Missed the screwcaps bit: LOVE THEM. I think the results of that 10-year Australian study recently released just closed the book on that argument.

My basement is far from optimal for wine storage, but it?s good enough. I?m not storing investment grade wine. My basement avoids the extreme heat. Buying wine isn?t that easy. It involves traveling to a more consumer friendly state; buying quantity; and sneaking back across the border. On average, I shop for wine once a year. I store oldest front/top and newest back/bottom. It?s mostly all age-able tannic reds. I don?t drink them that fast, maybe one a week. With no special effort, each bottle sits for three or more years. I don?t even think about it. For me, beer is a problem. Beer goes bad. In my college days a case of beer wouldn?t last long enough to go bad. But now, I don?t even make it through a six pack before it begins to turn.

More expensive should translate to (hopefully) higher quality wine (lower yields, better vineyards) and doesn't say anything inherent about aging. Not having to age is a plus to me though I admit there is some romanticism (and risk!) to laying something down and pulling it out for that special dinner.

I really wish I didn't feel cheesy cracking a screw top but, to be honest, the feeling doesn't last long.

Loved the guest, loved the show, wish the main page played on the iPad. Come on Gary!!

QOTD; Screw caps are great. I rarely drink a bottle of wine the day I buy it, get in line and I will enjoy in a month or year or five.

I like the idea of aging wines, but since I rent It's not an option. Most of the time I go towards older wines which are ready for consumption. Is there a good rule of thumb for picking wines like this? I know to avoid young and highly tannic wines, like cabernet sauvignon, but what else?

“lemonheads are retardedly good” -Brian Loring

+1

Brian is a computer programming, science geeking, statistcal data obsessed, wine making stud!!! I loved this extended multiple-part episode and could not wait for Part 2 today.

And GV you were smokin' with the interview skills this week. The Dude is pleased!!

QOTD: Screwtops are cool…….long term aging is NOT cool.

Tomatoes don't count dude……..I doubt you can get good tomatoes in California though. Corn on the cob? Dude, I KNOW you cannot get good sweet corn in Cali.

QOTD:I don't really care to cellar a lot of wine. I'm happy to buy an '08 that's drinkable today. It would also be nice if some wines were just released later so I don't have to cellar them.

Screw caps….non issue with me. I could really care less what they stick in the bottle to close it. Maybe they could use bubble gum. Ever try and chew a stick of 88 Tops?

With 14 different wines out there that all cost $40+ dude, why don't you work on a $20 or $10 wine. You want a challenge? That's it. I appreciate the sample pack deal on your site, but how about a nice entry level wine. It doesn't have to be a 90+ point effort, just an affordable way into pinot.

Check out the wine Plan Pegau from the Ferauds. Their Chateaunuef du Pape cuvee is awesome, but it weighs in at ~$75. They bought a bunch of grapes from off the domaine and used their wizard blending skills and put out a $15 table wine with the stylings of a CdP that is great(for the price).

Great show. I'll look forward to trying wines from my sample pack. Keep up the good work.

Buying a 10yr off the shelf sure is a gamble. I bought an '03 Ventoux a while that caught my attention. Drank it with a friend, and it blew my mind. I had no expectations really, and wouldn't generally expect a cotes de ventoux to last that long. But, it was one of the best $20 wines I've ever had.

I found another bottle recently at a different shop. I was excited, and would have bought a case, but they only had one bottle. I went home and corked it…….. It was nothing like the first bottle. Muted, stale. Really made me question how that shop stores their wine.

I already commented about aging and screw tops before I watched part 2. I think it is really just a matter of taste and budget. I like Bordeaux in the 10 to 15 year range, and most other big wines at about 8 to 10 years. Most other wines are best within a couple years of bottling. Some CDp and Rhone blends I enjoy young. I really love paso robles wines because they can be elegant, complex, powerful, terroir driven, are affordable and enjoyable young. My biggest priority in wine is that it expresses the earth it is from. I like wine from all over the world and at different price points as long as it is made in the vineyard and not in the winery. I like that you are producing single vineyard wines that capture the essence of each individual terroir. I am interested to try your clos pepe as I really like that vineyard. I had the Clos Pepe Estate 2006 (which I am assuming is from that vineyard, though I am not 100% sure), and it was lovely. Most wines dont age very long, very well. and it is not usually necessary.

Side note, you said you were drinking a lot of Spanish wines, and I was curious what you thought about priorat? It is quickly becoming my favorite region in Spain, in fact one of my favorites in the world. I had the Rottlan Torra Tirant 2001, and it was absolutely mind blowing, one of the best wines I have ever tasted. Awesome show!

Going to echo many of the Vayniacs when I say spectacular 2-parter! I would totally buy Brian a bottle to share anytime…I love my grilled steak too! On the other hand, I also enjoy food from all food groups (sorry). Also, the candy discussion ROCKED. I will definitely have to think about the reverse-Parker or other flipped reviews. I may find myself selecting wine differently.

