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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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  • 2, 90+ points in a row, great. Good episode, the only Fiano wine I've tasted is MandraRossa and it was light but not disappointing, good table wine.

    QOTD: Asti spumanti or Gavi, maybe even Soave… don't really have a favorite.

  • Never tried an Arneis, though I have had some great Pinot Gris…had a superb half-bottle in London. Will be on the lookout for those two. Loved the ad lib, Mott & GV! Brandon, this is the second evasive maneuver in the past month, if I am correct. I promise the Vayniacs don't bite…hard.

    QOTD: I'm going to side with Lucas…lately it's been Falanghina, though I had a really excellent Gavi a short while ago.

  • drt999

    Did anyone ever catch Brandon?

    QOTD — all may sneer, but muscato!

  • castello

    Yes, if I could identify with a team it would get me going. As for the NBA, I used to love it but now I can't relate to the players from one year to the next, but still like the playoffs. Maybe I'm getting old and grumpy.

  • M_Woolley

    Boy. Talk about deflation. Mott, you dropped the ball on this one. Gary was on fire until the battery situation. Too bad, we missed some real crazy stuff.
    qotd: Bastianich Vespa Blanco

  • MikePos

    You have been on point lately, Vay Ner Chuk. What's the deal with Brandon?

  • misfitsNH

    QOTD: Vermentino, or really anything from Cinque Terre. Gary, Gourmet Library carries the Ligurian Pesto, why not carry the Ligurian wines?

  • Kunstguerilla

    Gary, the Roero Arneis of Bruno Giacosa is also one of my favorites white wines, at the moment 6 bottles in my cellar. Warm greets from Germany/Bavaria. Rock on!

  • mikeyz

    qotd: fave white Italian wine is Gavi. had it from multiple producers and theyre all gooooood

  • RANDINTHECITY

    GARY!!!

    QOTD: I drink much white wine, unless it bubbles!! But I do like sauvignon blancs…for Italian white… a few weeks ago, I drank a Scolca, Gavi di Gavi that I loved! (Maybe I just loved it because I was out having such a good time?) LOL

    Thank you Gary! Have a great weekend!!! xo

  • guymandude

    Don't have just one, like them all at different times.

  • QOTD: My favorite Italien white wines are the Sauvignon blanc “St. Valentin” by Cantina San Michele/Appiano (Alto Adige), the Verdicchio “Podium” by Garofoli (Le Marche), like I said before the Roero Arneis by Bruno Giacosa and the Sauvignon blanc “Zuc di Volpe” by Volpe Pasini (Friuli) and a lot of others. Greetings from Germany to the Thunder Show!

  • Adrienne

    QOTD: Malvasia Bianca, for sure.

  • FingerLakesRVResort

    QOTD: Vermentino. Sella & Mosca makes a pretty good one.

  • missatiejacket

    good episode. You were pumped.
    It's hard for me to name a single favorite. Right now I've really been liking the 2006 Guado al Tasso Vermentino. As far as categories, I really like everything you mentioned: Roero Arneis (Bruno Giacosa's is very good), Falanghina, Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo, Bressan Pinot Grigio '04 (the only Italian PG I've enjoyed lately, but I love it), Vernaccia, Verdiccio, and who could leave out Cortese (specifically from Gavi)? I also like some Germanic varieties from Alto Adige: Gewurtztraminer, Kerner.

  • missatiejacket

    Oh, yeah, I saw someone mention Volpe Pasini — I love their current release of Friulano.

  • SLUSHPUPPY

    BRANDON IS A PUSSY-BOY!

  • SLUSHPUPPY

    Brandon is a pussy-boy!

  • Kier from australia

    great show gary!

    QOTD: any southern italian citrussy, crisp white wine for me.

    Also, any red burgundy shows coming up???? PLEASE?!

  • winelou

    QOTD — Favorite Italian white is Fiano, but there are many right behind it. Italy is making the most interesting whites. The Soaves are great. Greco is fantastic. The three Vs (Verdicchio, Vermentino and, yes, even good Vernaccia). German/Alsatian varietals from Alto Adige. Timorasso from the Piedmont. 80% of the whites I drink are from Italy. This episode was particularly disappointing. Why a US Fiano, but not one from Italy? There has been only one Italian Fiano tasted in the history of WLTV, and not a particularly good one. If people knew how great the Colli di Lapio form Campania, or the Cometa from Sicily, is, Fiano might start to catch on a little more here.

  • interesting, will look into it

  • mangoman33

    Gary, tried to talk to you on jellyfish but that didn't work out. The shipping styrofoam, is it cheaper to buy it than to ship with some sort of return packaging, like a mylar mailer with postage? I enjoy buying the wine and appreciate the great packaging, just wish I had a use for it after. Maybe I could start a business having your buyers ship the styrofoam to me and I will sell it back to you???? Hey just trying to come up with my Crush it!! idea.

  • yacochuya

    Biased towards Friuli whites……Tie between Tocai Friulano and Pinot Grigio

  • Easy choice: Pieropan La Rocca Soave…although the Calvarino of the same house is pretty interesting as well.

  • Moselman

    With a nice Italian meal, I really enjoy some Sicilian Grillo, if that would count. But if not, and for a different occasion, that Nectar of the Gods, Moscato d'Asti. In particular, a 2007 La Serra.

    Never had, nor heard of, Fiano. Got me curious now, tho', despite this downer.

