thanks for bringing some Lesser known varietals to the table. Good show.

  • jayhitek

    Pretty funny show. Love the crazy ad libbing from Mott and GV.
    QOTD: It's going to have to be Pinot Grigio. That's all my wife drinks! I am sorry GV, I have tried to get her to try other wines like Reisling and she doesn't go for it. Kills me.
    She'd probably rather drink Hooch. That gross orange soda booze concoction they came out with 10 years ago.

  • seb10

    Hi Gary !
    There are higher quality whites in Italy then the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, but in sommer they are just damn good ! Also like all the whites from a producer called Otella, in the Veneto/Lugana region. He makes fantastic wines from the grappy Trebbiano grape.
    Love,
    Seb

  • QOTD: Greco di Tufo

  • mattgmann

    Nice show idea. I hardly drink Italian wines let alone californian italians

  • romtina

    QOTD: A Tocai Friulano on the patio of the Hotel Bauer in Venice with a view of the Canale Grande and the Chiesa della Salute… and a wonderful risotto paired with it… Okay, I admit it, my judgment might have been influence by the surroundings… 😉

  • mattgmann

    Mott equipment fail! Keep those batteries charged! GV needs to chase down some xenophobic cube dwellers.

  • mattgmann

    QOTD: Pinot Grigio is probably the only italian white I drink regularly. I'm excited to try the first wine. I'm always looking for whites with BIG acidity.

    GV, you need to get a reign on your boys. You said jump, he should have knocked his head on a drop-ceiling tile.

  • laurieinvt

    Interesting show, even if Brandon is being a bit cranky today!

    QOTD: If I get a chance to try the Eyrie, it might just be Pinot Gris, but for now probably Greco di Tufo.

  • johnfarrin

    QOTD: You could fit my experience with Italian whites in a thimble but I did like the 2006 Nec Otium that you reviewed on the show a couple of years ago.

  • johnfarrin

    I LOVE Kauai but wine shops? Oh yeah, heh heh, good luck with that 🙂

  • jolieelman

    I'm a HUGE Palmina fan. It's wonderful to see one of their wines featured with two others on the show (AND, even better, you liked it so well!). I enjoy Palmina's line-up of whites (all Italian varietals).

    Thanks for a great show, Gary.

  • pawncop

    Good episode, will try the Pinot Gris if I can find it.

    QOTD – A little inexpensive bottle of a blend. Had it at a wine dinner/tasting at a local restaurant chain for one of their monthly events.

    2007 Masi – Masianco, Pinot Grigio/Verduzzo blend. light bodied, lemon and melon, good acid, a very tight nose as I recall. Went very well with a chicken Pomodoro Salad.

  • QOTD: Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio. PSYCH. WHO CARES ABOUT THE QOTD, CORNELL COMING UP BIG WITH THE WIN OVER TEMPLE TODAY!!!!!!

    In the words of Wayno da Wino:
    YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWW

  • NC_Carl

    Sparina Gavi

  • NY Pete

    hey hey

  • Bosco

    Great show.

    QOTD: I particularly enjoy Gavi and Soave but lately have been enjoying Falanghina Torre Gaia 2007.

  • lucas_donigian

    QOTD: Falanghina, Feudi makes a great one!

  • Kyle

    Good to see Eyrie on the thunder show- surprised you haven't really talked at all about David Lett, or tried any of their pinot noirs…
    I think he was mentioned in an episod by one of your guests a year or so ago, but that's about it

  • Neil

    QOTD: Red: Chianti Classico Riserva; White: Falanghina

  • pepel

    giacosa arneis by default, but recently tried il cantante etna bianco -was really interesting also

  • castello

    I don't know much about Italian whites but I had a great one from Terlan, a small, very old winery in Alto Adige, Italy. The grape is Muller-Thurgau which they say is a cross between Riesling and Sylvaner.
    I received this wine from my pbs wine club which sends me 2 whites and 4 reds from all over the world. Fairly random wines which is like Christmas morning when I open the surprise package every three months. They seem to find wineries that have had great press for their main grape(s) and send me one that is relatively unknown. @30 bones each I've only been dissapointed a couple times in 2 years worth of palate expansion. Great show. I wish you woulda tasted the 3rd wine a second time, or did you?

  • QOTD Riunite D'Oro, very crisp and easy. Been trying the Bella Sera Pinot Grigio also, another nice one. Was real nice last night with dinner.

    Have a great weekend!

  • castello

    Who cares about ncaa hoops? Sorry, I used to, but now I'm just meh, too much commercial bs and hype going on.

  • QOTD: My favourite (everyday) Italian white wine is a Fiano, but it's from Sicily, not Campania: Cantine Settesoli MandraRossa Sicilia IGT (http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=594074 – but the 2006 vintage is better than the 2007).

    It sells for less US$10 in the US. (C$13 – 15 in Canada).

  • castello

    Yah, who's in charge around that library? MOTT!?

  • Gayle

    Glad to see Palmina featured ! I've been to their tasting room in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto and really loved their wines.
    Q: Don't know the whites that well. Pinot G generally too light and bland. Will look for that Eyrie.

  • QOTD: Planeta La Segreta Bianco from Sicily. Acid and pineapple. The best I've had so far.

    Blend of 20% Chardonnay, 5% Fiano, 60% Grecanico, 5% Sauvignon and 10% Viognier

  • Better than NBA hoops, that's for sure.

  • SamKw

    Now if Baylor gets knocked out, it'll be YOUR fault, Gary, because you erased them from the board.

    QOTD: Can't say I've had too many Italian whites, but I have not impressed with their pinot grigios so far; gewurztraminer and soave, I did like. But this is definitely an area where I'm looking to expand my palate, and I've got several of them lined up on my to-buy list.

  • SamKw

    You start caring when your alma mater starts kicking some serious ass 😉

  • corkscrew

    Have not tired any of these. QOTD- Don't have any..yet. http://www.winelx.com

  • Gary, you spoke of tasting minerality in the second wine and I also get that a lot in wines. Has anyone read James Molesworth's article in the Jan/Feb Wine Spectator about “In Defense of Minerality” where he says there are a lot of discussions about how minerality can not actually be tasted in wine. He says some people cite scientific evidence regarding the lack of soluable compounds in minerals so that it's impossible to detect them when tasting or smelling. He says that he believes you can taste minerality and so do I and obviously so does Gary. Just wanted to get other commenter's thoughts.

    Our favorite Italian white wines of all time are the Moscato d'Asti's. We love them and drink them all the time – especially around the campfire or at Christmas.

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