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EP 849 Cult Vines Wine Tasting

Gary Vaynerchuk sits down with Mike Cochran, the owner of Cult Vines, to taste his wines.

Wines tasted in this episode:

2008 Cult Vines Roussanne
2007 Cult Vines Cabernet Sauvignon

Links mentioned in todays episode.


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luca bercelli

90/100

Gary did a very good job being nice to this guest when all he really wanted to do was pan the wines and the price points. The extra minute tagged on to the end of the episode where GV tells us what he really thinks is a bit sneaky but great nevertheless. I clicked on the link to the twitter page and the last posting was 20th Feb 2011. Go figure

Tags: cabernet, california, red, review, Roussanne, Video, white, wine, wines

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  • Allan

    “She tastes, just like a woman……”

  • Allan

    Give the man a break!!!!!!!!! OK=?

  • Cubatobaco (Ray)

    Good show, Gary! I could tell that you were not fond of the white, but were very respectful to Mike. I'm sure it would sell better at a $20 price point. For the cab, I can't see spending 125 bones (as you would say) for it. Maybe $50ish…. I wish Mike the best, especially if he can get into the restaurant world. He seems to be a great guy and certainly knows how to sell.

    QOTD – I don't think it should be a prerequisite for the winemaker, but should highly recommended if they would like a guest appearance. Would I like some gifts or a deal on the wine they are advertising? Damn right!!!

    Keep up the good work, Gary! Ever thought of doing a cigar and wine pairing? I would be more than glad to break out my best to match your best. = ) Peace out!

  • Cool_Dave

    Yey

  • winecrazy

    $9 a bottle……call crush pad. High end $20.

    Take Vayniac Cab for instance……with shipping and all the great wine makers involved and the premium grapes sourced out and Stu at crush pad and all the help they still just turned it out for what $44 or something?? Pre sale was like $35. Like I said if it drinks like Harlan I'll buy it all right now….but I can't even taste it unless I buy it. And for $100 even with the discount I can go to Garys super tasting for half the price and taste 300 wines…..so….what to do!!!

  • Cuse Wino

    Gary's QOTD- No, I think it would be forced and having people come in to sell sell sell. Everyone knows they are there to promote but I don't want to see this show become QVC

    Guests QOTD- I would take a few Cabs at about a third of the price

    Nice show you guys had a good relationship and I wish him all the best with his new combination of business and passion

  • Cool_Dave

    I only respect the guys from the land who actually make the wine. Negociants and people who “make” wine and don't grow it usually make crap.
    Just my pallet.

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    I think he's gonna need MOOOORE than a “break”………

  • Cool_Dave

    There are some rare exeptions like A to Z winery.

  • thewineattic

    So if I have some spare money I can be a winery?

  • richardvinifera

    Gary's QOTD: It's nice to have deals from watching WLTV but it shouldn't be essential…

  • zrm

    Good epi GV I am on the pro-guest side of things. I think the post game wrap up is huge! very very very important.

    QOD1: I think its pretty cool that guests got to bring the thunder to get on but you have non-winermakers and misc other guests too. I think if they aren't in the wine making or selling industry they should get a pass on having to do something for the vayner nation. What would you have asked Jim Cramer to offer? Or what about those book authors?

    QOD2: How much wine do i want? How much can drink and still stand up?

  • thewineattic

    Who really is making the wine? How involved is Cult Vine? Intimate/oversee-er?

  • jparadise

    Love the wrap up segment at the end. It gets you off the hook for overrating wines in front of the maker and simply affirms what we already knew you were thinking.

    GVQotD: If the guest is in a position like this one where he's doing some marketing to us the viewers then damn straight they should bring an offer to the table. At the very least a little swag for the nation to cover the free advertising. But obviously that shouldn't hold true for the hardcore wine industry guests like Barrett, Mondavi, Jancis etc. (and please bring more of these peeps on)

    Guest QotD: Yeah I fell like a baller dropping 40 bones on a bottle so 125…pazz sorry.

  • Ummm, yes, we can “decode” you 🙂 and thank you for coming on at the end to clear up that “sale-a-thon.” You know what bothered me the most? Actually, two things but either way, what a lame-ass QOTD by your guest? “How much can you sell me?” Yikes, I could go on and on and crush him but won't since I have to get back to the Caps game. Also, the name of his “winery” and that ugly-ass wine label for a 125 bone wine.

