Great show, GV (and that's from someone who's not wild about guest shows) ! On the QOTD, I don't have a single preference when it comes to oak. For me the “right” level of oak depends heavily on what food you're having with your wine. I love to grill and I've found a moderately oaked wine pairs up wonderfully with the flavors imparted by grilling or smoking. Same goes for buttery dishes. Lastly, I can't enjoy a wine that is way out of balance, and IMHO you can have too much of anything, i.e. alcohol, oak, fruit, etc. It's about all the kids in the sandbox playing together nicely. Slainte!

Great Show, the new stadium looks awesome.
QOTD: Like David Benjamin said I think oak is like the spices on food. When spiced properly, food is enhanced but if it is too spiced or not enough…the food won't be optimum. Same holds true with oak and wine. I agree!
Gary…ready to cook! http://www.happydiabetic.com

I am happy that it is almost football season. A wine and football show is pretty darn good. QOTD – I like a balanced wine where the oak does not overwhelm the other tastes in the wine.

Dont worry boys, its a perfect storm, we will be back doing what we do!

QOTD – I think it really depends on the wine. It's like anything else, you know? It's hard because the aging in oak barrels takes a while, but the concept is the same… if it would make a poorer wine taste better, then you should do it, but if the wine is already robust by itself, it might just mask that flavour. It is like the argument for make up and spices… an uggo would look better with make up, while a natural beauty would look worse. A cheap cut might be better heavily spiced, but you don't want to do too much to a prime cut steak.

🙂

You're awesome!

Right on, G!!

Would you expect less from the 1960 St. Rose Elementary “Man of the Year”?

Agreed, GV is just mixing it up for a change. Do not fret!

Grenache rocks!

gary, episode #660 – gretzky – you are on the right side of the guest. sopranos episodes were great.

QOTD: Oak: there are surely exceptions but… Whites – don't do it. Reds, if you can taste the oak up front, you went too far. Aging in oak does a lot of good things for big rich reds… but the fruit is still the source of the flavor.

Great show even though it involved the Jets. Love the celebrity wine guests as opposed to just celebrity guests but that's just how I roll.

QOTD: Keep the oak in the background! Personally I can barely drink over-oaked wines. I definitely like balance between all components but especially with the oak.

honestly – pretty boring episode (except the oak/barrel discussion, wow. that was AMAZingly interesting, I'm sure coopers were cheering). I will hang in there, it happens sometimes. We all have our weaknesses, truly I know. I could tell you enjoyed it, so am happy for you and no complaints from me. Like a softball junkie always turning every discussion into pitches, hits and runs. haha.
btw, i dislike all sports you watch. just always have. so I am biased against sports shows. sorry.
QOTD: nice guest. I'm an OAK junkie, bring it on!

Boy, how much fun was that for you?

Really great and interesting show as always!

QOTD: I've always been bothered by the oak in whites, compared to where I first cut my teeth on white wines – Chablis and white Burgundy, but I am tasting more and more examples of how light oaking can add fullness and complexity to whites(but I'm still a die-hard unoaked white wine guy!).

As far as oaking reds are concerned, I generally do not have many problems here, but now and again you're right – it over powers the fruit. I have to investigate more….

Anyways, again lots of fun. Thanks Gary!

What a great looking stadium and a great venue for WLTV!

QOTD: I like wine because of it's diversity and the way it can absorb and project a given place into a bottle. For example, a meursault tastes different to a Chassagne Montrachet despit the fact that they're made of the same grape variety and usually undergo the same oak treatment. I feel that over-oaking hides this individuality and sense of place that is so atractive about wine. In effect, over-oaking facilitates the commodification of wine. However, I do agree with a certain level of oaking depending on the grape variety (e.g. I wouldn't oak riesling) and quality of the fruit (e.g I wouldn't new oak young vine fruit because it doesn't have the inherent quality to withstand much oak). As a winemaker, the most important thing should be not follow the market but to follow what the fruit and your palate tells you.