QOTD1: Really enjoyed Brian's take on this…it was refreshing to hear it from a winemaker for sure. While I mostly buy wine for immediate or near future consumption, I do have a few reserve bottles. I opened up a Montelena I laid down for a bit a little while ago, for example. All in all, I probably have about 6-7 bottles, though that doesn't include the bottle-fermented beers I have too.

QOTD2: I like screwcaps…easy to open, and they do the job. Most of the whites here have'm, though many of the reds don't. Beer peeps have a similar argument now on bottles vs. cans…it's a good thing the 21st Amendment and Oskar Blues are out there trying to prove a case.

QOTD: Love the wine but I won't buy a screw cap unless I plan on drinking it right away. I've got over 600 bottles in my cellar so I will buy to lay down for up to 6 or 7 years but I don't believe screw caps will age as well as cork. I work in the brewing industry and I know the failure rate on the plastic coating of the cap increases with age. People won't buy a good wine “In A Box” because they don't want their wine in a plastic bag for years. Same thing with plastic bottles. The chemicals will leach into the liquid if you leave it in contact long enough. Each screw cap is made of aluminum and cannot make contact with the wine or the acid in the wine will corrode the metal. So a plastic coating is the only thing between the wine and the cap. Cork is a natural product and just like the oak in the aging barrel will affect the aging process. In the last 3 years I've only had one “Corked” bottle so I don't believe it's much of a problem since the cork industry seems to have gotten it's act in order. I believe the quality of the corks in the market have improved tremendously in the last 10 years.

Yo Allan, You have a GREEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAT WEEKEND toooooo !!!!!!!!!!!
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!!!!!!!!!!!!! :o)

Gary,

Now that's a good guest. I think BL has a very good perspective on things despite the fact that he doesn't eat fruits and veggies.

QOTD 1: I've never heard anybody say that the more expensive stuff should be drank sooner. Though now that I think about it, it makes some sense. I'm going to use that some day.
QOTD 2: I don't care what vehicle the wine comes in. I pour it in glass (most of the time). Then I pour it my mouth. Then I decide if I like it. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I've worked places where you go through cases a week of glass pours with educated staff tasting the wines everyday. Corked wines are very uncommon. Probably less than 1% if they have not been aging. Obviously the longer you lay down a bottle the more likely it's flaws will become apparent. I'd also mention that being someone who has served wine to diners, screw caps are preferred during the rush.

Loved the show, I think this is my favorite guest episode so far, probably cause you two had a real smooth repore, like two old buddies. I agree with him in that if I'm paying a premium, I want to be able to drink it now. I should get a discount for having to hold on to a wine more 10 or more years.

Great guest, great episode!

QOTD1: aging is great if you have a right cellar. And it is always nice when buying a wine previously unknown to you somehow get the information on its ability to age.
QOTD2:for buying wine to drink right now – i don't care if it is cork or screwtop, but for wines that are bought for aging – only cork

and why not a chinese wine episode!

QOTD: Put it this way: I think the wines should age. However I think they should be sold when they are ready and not directly after they are bottled.

the “minerality” of something Made In China could potentially be life-threatening! =P

One of the best guest shows ever. Great guy, totally relaxed, not at all pretentious. Loved it. Eagerly signed up for the mailing list.

QOTD1: I like well-aged wines. A wine that is designed from the get-go to age is simply not drinkable right after bottling, but gives a unique flavor profile after it sits around for 10 years. It's just a fact. You pay a premium for those just because it is a niche market. Not many people are willing to store wine properly for that long, and if you have someone else do it, you have to pay for the space. There's nothing wrong with wine that is designed to be had immediately, either, though. It's just different. For me, $40 is a lot to pay for a wine, whether it is age-worthy or not.

QOTD2: I like screw-caps. I wish some serious old-growth wineries would start to use them, so we could get past the stigma. As long as the big Burgundies and Bordeaux and Ports all insist on treating corks as the only possible closure, then corks will be regarded as a status mark, instead of as a closure that fails.

I thought Brian was a great bloke with a very relaxed attitude to the wine world even if his diet is a bit suspect!

FAAAAAAAAAANTAAAAAAAAAAAAASTIC TWO PART EPISODE, LOVED IT, LOVED IT,
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVED IIIIIIIIIIIIIIT !!!!!!!!!!!! Brian's Pinots FLY-OFF the
Shelves (of the Wine Shops) here in the SOCAL !!!

qotd: I accumilate TOOOOOOONS of Vinos, so a Vino that “ages” is definitely a
plus for me. Many a times have opened a Vino that was definitely past-its-peak.
Screw Caps are Coooooooooooooooooooool !!!!!

Fabulous episodes!!!!! Right up there with my favorites like Heidi Barrett. Informative, funny, thought-provoking. More! More!

QOTD: I'm pro screwcaps. Yes, I'd buy wine that's aged by the producer and released when it's ready to drink.

Expresses the earth it is from. How do you taste that?