    QOTD #1: NO! Please do not succumb to the promotional tour of these winemakers. They could hand out a six pack and it would bother me. I am a member of Twitter, Facebook, et all but don't want to see or hear about them when I sit down in the evening to watch an honest, down-and-dirty show about wine from someone who loves it to the core. Please, do not go this route.

    QOTD #2: No, nada, zilch, zero and it could taste as good as, well, Dominus, which I doubt so you can't sell me any. Plus, 14.5 alcohol for a white! Yikes. Hate the alky.

    Cheers!

    GO CAPS!

  • Notta Salesguy

    The Kevin Durant analogy was poor. Kevin Durant was “ballin” at a high level long before he was the scoring champion. This guy? Not so much. Respect the craft and put the time in to become great, not just a great salesman who likes wine. In that difference, is all the difference.

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    EXACTLY !!!!

  • Bob

    Like the idea of discounts and LOVE the idea of putting in your honest opinion at the end.

  • John

    Gary,

    If you are going to take your Dad to task for “selling”… how is it even remotely possible that this guy gets this kind of latitude without you at least giving him a friendly beat down? Early in the episode?!

    Seriously, watch the episode where Sasha appears to be selling and you'll see the look on your face. Gary V wasn't havin ANY of that, even if it was dear old Dad!! But some first year wine maker hustles his way onto the show and the episode isn't shut down and re-shot solo, tasting his wine with the bile still in your mouth!??

    He asks you about buying some… On the show? And you don't immediately say, we can't have any more than X cases because you're on the show now…

    Last weeks episodes were rough, by your own admission, and now this?
    I'm relatively NEW to the thunder show and I see the slippery slope I am hoping this episode does not represent…

    The truer, the fewer.

  • QOTD: Lots of wine.

    But eh on the guest. Some are really great. Unfortunately that's a pretty small amount of some.

  • robrx

    I like the extra ending honesty. I can see how it is tough to rate wines honestly in front of the guy whose life savings is invested in the inventory.

    I find the CrushPad Commerce concept fascinating. I really like the idea of a “custom” wine and give Mike kudos for having the guts to say “I make what I like”. I wonder what the financials are behind that $125 wine? Could he afford to sell it for $75 and still earn money?

    QOTD#1 I would not make every one have a offer, but something every now and then is fine. In my experience some would be offended by this sort of demand.

  • adrums

    Come on Gary! If a white (or red for that matter) is too cold, simply give it a few swirly swirls with your hands in contact with and cupping the glass. Literally, in six seconds, you'd have a room temp white.
    The cabernet sounds like it was crushed by the oak. I'm no Parkerite, but I'm not sure RMP would have loved it either.
    QOTD: If winemakers want to offer a deal, that's fine, but it absolutely should NOT be part of the agreement to get them on.

  • Anonymous

    @Gary The production and distribution of those wines makes them too readily available to be “cult wines” IMO. Part of the allure is the unavailability.

    Big D

  • cellarrat5

    Liked this show for the most part. Good back and forth, some good info in there. I liked the ending, kind of made me feel important (don't worry, not too important). I do agree with a few of the comments regarding his salesmanship, little over the top at times. Selling is what he does, so its not surprising. But it seems from his appearance here he dose not full appreciate all the time and effort that is put in full circle.

    QOTD 1: Deals are always nice, but I could also see the slippery slope aspect as well.

    QOTD 2: None. Those price points are astronomical in my opinion. Unless I tried the stuff first and had a better idea of why those prices are so high; there is no way I would drop that much on a wine that I knew NOTHING about. And with the bonus ending scores I would give both those wines a major pazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    Notta Salesguy TELLS IT LIKE IT IIIIIIIIIIIIIIS !!!!!!!!!!

  • Anonymous

    All depends on how cold it was to start with. I like some oak in a cab but, just like alcohol, the fruit has to be able to handle it.

    Big D

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    cellarrat5 TELLS IT LIKE IT IIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSS !!!!!!!!!!

  • cellarrat5

    I always dooo myyyyyyy BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Anonymous

    I agree 100% about the economic pressure point the high priced winemaker represents. His saving grace may be his low production. He may be able to flog enough personally to keep afloat.