Dude!! It was SO not the St. Amant… Since you posted the list of your varietals I’ve done some “research” on St. Amant. Here’s my take on the Barbera…

On the nose:
A little warm/too much alc. (not overbearing, though)
Nice cherries w/ a small amount of oak
Some cinnamon, vanilla, and a slight, very clean berry note (in my Barberas I like a wee bit more cinnamon/spiciness)

On the palate:
Nice transition from nose to palate
Strawberries
Slight, but noticable, creaminess (nice)
Medium body (maybe a hair on the light side, but that’s not a bad thing here)
Slightly sour cherry/cranberry notes (also nice)
Kind of an Old World powdery/mineral thing happening
Decent finish…

Overall: Two thumbs up!!

Next up: Tempranillo…

p.s. I’ll be there to p/u some ports soon. (on a Friday most likely)

I write all my messages in a word document with spell check, then copy/paste. I think some people would rather keep complaining about Disqus than use their brain.

It seemed like a decent review, glad you enjoyed it! We do our best to let the fruit we get speak for itself. Those grapes were from Tedi Leventini, a third generation farmer from Lodi who’s crop is always consistent. About 900 cases or so produced. About 25% new American 75% old. We keep it in there for about 8-10 months, I think the fruit is forward enough to keep the Oak Monster in check. I racked this twice before filtration and bottling, and the natural acidity gives it a little balance. We also are experimenting with a rose from the same grapes.

Well, I?ve got to respond to an oak question. I think I told this many hundreds of episodes ago but Father?s Day is a good time to retell it. My late father introduced me to wine and anytime I have a glass of wine, he is with me in spirit. He?d always pour from a jug of Gallo Hearty Burgundy. It was some kind of cheap jug blend. He once told me they used stainless steel which was something of a new innovation way back then (probably early ?70s). We both assumed, probably correctly, that this was to save money since they could continue to use the stainless forever (?naked? was not yet a wine term, concept, or marketing angle). After college, when I had some spending money for the first time in my life, there was news of California wines winning some sort of contest in France (yes, that contest). I decided I would start to bring some vintage Californians to the table. They went over well with both Dad and Me. I found a distinct taste in many of these that I never found in the Gallo jugs. I liked it and when shopping I tended to favor bottles that had that taste. It wasn?t until years later, after Dad was gone, that I realized it was oak. Today, there are times when I want to taste the oak, and times when I don?t. Due to the fact that it reminds me of Dad, I will always be the Oak Monster?s Best Friend.

Great story and Father's Day post.
p.s. I don't mind looking at the Oak Monster through the bars of the cage he's in… but I don't want to cuddle up w/him…

Nice job Guys!

QOTD: I enjoy Oak as a more subtle, smoky flavor in red wines. I like my whites crisp, clean and delicious. As long as I can't taste it as a major component, I'm a happy gal.

🙂 The oak on that Barbera was just about PERFECT! Complimentary and subtle, it increased the flavor profile admirably w/out overwhelming the fruit OR the terroir. It seems to me that it would be very difficult to get it any more spot-on than that…
Also… LOVE a well made rose sometimes. (like right about now)

I also love all those other grapes you guys are using, but me and the various friends of mine that are chipping in for me to pick stuff up for them on my run down there only have so much $$ to spend. We’ll make it worth while, though. I’m doing a kind of ‘all-in-one’ thing that day (going to see the brewer at Lodi Brewing, other friends, etc.)
And if you’re around when I get there, I’ll be bringing some ‘strong golden’ ale from Belgium to taste if you can take a break for a minute…

p.s. 900 cases? That’s all? My taste buds just retro-actively enjoyed that vino even more… ;}

lol. I can't wait to see the edited version.

QOTD: It really depends on the wine. I really like most whites unoaked. I like it to be a little subtle. More like you wouldn't catch it if you weren't paying attention.

I still think you are the top wine show in the universe, I was just sharing my likes and dislikes. All my best to you and keep 'em coming!