  • Yes, you should have gone to the Laid Back couch but that's ok. Great show with alot of energy. These are some nice wines for quaffing out on the deck. 70s this weekend!

    QOTD: CANTINA DEL TABURNO FALANGHINA 2008, ITALY
    “Cantina del Taburno is one of Campania's most promising estates. The winery is a cooperative and quality can be variable, but the top wines compete with the best being made anywhere.” — Wine Advocate, Feb 2008

    I devour this wine and I wish you carried it.

    Go Terps tonight!

    Cheers!

  • castello

    That's a great idea. Let me know if I can help. Facebook me or I'll check back here.

  • castello

    That's a great idea. Let me know if I can help. I'm at edwest_98 at yahoo

  • castello

    I'll second that. Brandon is a pussy-boy. He does make some good Merlot though.

  • mangoman33

    I'll look into it more. It'd obviously involve cooperation with Wine library. The stuff is light so I can't imagine it'd be expensive to ship. I'd cooperate with anyone that got this running. It has got to be a green thing to do when we all need that. And maybe we can order more wine claiming we are helping the earth (all right I need more excuses). That could be one of Gary's questions for the day, what excuse do you use when the UPS guys shows up with more wine? HAHA I've tried a few.

  • Great show, this is a bread & butter-style GV show that I really like.

    I purposefully avoid Italian wines because they're awfully confusing to me. Plus I haven't had many Italian reds that I've liked, but I've nearly always liked most Italian whites that I've tried. So, unfortunately I can't answer your QOTD. How about this – next week I will buy and try 3 random Italian white wines other than Pinot Grigio and see what the noise is all about.

  • DaveyJohnson

    Great show GV, what got me hooked on this.

    QOTD: I dont know, i dont drink Italian whites, i need to try some once it warms up a little more.

    Question for you: You obviously did a bunch of episodes on the same day, or your wife needs to do your laundry. How does your palate stand up to that. For instance, if i drink a bunch of wine in a sitting and say open a 3rd bottle with a few people, my palate seems muted and i never want to open something good.

  • WineWoman

    QOTD: Well it's not Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio. I too, like Arneis–no particular Italian producer, but Ponzi(Oregon)makes a great Arneis and I have had the Palmina. Fazi Battaglia Verdicchio was an old favorite also.

  • Favorite cheap Italian white: Argiolas Costamolino (a big Vermentino from Sardinia). But really, there's so many great ones: Arneis, Fiano, Greco, Verdicchio, Vernaccia, Tocai Friulano, Ribolla Gialla – I've even had a few non-SM pinots grigio (pinotti grigio?) that I liked.

    What I'm not so sure of, is whether I've had a California Italian white. I think there's a bottle of Vare ribolla in the basement, but that's it. Does Luna Freakout count?

  • laurieinvt

    Either everyone is watching NCAA B-ball or the comment numbers are down because Allan hasn't been posting! 😉

  • Garrett

    Gavi. And Avellino-area Fiano.

  • ONUMello

    Californian Italian white grapes from Oregon. Nice.

    QOTD: Haven't tried too many yet, to be honest. I've had an Asti and have a Soave waiting to be popped in the cellar.

  • ChrisNY2

    1) We needed the Mott Cam/Mott Mirror to catch his expression when you slung wine allll over him
    2) The second wine was “14 U.S. Dollars…18 U.S. Bones” ? haha..I'll assume you meant 14 alcohol
    3) Brandon let ya down, but Baylor will not!

    QOTD: mmm not too much experience w/ italian whites unfortunately

  • Good show. Have to throw out a minor correction though – the Eyrie is pronounced Eye'-ree, not Ear-ree'.

    QOTD- Being from Oregon, I'm all over the pinot gris out here. When it's done right (and there are several out here that do do it right), it's my white wine of choice.

  • castello

    Where is Allan?

  • Greg B.

    Big G. I'm so pissed you didn't get to Ian. That is the 2nd time in a couple of months that he pulled that one. Get him on the show!

    QOTD: Italian whites are on my radar and I can't wait to explore heavy this summer. My favorite right now has to be Pinot Bianco.

  • laurieinvt

    not here! not even under an alias! actually i have to go turn on the tv and see how uvm is faring…

  • QOTD: Muscato, I friggen love the stuff. Hands down it is my favourite italian white.

  • vinummaximus

    Falanghina from Campania. Great food wine.

  • Either Grillo or Cattarato from Sicily, got to love them cos they're just so damn interesting

  • scottb5112002

    anything from jermann.a nice friulano.

  • teckdeck2008

    Nice choice of wines for today. I'll definitely have to look for something like that here in college station.
    Qotd: I really haven't had an italian white wine. My favorite italian wine has to be braccheto. If anyone says 'I'm in the mood for bubbles' I always throw them for a loop and buy braccheto lol. At first they're like 'huh' and then they are impressed with my knowledge that I can find something different that is still tasty and appeals to champagne drinkers. What can I say, you taught me well.

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOA, Thems Loooooooks Like Soooooooooooommme
    Cooooooooooooooool Viiiiinoooooooooozzzzzzzzz !!!!!!!!!!!! Gonna watcher 'er later !!!
    Back ta MAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRCH MAAAAAAAAAADNEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :o)

  • wayno daaaaa wino

    Yo Allan, Where Aaarrrrreee Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ???????????????? :o)

  • wldrs

    Don't forget Timmy Smith from that Super Bowl. Set rushing record for Super Bowl as a rookie and never did anything else in the NFL. Go Skins!

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