    Big D

  • cellarrat5

    There are other facilities that one could custom crush in if they had the correct contacts or to a large production winery. I work at a small winery and we often do bottle for others on a case basis, but its all our own fruit and usually are yeasts additions sulfides barrels etc. There are a few places that will crush your fruit, ferment it for you, the whole nine yards. But these places are few and far between unfortunately.

  • cellarrat5

    Wow, this is quite harsh but I find myself agreeing with a lot of your sentiments. Gotta keep it real I suppose, props.

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    YOOOOOOOOOOOU Daaaaaaa MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN !!!!!!!!!! :o)

  • Anonymous

    I don’t think $9 or even $20 represents the production costs for a Beckstoffer To Kalon production. I hear he gets big bucks for those grapes. I’d like to know the costs though. Even with those grapes though I wouldn’t pay $125 for an unknown winemaker. Sol Rouge offered his first To Kalon bottling at $47 and raised his second to $80. Since I tried his first bottling I was much more willing to pay for his second.

    Big D

  • John

    Pointed. Not harsh. Love tells the truth. Indifference doesn't post.

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    John aka Notta Salesguy ???…….

  • Anonymous

    Sounds like you have had some bad experiences. I have to say that there are some great winemakers out there that don’t own any vineyards. Kelly Flemming and Meander to name just two. Paul Hobbs makes some killer wines from Beckstoffer grapes, of course he charges big time for his expertise.

    Big D

  • NIB

    That was a pretty good show, I love the idea of using crush pad to make your own wine…….Hmmm 1 barrel minimum sounds good to me although I may end up drinking it all lol.

    QOTD 1:I like the idea of the guests offering some kind of deal when they come on, but I am not sure if you should pressure them to do it.Besides if more guests offer up deals, the ones that don't will just look like asses anyway.

    QOTD 2:Uhhh probably none considering it costs 125 bones. I do think if the wine is worth it it will sell, but entering into this market with a 125 dollar Cab sounds pretty scary to me.

  • NIB

    You could definitely tell he had some wine to sell, and at 125 a bottle he definitely has some work to do lol.

  • John

    yep. user error on my end

  • 2 + 2 = 4…..?

    Didn't mind the guest trying to “sell” his product, but wasn't fond of the way he went about it. Didn't really find him engaging nor offering the type of information that interested me. There are ways of showing passion and knowledge in what you do, and therefore naturally draw the viewers to get interested in one's product….not much of that here. But good luck to the guest; it's admirable to take such a drastic career change at middle age.

    you little me me'n you…?

  • NIB

    Seriously, 9 to 20 bones a bottle! I gotta start making my own wine.

  • cellarrat5

    Pointed can be, and often is, harsh. Dont get me wrong, harsh is not
    bad. I'm a fan.

    Sent directly from my brain to your computer/cellular device.

  • plcb

    QOTD1: No. Guests do not need to offer anything to us. We enjoy watching without Deal No Deal.
    QOTD2: I'm on a low budget.

  • waynoooo daaaaa winoooo

    Meee tooooooo, & I'll ONLY charge 100 Bones for Mine !!…….. :o)

  • Perfect end to the show!!! I was reading you and I would have expected you to score the white an 86 and the red an over-oaked 90. Looks like I missed by 1. Nice work, great show!

    PS. I wanted episode #240 last night and I'd really like to see an “over the top” episode again. It's sort of fun to see the 96+pts/$200+ wines reviewed.

    QOTD: Yes, guest should give away something, even if it's small, when they are lucky enough to be on your show.

  • julius

    You're living 15 years in the past. Silver Oak is not one of the “Cult Wines.” Harlan, Araujo, Bryant, Colgin, Screaming Eagle, Scarecrow and the like, yes. Silver Oak, Cakebread, Montelena, no.

    BTW, I met Mike at the Crushpad event in NY over a year ago and tasted his Cab. Loved it.

  • John

    we're good. I didn't take it wrong. Just wanted the people to understand it was meant with love and respect. The episode with Sasha and this episode are in stark contrast. Slippery slope is called that for a reason and there are signals we're flirting with it. Gotta return to the roots. more isn't always better.

  • Julius that what u think 😉 It may not be on everyones radar the same way but peeps line up like no other and buy the wine on release, but I agree!

  • Disagree with 6 seconds 😉

  • cellarrat5

    Very true.

    Sent directly from my brain to your computer/cellular device.

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